Quotes from Alexander Armstrong

Countdown came about at a time when we'd just had our first baby, and, if I'm entirely honest, it looked like an income - a salary - something I'd never had before.

I'm a bit of a floating voter actually - I've voted for all parties.

Why should your background be held against you? It is so short-sighted.

My dad's a doctor. So when we were little, at our family Christmases, we'd always have a couple of his elderly patients over for lunch.

I'd take lying by the pool doing nothing over aimlessly wandering the streets clutching a guidebook.

Alpacas are much more biddable creatures. Llamas are horrible. As a species, it's probably for the best that they're wary of us. But on a personal level, I find it very hard to come to terms with.

I'm staggered when I look back at how, when I got to Cambridge, I didn't know anything of the world.

Danger Mouse' is James Bond essentially. A rodent James Bond. Oh and slightly Batman too I suppose. And let's chuck in a little bit Superman while we're there. He's an old-fashion swashbuckling hero.

Well I am breaking the omerta and telling the world about how the Arctic is surprisingly full of bustling conurbations and comfy hotels so no explorer will ever speak to me again.

I love 'Pointless', part of the genius of the show is that it's always a different story.

I suspect that you, like I once did, are picturing the Arctic as one endless Pingu landscape of flat ice, broken only by the occasional Berghaus-clad James Cracknell type striding manfully out of the spindrift.

I have never actually abandoned singing. I have sung at lots of friends' weddings and family events to keep up my classical repertoire, and I get together with a music teacher every few months.

When I'm filming, my fitness levels fall off, but when I'm not, I try to go to the gym a few times a week.

I follow politics avidly. I like sensible people of all political persuasions. My ideal political party would be a pick and mix.

I once started tennis lessons and turned some poor man grey overnight. Now I feign injuries when I'm asked for a game.

I love doing children's TV. You get such extraordinarily positive feedback from your audience too.

I am very shy with people I don't know. I'm positively awkward.

Genuine talent does shine through but, in my experience, ambition will get you much further than pure talent.

There's this weird thing going on where people think they've worked you out as a certain type of person, but probably better for them if they don't put me in a box, because if they do I am going to disappoint.

I grew up the son of the village doctor, so my father was quite well known. At home in Northumberland, frankly Dad is the famous one.

I was a chorister at St Mary's Music School, from the ages of 11 to 13, after prep school and before I went to the Durham School. Edinburgh's my favourite city in the whole world. I don't think there's anywhere that comes close to it.

I was teased at school for having a posh voice even though there was nothing posh about us.

In the olden days you cut your teeth on the northern club circuit. I've cut mine on the southern black-tie circuit.

I'd love a rule to be introduced that you can only ring up and complain about a programme if you can prove you've watched the whole programme.