Follow the leader

A fascinating new series examines the rise and fall of the divisive former PM

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He was one of our most influential and controversial prime ministers, and now The Tony Blair Story explores the legacy of the man who created New Labour.

The three-part series has interviews with Sir Tony, his wife Cherie and politicians such as Clare Short and even the disgraced Peter Mandelson.

It also shows another side of Tony, now 72, including Cherie’s revelation that he’s never bought her flowers.

“When I first met Tony we were co-pupils and rivals,” says Cherie, 71. “We then became friends and were flirting with each other.”

She adds, “Tony's not very romantic, he’s never bought me flowers for example and now he says if he bought me flowers I'd probably be very suspicious, which is probably true.”