At various times in my life I've been a heavy drinker, there's no question about that. But I hasten to add, it has never affected my work. I never drank while I was working, although afterwards - particularly when I was doing The Sweeney with Dennis Waterman - I'd go into the pub and have a few drinks. But I'm getting too old for it now. I'd wake up in the morning feeling bad. When you're younger you can shrug it off. A lot of my friends have given it up. It's become the thing to do. I read about Anthony Hopkins giving it up and saying he'd never felt better in his life. All these guys - Peter O'Toole's another - have given it up. They were all preaching that it was good and that you felt better so, truthfully, I thought I'd give it a go myself. I'd see what it was like. I found it was so easy to do - like giving up sugar in tea. I remember once giving up sugar years ago, and although at first I thought I'd never do it, from that day to this I've never had any sugar in tea or coffee.
