Clive Anderson prefers chat-show hosts who "put a bit of pressure on people".
The former ‘All Talk’ host – who would regularly antagonise celebrities with his line of questioning – has opened up on his technique, explaining why he always tried to avoid a typical line of questioning.
He told the Daily Express newspaper: "My way was always to put a bit of pressure on people to respond quickly in an exciting way that bring the best out in some and maybe the worst out in others.
"I’ve taken on the criticism over the years that my TV stuff was too much focused on being funny.
"I just didn’t want there to be an interview where it’s, ‘Oh, what a fantastic film, what was the director like?’ Those kinds of interviews I find a bit boring, really."
Clive admitted his tactics didn’t always work out, recalling an infamous interview with the Bee Gees in 1997, when the group – who were originally called Les Tosseurs – stormed off when he jokingly said they would "always be tossers" to him.
He added: "There was obviously a misjudgement on my behalf.
"I thought I was doing what was fairly normal for me, the way you might tease a workmate you know quite well.
"But I can see now I had obviously annoyed them with virtually every question. I had either wound them up or trod on a nerve."
The former ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ anchor also discussed his future in television, and admitted it’s become harder to get back on air.
He explained: "Once you’re not quite flavour of the month, you can have perfectly good ideas, but people aren’t as interested anymore."
Clive Anderson: Chat show hosts should put guests under pressure
