I now have the grand distinction of sharing something with the TV presenter Ben Fogle. Although he is no doubt the product of a privileged upbringing and has an immensely cushy job, our shared achievement is that of crossing the Atlantic in a boat.

However, as he strained every sinew and lost more than 10lbs in weight in his successful attempt at rowing across the pond, I on the other hand merely strained my jaw and managed to increase my weight as my journey was aboard the pure majesty that is the Queen Mary 2.

Our journey began with a 7½-hour flight to Newark, followed by a troublesome journey to the Brooklyn Port of nearly four hours, including the over-zealous processing of the Homeland Security staff at the airport. Read more