'My mum banned Enid Blyton!"

Actor Martin Clunes on his upbringing, ageing and countryside living

- VICKI POWER

Since closing Doc Martin's surgery for good last Christmas, Martin Clunes has been largely absent from our screens. Over a 40-year career Martin has taken on iconic roles, including beer-swilling Gary Strang in the sitcom Men Behaving Badly (1992-2014), a real-life detective in Manhunt (2019-21), and as GP Doc Martin, whose 18-year tenure as a grumpy but lovable GP has turned Martin into a national treasure.

Such is his standing that he was asked to take part in last year's Platinum Jubilee celebration at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in the presence of the late Queen, an experience he described as 'poignant'.

This week the London-born actor has accepted an invitation from his old friend, presenter Mel Giedroyc, to showcase the county he's called home for 25 years, Dorset. In Britain by the Book, Mel and Martin explore scenic locations, from Lyme Regis to Chesil Beach, which have inspired writers such as Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, John Fowles and Ian McEwan.