I have been asked to appear in several celebrity versions of popular game shows recently, in the wake presumably of my three weeks in ‘I’m a Celebrity…’ at the end of last year.

At my age, there is no potential harm to what I like to think of as my career in doing these kind of shows, which (for reasons only of prejudice in the eyes of those who might have employed me as an actor) I might have been wiser to decline when I was younger.

But at an age when the sensible part of the population is long retired, I am more than happy to accept every opportunity to have a bit of fun, while hopefully earning something for myself or for charity. Stokenchurch Dog Rescue and St. Tiggywinkles in Haddenham have both been beneficiaries of my recent game-show ventures.

But I have been intrigued by the number of people with rampant TV snobbery, who don’t like to admit that they have watched, but have to do so in order to share their opinions. As a result, the standard opening gambit is a variation on a theme of ‘I never watch that programme (or those kind of programmes) normally but…’ I can’t tell you how nice it is when someone simply says that they saw the programme and enjoyed it.

But there is a prevalent subtext that performers need to be taken down a peg, as we clearly have a very high opinion of ourselves. (If only!) So as not to appear to be fawning fans, one’s appearance, one’s prowess and age are all, it seems, fair game to strangers, friends and acquaintances alike. I wish I had a pound for every stranger who feels able to comment on my weight or age!

And because I did ‘Mr and Mrs’ with my wife, she is also fair game it seems. Comments about her hair, her clothes and her appearances flow as freely as the denouncement of the programme as being silly or ludicrous. The same people would not do that to anyone ‘in real life’ about their jobs, uninvited. Why is it acceptable to do it for performers?

Some would suggest that we accept kind comments happily enough, so should put up with criticism?

And if I had asked for their opinion, that’s fair enough.

But I was always taught that if you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all!