Last week, doctors informed me that the arteries leading to my heart resembled something you’d see in a Peak District cave and that urgent surgery was required. Strangely enough, this wasn’t frightening.
Jeremy Clarkson shared his recent health ordeal and the advice doctors gave him afterward. Despite the five percent chance of heart failure, I stayed calm, even nodding off during surgery, feeling as if they were just unclogging a car’s fuel lines. But the real shock? The post-surgery advice: my life would now need to be a series of healthy routines—diet, early nights, and activities like yoga, even standing at parties sipping elderflower juice.
As for my career, which I love dearly and consists of ten active jobs—writing columns, hosting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, running a brewery and pub, working on a TV show, and more—the doctor calmly recommended dropping most of them. When he suggested taking up golf, I knew I was in for a drastic lifestyle change.
And the new diet? My favorites—bacon, chips, and Cadbury’s chocolate—gone, replaced with kale and Greek yogurt. Meanwhile, almond milk tastes like liquid marzipan, and I can no longer enjoy food from my own pub or butcher’s counter.
Exercise, too, has to ramp up, including walking without a destination and lifting weights for the sake of putting them down again. It’s exhausting, but it’s now my eleventh job: staying alive.
In truth, I know I’ve been hard on my body. But with a taste of the alternative, I’d like to live long enough to see my grandkids grow up and enjoy a few more sunrises. It’s ironic that now, at 64, I’ve realized the appeal of longevity, even if it means water, steamed fish, and a change of pace. My advice? Live fully until you need the health-conscious lifestyle—leave the marathon of boredom for later.