Daily Mail - Daily Mail Weekend Magazine
The DEFINITE ARTICLE
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s Countryfile presenter Adam Henson
‘I was an extra in Braveheart and my face fills the screen! Mel Gibson directed me and seemed like a great guy’
The prized possession you value above all others… Platinum and diamond cufflinks and shirt studs given to my grandfather Leslie Henson, an actor and comedian, by King George VI. They feel like a connection to the past. The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again… My fitness. I loved rugby when I was younger but I’ve lost my speed and strength. The temptation you wish you could resist… Bread and butter pudding with ice cream, cream and custard! At 52 it’s too hard to get rid of the extra weight. The pet hate that makes your hackles rise… People with uncompromising opinions jar with me. It’s important to be open-minded. The film you can watch time
and time again… Braveheart, for vanity reasons! I was an extra leading the oxen, loaned from our farm, for the funeral of Mel Gibson’s character’s father and my face fills the screen. Mel directed me and seemed like a great guy. The the Invisible priority activity Man for if a you day… were I’d stand among gorillas, wolves and lions, as well as everyday wildlife such as woodpeckers and brown hares. To watch them up close would be wonderful. The book that holds an everlasting resonance… My memoir Like Farmer, Like Son because it’s as much about my dad Joe as me. He died from cancer in
2015 and never read the finished book. The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity… Pottery. I got an A at O-level and considered being a ceramicist but began farming instead. I’d like a potter’s wheel one day. The biggest regret you wish you could amend… Not studying harder at school. I failed all my A-levels, so I had to resit geology at night school to get into agricultural college. The person who has influenced you most… My dad. He was from a thespian background but took on a farm shortly before I was born in 1966. He taught me so much about the countryside. The tory figure for whom from you’d hismost like to buy a pie and a pint… I’d love to meet my grandfather and watch him perform. He had a complicated life but was a terrific character. The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it… I’d steal all the money criminals make from trading in ivory and wild animals and give it to animal welfare charities. The unending quest that drives you on… To make a difference by teaching people about farming, conservation and where food comes from. The poem that touches your soul… God Speed The Plough, which is a 19th- century song about a farmer’s love of his land. The words are poetic and are on a mug that Countryfile presenter John Craven’s wife gave me. The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase… It’s hurtful that people think I must be a hobby farmer because I’m on television. I film on Mondays and Tuesdays and for the rest of the week I’m working on our farm in Gloucestershire. The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child… Take opportunities – you never know what’s around the corner. The event that altered the course of your life and character… My dad opening Cotswold Farm Park to the public in 1971. From the age of five I was working with livestock in front of people, which is when I learnt to communicate about farming. The song that means most to you… The Specials’ whole first album from 1979. I loved ska music and it reminds me of my first serious girlfriend. The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions... I’d go fly-fishing for trout on Lake Taupo in New Zealand with my mate JC who lives there. Breakfast would be freshly caught fish with scrambled eggs and fruit. Then I’d take my family – partner Charlie, and our children Ella, 19, and Alfie, 15 – scuba diving in the Galapagos to see sharks. We’d have spicy jerk chicken and rum punch on a Caribbean beach before going on safari in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, to see migrating wildebeest. We’d then have a cream tea at The Ritz in London, before following killer whales and seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland. Dinner would be in a Cornish pub with my extended family and close friends. I’d drink my own beer – Butcombe Rare Breed – and eat a rib of beef from one of our own cattle, then end the day in a luxurious bed at a hotel overlooking Italy’s Amalfi Coast. The happiest moment you will cherish forever… I cried when I bought my first piece of land last year. We rent our farm and farm park and it’s been my lifelong dream to own a smallholding. The saddest time that shook your world… When my sister Becca’s son Ben died from a brain tumour aged nine in 2006. We were all devastated. The unfulfilled ambition that still haunts you… To play rugby for England.
The philosophy that underpins your life… We’re here for a good time, not a long time, so make the most of it. The order of service at your funeral… I’ll leave it to others to decide, but I want my ashes scattered on our land. The way you want to be remembered… He was kind and fun-loving.
The Plug… Cotswold Farm Park in Gloucestershire is the home of rarebreed conservation with a host of farm animals, fun events and educational activities for all the family. For details visit cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk.