Tony Parsons

Essex-born Tony, 68, is a journalist, TV personality and author, known for his best-selling novels including Man And Boy and The Murder Bag.

What was your first TV memory?

I remember getting excited about Clint Eastwood in Rawhide, but the clearest memory is seeing Doctor Who in black and white with the Daleks in 1963.

Who was your first TV crush?

Cyd Charisse blew me away when I saw her in Singing In The Rain. I was a 1970s teenager in love with a 50s film star. I’ve never really got over her. There was also Ayshea Brough in Lift Off With Ayshea.

What was your first TV appearance?

When I joined the NME I got sick immediately and did a consumer report for the paper. Nationwide picked up on it and interviewed me sitting at my desk. It was late 1976.

What is your favourite current show?

I’ve usually got two or three on the go. I’m just finishing the latest series of The Crown. I watched The Queen’s Gambit with my daughter.

Which TV show would you take to a desert island?

The Sopranos. My wife thinks the greatest show is Breaking Bad but The Sopranos speaks to something in the old man’s heart. I can identify with Tony Soprano juggling family and work.

What TV show would you like to put out of its misery?

I’d get rid of reality shows. There are too many people humiliating themselves for two minutes of airtime.

Guiltiest TV pleasure?

Strictly. I mentioned it on Twitter and got responses like, “Why the hell is the guy who hung out with The Clash watching this?” But I’m a fan. I was asked to do it once. The format is so good, nobody is bigger than the show.

What are you up to at the moment?

I’m promoting my latest suspense novel The People Next Door.

The People Next Door (Century, £12.99) is out now in hardback. The paperback is available to pre-order.

GARRY BUSHELL