MICHEL ROUX: THE ODD CIGAR... AND LOTS OF DAILY STRETCHING

MICHEL ROUX, 78, is a French-born chef who travels between his homes in the UK, St Tropez and Switzerland. He opened two restaurants with his brother, Albert, which hold five Michelin stars between them. Michel says: I hAd colon cancer 13 years ago, and it definitely changed me — life is tough when you go through that. You just think about getting to the next day.

But after my last session of chemotherapy, I thought: ‘I must move on and leave this behind.’ Of course, it is there at the back of my mind, but I came out stronger.

Perfect happiness is simply doing what you want to do in life and being able to speak your mind.

My eldest daughter is a gymnastics teacher, and recently she suggested I do a bit of exercise to make up for everything I eat and drink. So I do some stretching every morning and I walk my dog when I can. I also play golf once or twice a month, but I started playing very late in life.

diet-wise, I’ll usually have a salad or soup for lunch and something more indulgent for dinner. I’ve cut down on bread recently, and I try to avoid alcohol one or two days a week, which is very difficult. I don’t smoke, except the odd cigar if I am in total open air and I’ve had a big lunch.

I don’t think I am 78 — in my mind, I am about 30 or 40. My body is as active as when I was 40. Playing 18 holes of golf, I might start puffing on the 14th hole — but puffing is not such a bad thing!

As I grow older, I still commit to far too much. Sometimes I wake up and think: ‘Maybe you could have done without that!’ So I am trying hard to restrain myself a bit.

I suppose strangers may treat me differently because of my age, but when they get to know me, they realise I am just one of them.

My motto is to be yourself. Never try to be anybody else.