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REVIEW
He revolutionised the way television cookery shows were presented and paved the way for the likes of Jamie, Hugh and Gordon.

For anyone too young to remember groundbreaking shows like Floyd on France, his was a refreshing antidote to the Delia Smith school.

He made cooking fun, with a glass of wine in hand, inspiring a generation of young men to take to the kitchen.

Floyd died in September, just before this autobiography was published, so this is indeed his last word.

But it's not a simple cooking memoir - his life was frequently tinged with tears and despite his jolly on-screen image he comes across as a complex, intelligent and lonely man.

He admits to drinking too much, particularly in latter years, and is honest about his failed businesses and marriages and his battles with cancer.

But this is no self-pitying apology. Instead the irrepressible Floyd recounts tales of his extensive travels, battles with amateurish BBC producers, as well as rubbing shoulders with the likes of the Rolling Stones.

He may not have been to everyone's taste - especially his four ex-wives - but Keith Floyd was a true original.

His passing marked the end of a more innocent television era, when to be on the box meant having at least a modicum of talent, but his memory is well-served by this entertaining book.