Former BBC presenter David Dimbleby, aged 87, has admitted he is 'startled' by his own age and 'amazed' to still be alive and healthy enough to work. In a candid interview with Radio Times, the veteran broadcaster, who helmed Question Time for 25 years until 2019, expressed his ongoing desire to remain professionally active.
Dimbleby Reflects on Age and Health
Dimbleby, who has covered major national events including Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 and the 2016 EU referendum, confessed: 'My own age is very startling to me. I'm amazed I'm alive and healthy and able to go on working.' He revealed that he relies on medication, stating, 'I'm kept alive by swallowing pills.' The journalist emphasised that a health condition curtailing his ability to work would be 'hard to bear,' but clarified he is not a workaholic, adding, 'I love my family, my children.'
Love for Work and Life Beyond Broadcasting
Dimbleby spoke warmly about his passions outside work, including travel, music, concerts, and opera. 'I love working, but it's never been a slog. I don't think of it as work,' he said. Since stepping down from Question Time in 2019, Dimbleby has made rare public appearances, though he did cover the Queen's funeral procession in 2022. He described his departure from the programme as 'the right moment to leave,' noting it had been 'a privilege to work for a programme which brings voters face to face with those in power.'
Plans to Return to Reporting
At the time of his exit, Dimbleby announced plans to 'return to my first love: reporting' and insisted he was 'not giving up broadcasting.' Ahead of the 2024 General Election, he reflected on his decades-long career, describing general election coverage as 'the Everest of broadcasting.' He admitted he did not miss delivering exit poll figures at 10pm, saying, 'I don't miss it because I have spent five years not doing it.' However, he confessed that 'when you stop walking along a tightrope, you miss it,' and noted he 'never got tired' or 'never prepared' for covering elections.
