I attribute my interest in topical humour and wordplay to listening to the music of 10cc as a teenager. More than 20 years later, when I was writing for Radio 2 programmes, I proposed a the idea of a 60-minute documentary about founder members Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman. The BBC rejected this at first but then changed their minds and commissioned the programme at short notice but I still never imagined that I would actually get to spend an hour interviewing these heroes, let alone get to watch as they recorded special versions of songs, old and new, for the show - but that's exactly what happened.

The documentary covered Eric and Graham's musical careers over four decades so it was inevitable that I would have to ask them questions that would include some they would have answered hundreds of times over the years. Despite this and the fact they were in the middle of a gruelling promotional campaign (not to mention Eric having the 'flu), they gave cheerful, lively, fresh-sounding, self-contained answers.

But it wasn't until the following year, when I was booked for my first talks where I was required to answer questions afterwards, that I realised how much I had learned from having 10cc as my interviewees that day. Since then, I myself have been asked many of the same things over and over again, but I always try and answer all questions in the same patient and enthusiastic way in which Eric and Graham responded to mine.

Public Speaking Tip #73: Members of an audience can't always guess how often you are asked the same question, whether as part of the presentation or when you are chatting to people before you speak. Try to answer as if this is the first time you have ever been asked something - even if it's actually the 101st!

(Photo by David Graham-Baker)