The role that has changed my life? BECOMING A GRANDFATHER

To the world he's the enigmatic Belgian detective Poirot but Sir David Suchet is so close to his four grandchildren that he nearly turned down two new TV shows... including the chance to retrace Agatha Christie's steps

- James Rampton

YOU don't have to use many "little grey cells", to realise that Sir David Suchet has an enormously happy marriage. The immensely popular Poirot star and his wife Sheila have been married for an astonishing 49 years, an extraordinary feat almost as long as his 55 years on stage and screen.

The actor reveals it was love at first sight the moment he set eyes on Sheila at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry in 1972, before adding that it took him some time to convince her to have dinner with him. What is the secret of their success, then?

"In one word, laughter - that's what's kept us together," declares David, 78, speaking exclusively to The Express, dressed in an impeccably dapper dark shirt and blazer teamed with grey slacks.

"Believe me, we've had ups and downs, like every couple. But we have stayed together because we can laugh through things and hold on to each other."

David, who has two children and four grandchildren, continues: "Going down the hill is no problem. It's climbing the hills in life that's the problem. I've been blessed beyond dreams to have the wife I've been given. She is the most wonderful woman."

David is also relishing being a grandfather and the unconditional love that having grandchildren unleashes within you, so much so that he nearly turned down two new television roles - including fourpart psychological drama The Au Pair - more of which to follow to prioritise time with his family.

"It's totally changed my life. You're aware of your age immediately and you're aware of your mortality immediately," smiles the actor, who was knighted for services to drama and charity in the 2020 Honours List.