My body & soul
George Galloway, Celebrity Big Brother contestant and MP, 53
The Observer,
Sunday July 27 2008
Have you ever had therapy?
No. I'm a Scotsman. I don't even wear a vest.
Have you ever spent a night in hospital?
Not since I was a child, when I had my tonsils out. I vaguely remember the ice cream. Back then ice cream wasn't as plentiful for kids like me, so it was a memorable treat.
What exercise do you take?
Well, this is the problem: not much. There's always a reason why one can't get to the gym.
What's your attitude to drugs?
I'm completely against them. I've never even seen a drug, never mind dabbled with them.
How much do you drink?
I'm completely teetotal and always have been, and that's one of the main reasons I'm still going. My father didn't drink and his father before him, and my children after me. I'm glad 10 times a day that I don't drink. I see the effect it has on other people. I've never been tempted - I'm a man of iron will.
What's your attitude to smoking?
I've never smoked cigarettes, but I do like Havana cigars. At 16 I worked as a waiter in a fancy hotel. I used to whip the ashtrays away from rich men before they'd finished their cigars and smoke the remains round the back. It was an early redistribution of wealth.
Are you happy?
Yes, very happy. This is my second time around as a father, and the joy of a 13-month-old child in your life is simply incomparable. Yesterday he was having a mad half-hour - laughing, coming over to be tickled, trying to tickle us.
How many days have you had off sick in the past year?
None. But my answer might be different if I were still a waiter or working in an engineering factory, as I did when I left school. If I don't turn up for work it's not disadvantaging some multinational by a minuscule amount, it's affecting things I powerfully believe in. What I do for a living scarcely counts as work in most people's eyes.
NHS or private?
NHS. I don't think people who've got more money ought to be able to buy better healthcare.
· George Galloway is Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow
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wow.
