Charlie Higson, the new `Young Bond` author, gets a rough ride on the BBC`s Jonathan Ross show

11-Apr-2004 • Young Bond

When MI6 learned that Charlie Higson would be appearing as a guest on the Jonathan Ross show on BBC Radio 2 (UK) this Saturday, we dropped a note to the presenter with the details of the new `Young Bond` books Higson has been signed to write by Ian Fleming Publications.

Ross, a die-hard Bond fan who has visited the sets of the movies many times, took Higson to task about the new books:

Ross: Charlie Higson is with us ladies and gentlemen, and Charlie we were going to talk about something before hand and now I`ve completely forgotten.

Higson: You were going to ask me if I`ve written anymore books lately.

Ross: Have you written anymore books lately Charlie?

Higson: Well funny you should ask that, actually I have, cause I wrote all these really horrible books and I thought....

Ross: Well you say horrible, there meant to be horrible, there not like bad.

Higson: No, no, they`re quite delving in the darker areas of the human psyche, but now I`ve got three kids and I look back at something like "King of the Ants" and I think what `was I thinking of...` but... so I thought it would be really good to write a book that kids could read.

Ross: A childrenâs violent book?

Higson: Yeah and this coincided with me being approached by the Ian Fleming Estate saying "would I be interested in working on a series of James Bond books for kids".

Ross: No way.

Higson: Yes.

Ross: James Bond for kids?

Higson: Yep.

Ross: Shame on them and shame on you!

Higson: No itâs very its veryâ¦ itâs properâ¦ causeâ¦

Ross: James Bond is for grown ups!

Higson: yeah but itâs James Bond as a kid.

Ross: No donât do it Charlie.

Higson: Iâve done it.

Ross: Donât do it.

Higson: Itâs very very good book.

Ross: Then donât send it in.

Higson: Well itâs done.

Ross: I donât want to see James Bond as a boy.

Higson: Well donât read it then.

Ross: James Bond as a boy he would have been being buggered at public school, wouldn`t he?

Higson: Well he went to Eaton.

Ross: Excuse me actually I didn`t mean to say that.

Higson: You forgot where you were.

Ross: What I meant was buggered in the sense of "in trouble".

Higson: He went to Eaton but he know`s how to look after himself.

Ross: James Bond, well maybe with you writing it, actually it might work.

Higson: No, it does.

Ross: Itâs just that I have horrible with memories. Do you remember when they made that terrible film about Young Sherlock Holmes?

Higson: Yep. Itâs not like that. In fact they did try a long time ago and write a James Bond book for kids. But their mistake they made there was not to approach an excellent writer like myself.

Ross: Can I suggest that if your looking for someone to play James Bond as a boy I`m available. How old is he in this fiction?

Higson: He`s about thirteen.

Ross: Hmm maybe at a stretch. I`ll need to have that Botox done...

You can listen to the interview on the BBC Radio 2 website. Charlie Higson`s segment starts approximately one hour into the show.