Hello, I'm Christy Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs Archive.

For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 1987, and the presenter was Michael Parkinson.

I know for a fact that our castaway is not going to enjoy life on a desert island.

To start with, he thinks that lying in the sun is a waste of time,

to be away from his office, the telephone, and the ability to make deals is frankly unthinkable.

At the age of 80, he's still vigorous, still working,

still adding to the folklore surrounding his legendary reputation.

For the past 50 years or more, he's been at the centre of British show business,

as an entertainer, as an agent, and as a film and television mogul.

He is Lord Lou Grayd.

Lord Grayd, am I right in thinking that you'd really do hate holidays?

I love them. Why?

Well, work is my holiday.

I mean, it's sitting in the sun and burn.

It's crazy. I once went on a holiday with my wife for six days.

And on the third day, she says, we want to go into Cannes to go shopping.

I said, I can't leave. I've got to stay in the office for the phone.

So my hotel room wasn't my office?

What's your wife make of this? She supports me all the way.

She's wonderful. Without her support, I'd have been known as the ex-champion Charleston dancer.

Now, what about a typical dinner? Here you are. You're 80, you're nearly 81 now.

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