When people find out I’m an MP, they’ll turn us in

I wanted to do this show because every year I do something for charity. I use my incredibly privileged position as a member of parliament to raise money for charity. Last year I did something for Helping Heroes, Justice of Women, cycling around Europe, and this year I’m going on the run with the brilliant Kay Burley to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer.

I’m doing it because I have a very strong connection with several cancer charities, and I always try and raise their profile if I possibly can. So when I was approached to do Hunted I was delighted. I approached Johnny and said, “Please will you come with me?” He’s brilliant, he’s talented, he was a former commando so I know he’s going to look after me and hopefully we’ll have a lot of fun along the way as well. Kay, you’ve spoken in the past about your own cancer scare so it must be an issue close to your heart?

Three of my very closest girlfriends have all died from brain tumours, it’s a wretched disease.

My girlfriends were in their fifties and sixties and each one of them has suddenly died of a brain tumour, either as a result of breast cancer or secondary cancer.

Actually, one of them died very quickly, so I’ll be thinking about them a lot as we walk towards the finish line. and waltz back out, so I don’t really see it as being particularly difficult!

I think it’s going to be harder, you know, as we get further around the country. It’s going to be good fun.

It’s going to be so hard, actually, because the first thing I do in the morning is check my phone, Twitter and check the internet to see what’s happening news wise.

There’s never been a better time as far as politics is concerned, and the first election I covered was in 1979 when Margaret Thatcher won.

It’s an incredible time to be covering politics. So yes, I’m going to miss that. Are you looking forward to almost going back to basics, forgetting about work and all the pressures that come with that?

It’s been such a tumultuous time, I think, and it’s such an extraordinarily busy job, and you are dictated to by events outside of your control so It’s going to be nice to have a bit of time away from that. Dom Joly has been joking that if the Government falls while you’re away that you could be the designated survivor and end up Prime Minister...