I loved the material when I first read it and the experience of making the film was a great one. So when we came around to complete the trilogy I just signed on board without even reading the scripts because the experience of the first film was so good.

And they were writing scripts where Christine had hit the glass ceiling. And I always thought Christine would never hit the glass ceiling. I thought her dreams would take her. Maybe her dreams wouldn't take her where she wanted but she still had her dreams.

My dad was a football player - a soccer player - for Manchester United and I loved playing football but I also happened to be the guy in class who was pretty good at sight reading. My teacher gave me scripts and I was very comfortable.

My dad's got a brilliant eye for scripts 'cos he's a literary agent. He and my agent read a load of scripts and filter them.

I never saw any of my dad's stories. My mother said he had piles and piles of manuscripts.

I had a very insightful friend who warned me back when I stopped reading scripts 'It's easier to change directions while you're still moving.' If you stop it's harder to get started again. I still don't think I made the wrong decision but he was right.

Great nations write their autobiographies in three manuscripts - the book of their deeds the book of their words and the book of their art.

I never do any television without chocolate. That's my motto and I live by it. Quite often I write the scripts and I make sure there are chocolate scenes. Actually I'm a bit of a chocolate tart and will eat anything. It's amazing I'm so slim.