Free world versus the other lot.

Europe and America, the Western civilised world, the free world. We love ourselves because our society is built on fairness, equal rights and, most importantly, freedom (with a little help from God along the way).

This modern world prides itself on its freedom, - freedom to choose, freedom to speak.

So why on earth has a short broadcast by Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on a British TV network caused such outrage?

Ahmadinejad, who looks like a distant relative of Roy Keane but is probably not as hardline as the uncompromising Irishman, was given a few minutes airtime on Channel 4s Alternative Christmas Speech.

The item has run for several years now and started as a satirical alternative to the traditional Christmas message from the Queen.

In predictable fashion, outrage began pouring through press outlets at as critical critics criticised the decision to give Iran's president a chance to air his views. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office were the first to condemn the broadcast.

I'm no historian or politician but from what I've learned from the past, both recent and history, is that problems occur - or are exacerbated - by the failure of two sides to communicate, discuss and conciliate.

So surely it is no bad thing to hear a point of view from a man who some see whenever the words terrorism or axis of evil are booted around.

Far from inflame the situation this country is embroiled in, either in Afghanistan, Iraq, listening to this man may enable future compromise more, not less, likely.

I find the attitude of those criticising Channel 4s brilliant idea to organise and broadcast Ahmadinejad's speech idiotic. These are the same people who will tell you of their pride in their nation and their pride to live in freedom - then they complain when that rfreedom of speech right is exercised by someone who's views they disagree with.

I'm not saying I agree with the things Ahmadinejad said, just that it is right that he got the chance to say it.

If you're going to judge a man or a nation, at least do it after you've heard what they have to say - don't do it without even listening because you're then in danger of acting like the thing you despise.

Merry Christmas

Junk food and obesity in Britain

The fats of life: 84 per cent of Brits are unhappy with their bodies.

Twenty-eight per cent survive on a ready-made meal and junk food diet. I can only presume that the other 72 per cent are washing down their salads with mars bars, lager and cherry coke.

Statistics can be manipulated, twisted or simply made up. But there can be no denying the fact that Britain is full of fat so and so’s.

You only have to walk down the high street to see how overweight this nation has become – and I’m not talking about podgy old grannies with ankles like kebab joints.

It’s the young, the twentysomethings, the teenagers and the eight-year-olds. It fills me up with shame. I wish they felt the same.

While there is no doubt the fat phenomenon has infested us from America we have to look around us and ask: Why aren’t everyone else as fat as us?

Obesity is nowhere near the problem across the rest of Europe as it is here.

This year I have hosted a Dane and a beautiful Dutch girl into my home.

The Dane, stopping off as he walked from Lands End to John O’Groats, told me the most outstanding feature of his journey so far had been the size of the British belly. He has travelled extensively round Europe. He was disgusted.

The Dutch girl, a food journalist, was horrified at the junk-food dominated eating habits in Britain.

All I could say to both of them was: You’re right.

This nation has lush farmland, is surrounded by rich oceans and has enough multi-cultural influences to be able to produce the finest, freshest meals for itself.

Instead we struggle to peel potatoes and live on a diet of packet pies and frozen meals. If you eat these sort of foods regularly you should be ashamed of yourself and your lardy arse.

I say to the 84 per cent: If you’re unhappy with your bodies, do something about it you fat f***ers.

Dislike him or loathe him, Jamie Oliver said this on Sunday about the people of Britain:

"People have huge TV sets - a lot bigger than mine - state-of-the-art mobile phones, cars and they get drunk in pubs at the weekend... their poverty shows in the way they feed themselves.

"I found the cooking of the inhabitants of the slums in Soweto a lot more diverse than ours... I think a lot of English people's food lacks heart. It's bland."

"We have a culture of alcohol and we're more beer-orientated ... the only people who drink more than us are the Irish and the Scottish."

"We used to cook fabulous dishes. It's all in the past. Unlike French people... we have lost our traditions."

One of the British newspapers which reported this story criticised Oliver in its comments column for these remarks.

But they did not stop to think whether Oliver was actually right? Another example of the British tabloid press criticising someone for making a common sense statement because it is not what they think the public wants to hear.

For every family in Britain who sits down and has a home cooked meal together, I'll show you 10 who eat crap on their laps in their living rooms.

For every family who sit and talk to each other in the evening, I'll give you 50 who sit in silence beneath a TV so huge it takes up half of the living room.

I can't claim to know what's being fried in the kitchen's of Soweto - though Oliver does and I'll take his word for it - but in Britain the food being cooked appalling (we are an island rich in land and sea food for Christ's sake).

And I'd go as far as to say that half the people eating ready meals have only rudimentary knowledge of the microwave, never mind a cooker.

A well-travelled Danish friend who recently visited said he was surprised at how obese this nation has become. He was being polite. The truth us, we're so fat we should be ashamed.

There’s something missing from my life. It was the moment I dreaded ever taking place. But it happened and it’s as bad as I had feared. The only saving grace is that James Whale’s removal from the airwaves was through being fired and not through death.

That’s how I envisaged it. Tuning in to talkSPORT one night to find out that one of this countries greatest broadcasters had keeled over, with all the feelings of bereavement that is all too common for someone you’ve never met but listened to almost every night for the last 13 years.

He backed Boris Johnson ahead of the London Mayoral elections. TalkSPORT sacked him even before Ofcom completed their investigation.

Whale, who is still a legend in the North-east from his stint as a late night phone-in host on Metro radio in the mid-70s, is a rare breed of broadcaster who can flit seamlessly from smut to international politics seamlessly, while pouring a bucketload of irony over the airwaves at the same time.

Plain talking is something which talkSPORT has tried to patent in recent years. But while George Galloway and Jon Gaunt are both bias and unable to actually conduct a proper discussion without their ego’s getting in the way, Whale gives full satisfaction. All three presenters are confrontational, but Whale is on his own in his ability to articulate and engender genuine affection from a large chunk of his audience.

His removal from the airwaves leaves a hole in my life, as I’m sure it does for many others. Though why he has agreed to jump quickly into a lightweight presenting job with Bid TV is as perplexing as it is saddening.

Still, you can only hope that this TV appearance is brief and does not dilute his standing in broadcasting before another radio job comes along, hopefully on a national station.