The 5-minute Interview: Monty Halls, Explorer and television presenter

'I can lead an expedition but can't be trusted to feed a cat'

Monty Halls, 40, became known to television viewers through his channel Five show, "Great Ocean Adventures" and Channel 4's "Superhuman". his film "Swimming with Giants" will be aired as part of the five-day Nissan Adventure Film Festival starting today at Vue cinemas nationwide.

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be...

Bobbing about in a boat off the coast of South Africa.

The most surprising thing that happened to me was...

Winning Channel 4's Superhuman in 2004. I was stunned. I found the whole thing splendidly absurd.

I wish people would take more notice of...

It sounds like such a hoary old response but people should take more notice of the environment.

A common misperception of me is...

Thinking that I am a very brave explorer. I am actually a renowned coward. I see myself as someone with a fairly healthy sense of self-preservation.

I am not a politician but...

If I was I would get a hold of people who have real problems with one another like George Bush or the Iranian Prime Minister and sit them down together in the pub until they see that we are all really the same. I think more world leaders should get drunk together.

I'm good at...

Doing things off the cuff and being spontaneous by coming up with over the top ideas for an explorations.

I'm very bad at...

Planning the minute details of everyday life. A friend once told me that he'd trust me to lead him on an expedition but he wouldn't trust me to feed his cat.

The ideal night out is...

Being with my best mate, with an excellent bottle of wine, talking about rugby.

You know me as an explorer and television presenter but I may also have been ...

A professional rugby player. Rugby players are like the gladiators of the modern age.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this:

Always fulfil your potential.

Martin Broadley