Good times with… Noel Fitzpatrick

Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick is celebrating 30 years of being a vet this September.

I’m fascinated by anyone becoming something from nothing

The film you could watch over and

over… Interstellar by Christopher Nolan is awesome. As they’re hurtling through space in a ship that needs to dock against impossible odds to get back to earth, Anne Hathaway says to Matthew Mcconaughey, ‘It’s not possible,’ to which he replies, ‘No, it’s necessary.’ I want to do my best for animals and find solutions where none exist; it may seem impossible, but it is necessary. The performance that stayed with you… Cillian Murphy in Grief Is The Thing With Feathers by Max Porter at The Barbican was extraordinary. The last TV show you loved… Mark Strong is a great actor and I watched his Sky One series Temple in the gym. It’s about a doctor who will ostensibly stop at nothing to keep his comatose wife alive. Gripping stuff.

The podcast you loved… Russell Brand’s Under The Skin is intensely thought-provoking. I also like Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place because she’s so compassionate and kind. I’ve really enjoyed making my own, Animal People, too. I wanted to launch a podcast that celebrated the diversity of people who love animals and how that love of animals unites people from all backgrounds.

It’s been eye-opening and exhilarating.

The last album you loved… I loved Snow Patrol’s Reworked album. I went to see them play at the Royal Albert Hall and it was one of those really special concerts that sticks in your mind. The one you want to hear… My pal Serge Pizzorno is working on a new album for Kasabian – I can’t wait. My other pal, Josh Franceschi from You Me At Six, is about to drop a masterpiece. The song you can’t stop listening to… One by U2 – best song ever written.

The book that inspired you… The Dr Seuss books. Such simple messages about the simple things are often the most important: ‘Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.’ Genius. The one you want to read…

I actually have a signed copy of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s autobiography on the way. I’m fascinated by anyone becoming something from nothing. The best recommendation you

received… When I broke my neck at the start of this year [Noel had a fall just before lockdown], I watched a film called Life Is Beautiful. It’s the story of a Jewish family’s experience of the concentration camps and how they got through. Optimism is powerful and their journey shows how we all have a choice as to how we approach the traumatic things life can throw at us.

Animal People is available on all podcast providers