Frazer Hines was a child actor but it was his roles as Jamie McCrimmon in Doctor Who and as Joe Sugden in Emmerdale that made him a household name. Longevity could be his middle name, as he currently holds the record for the Doctor's longest running companion and then he was in Emmerdale for 22 years. He is currently touring the country with the Agatha Christie Theatre Company in their acclaimed production of "The Uninvited Guest". We were pleased to get a phone interview with Frazer and began by asking what drew him to the production?

"I've known the producer Bill Kenwright for many years. We first worked together in 1971 on a musical. He called me last year and asked me if I'd play the inspector in 'The Hollow'. And they asked me to play the inspector in 'The Unexpected Guest' because they liked the way I'd played the inspector in 'The Hollow'. So, I finished pantomime and went straight into it"

Describe the character you play

"He's the insepctor that comes in and there's so many suspects to deal with. He comes into the play after 20 minutes and has to interview everybody one by one. It's quite a difficult part, as you have to treat everyone differently. You wouldn't talk to the maid the same way you'd talk to the lady of the house"

I think of you as someone who came to prominence through film and television, when did your theatre work begin?

"Well, I've been acting since I was about 9. I did a lot of theatre when I was 12. I played places like the Royal Court and the Duchess Theatre in the West End. Then I did 30 years solid of television and then I went back to theatre. I went straight to the pier at Bournemouth with Linda Lusardi in "Not Now Darling" by Ray Cooney. Then they asked me to do "Run For Your Wife". Most actors love the theatre. I'm ready for T.V. again because I've been out of it for seven years. I did do T.V. non-stop for thirty years and I got fed up with it"

Have you appeared at Leeds Grand before?

"Yes, I have in a play called 'Happy Birthday" with Mark Burns (who died last week) and Francoise Pascal who was the French sex bomb in "Mind Your Language". I've done a lot of theatre. I've been in two Ray Cooney farces and I do panto every year, I'm quite versatile. I've done a lot of comedy, farces and heavy dramas like "Far From The Madding Crowd", which is a very heavy piece. I've done "Hedda Gabler" and now I've done 2 Agatha Christies back to back"

Are you from Harrogate or Horsforth in Leeds, I've read conflicting reports

"I was from Horsforth. I was born there, but I moved to Harrogate when I was 2. If I said Horsforth people hadn't heard of it, so it seemed easy to say Harrogate"

I gather you're a keen jockey, have you had the chance to use that onscreen much?

"I used to ride as a jockey. I rode onscreen as Joe in 'Emmerdale", and I rode in a film with Omar Sharif and Micahel Caine in a film called "The Last Valley". In fact, as I speak to you, I'm looking at 2 year old filly we've just got. We call her Kylie at the moment, because she has a nice little bum!"

Do you get to spend much time in Yorkshire?

"Oh yes, I have a stud farm In Kexby near York"

My wife is American and she asked me if you were Scottish [Frazer is best known in America for playing highlander Jamie McCrimmon in Doctor Who], does that happen often?

"Well, my mother was Scottish, so I'm very proud of that and of my Scottish heritage."

Your commentary for the Doctor Who audio books was first rate, do you do much voice-over work?

"I've haven't done any voice-overs or adverts, no-ones ever asked. I don't know why, I can do the very dulcet tones or the big, Yorkshire 'Buy your meat at Asda' kind of voice!"

Are there any unfulfilled ambitions left in your career?

"There's 2. I've always wanted to do a sitcom, although I did a guest appearance in 'Duty Free' years ago, or a western. I won't die happy until I've starred in a sit-com or western!"

Interview by Ned Netherwood