I was once held in thrall by a little old octagenarian lady who was teaching a small group of us how to speak in public. Over dinner that night, several of us tried to get her to dish the dirt on the politicians and celebrities that she had coached. She, being a consumate and discreet professional, would do nothing of the sort, but she did finally relent and admit that Jeremy Paxman had been 'challenging'. That word spoke volumes.