Warning! John Prescott’s sex life could be a bit of a turn off

Su Pollard’s voiceover did try to prepare us. ‘ Warning!’ she growled at the outset of The Baby Boomer’s

Guide To Getting Old (More4). ‘This programme contains old people talking about sex. Get over it!’

and she wasn’t kidding. Honestly, you’d think the over70s never think about anything else.

Perhaps that’s true for some of the guests, such as 79yearold former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who had to be stopped by the interviewer after he began talking enthusiastically about what, for reasons of delicacy, we shall call the sin of onanism.

and another exminister, 70yearold Edwina Currie, licked her lips before whispering: ‘I like to think I’m fun in bed.’ Talk about getting Back To Basics!

For the most part, our game interviewees were making desperate jokes to steer the conversation back to safety whenever questions became too graphic. Boris Johnson’s dad stanley, 76, began spouting French poetry when the topic of internet dating was breached.

and cricket commentator Henry Blofeld was fervently earnest about going on dates: ‘I’m jolly glad I don’t have to.’ Not that it stopped him from flirting outrageously with every lady he met, even the woman who ran a dating agency for seniors. Blowers clearly loves being 77, ‘an age when you can let almost everything hang out’.

This included his shirt tails and his pullover, half tucked into his trousers’ belt — it’s safe to assume that Henry doesn’t waste energy fretting about sartorial perfection.

Perhaps that’s one of the perks of being a radio legend. But it’s also one of the differences between the sexes — most men were content with their appearance, however raddled, while the women winced at themselves in the mirror.

Former EastEnders actress laila Morse (71) said getting undressed was ‘like unwrapping a toffee’, and none of the girls wanted to think about love with the lights on.

shows assembled from snatches of celebrity chat are frequently a waste of time, but this was insightful and full of fun. dame Esther rantzen’s (77) putdown to a noisy chancer at a dance trying to get her phone number was glorious.

In the end, we didn’t learn much about sex, but lots about growing older. Comedian roy Hudd, 81, blushed like a tomato as he recalled how a pretty young woman had smiled at him . . . before giving up her seat on the Tube.

after all, it’s not the passage of time that makes us feel our age — it’s the attitudes of others.

The experts on Tried And Tasted (C4) care what other people think for all the wrong reasons. They are desperate to show off their pretentious palates, making this pompous little show highly entertaining in ways it never intended.

Each week, chef Michel roux Jnr and selfimportant pals including head waiter Fred sirieix and food critic Jay rayner park themselves in front of a conveyor belt of unlabelled and nearly identical dishes. as they pick their favourites, these affected posers fly into foodie raptures.

But, often as not, the cheapest platefuls come top. Michel and his preening chums, convinced of how superior they are to the ignorant public, nibbled on sausages — and gave first prize to the bangers from Morrison’s supermarket. Tesco’s came second, and the organic, artisan range from the local butcher a distant third.

sipping a black coffee, Jay declared: ‘There’s a depth and a richness to this.’ Turned out it came from lidl’s bargain bag.

You can be a twit at any age . . . especially if you think you’re better than the rest of us.