Did you find all the attention in America to be humorous? Surprising more than anything else. Celebrity and hard-news journalism are not natural bedfellows. I find it hard to sit around and talk about how popular I am. It just sounds vain [laughs].
Why do you think you have such huge appeal? I think it is the program. There is obviously an appetite for international news in America, contrary to popular perception. We tell people in a very serious way what has been going on in the world. And I’ve been told that the Americans like the British accent.
Did you know David Letterman was such a fan of yours? No, I found out pretty much at the same time as the rest of the world. I didn’t quite know what to think. It was nice to know that he watched the program along with lots of other American viewers. I am in good company.
How many of your American fans can pronounce your name? I have met quite a few who can and some who can’t. I once had a journalist ask me if this was my real name or just a stage name. I didn’t end up doing an interview with him.
