Kevin McCloud once confessed he was “terrified” of being poor. The presenter, who turns 65 today (May 8), has been on TV screens for decades, fronting Grand Designs since it first aired in 1999.
In an interview with The Mirror in 2009, the writer revealed what he would miss if he was no longer famous. “I think I’d miss the money,” he told the publication. “I’m terrified of being poor, I always have been.”
The TV star added: “It’s growing up as a Methodist. I’ll spend that bit of extra money to get a better seat on a train sometimes, because it’s quieter and calmer, but I refuse to spend money on clothes.”
More than a decade ago, Kevin confessed to spending a “frightening” amount of money on books. He explained: “Two years ago I bought a set of French books about an 18th-century printing company that was full of swatches of traditional dyes from plants.
“It was a fantastic, but cost me nearly £800. I was writing a book about colour at the time and I just had to have it.
It comes after Kevin spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about his health fears ahead of Grand Designs Live as the Channel 4 show celebrates a quarter of a century on air.
Kevin recalled his worries about facing the public after shielding throughout the lockdowns in 2021 due to health issues. “I remember coming out of lockdown we did a couple of shows and we came back and at that time I was still shielding because I’ve asthma,” he said.
“We’re all there because we want to be there. Everybody was there because they wanted to have a good time. It’s a real lesson that when you think about standing up in front of public, if you are having to give a wedding speech or a presentation at work, is that nobody’s really willing you to fail.
The designer continued: “Everybody wants to you just to succeed – they want to be entertained – they want to join in. We forget that as live event; whether it’s a theatre show, or whether it’s an exhibition, is just that – it’s a live event and people are excited to be there in the first place.”
Sharing more details about the upcoming event, Kevin teased: “We’ve got big screen heroes, which is probably the most interactive element and the most fun is not on the stage, which is very entertaining, but the Ask the Expert centre.
He revealed there will be 50 experts, made up of architects, engineers to designers, landscapers, surveyors, who will answer the public’s questions, even if they don’t have an appointment.
“And there’ll be there to help you. I love that. I love the fact that you can come along and just join in,” he smiled.
Kevin McCloud was speaking ahead of Grand Designs Live, the premier home exhibition, taking place at London ExCel between 4 – 12 May. More details available here.
