It’s that time of year again – when the rich and the famous all gather in London to see who’s lucky enough to be given a much-coveted gong at the BAFTA awards. For the first time this weekend, the event will be held at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.Ruby Wax will once again this year be presenting E! Entertainment Television’s “Live from the Red Carpet show”. We caught up with the red-hot host to ask about her own preparations for this special event and also chat about snogging, OJ Simpson, and surgery amongst other things. You smooched with Christian Slater one year when you did the red carpet for E – who would you like to get up close and personal to this year?Yes I did. Well if Colin Farrell is coming, then I might have to….You’ve ordered pizza and given celebs hot water bottles, scarves and gloves in the past to raise spirits dampened by the British weather. What have you got up your sleeve this year?

Well the great thing is that I’ve just had foot surgery so I’m going to be on the red carpet in crutches. My feet, in those kind of, you know, disabled shoes. I had a surfing accident and also I had bad surgery when I was a little girl so I have to be in these special shoes. So I think a lot of the celebrities are going to feel sorry for me. I’ll have a special crutch so I think that’s going to be working for me (Laughs) I think I’m going for the pity thing this time cos it’s for real. You know what I mean, nothing's better then when it’s for real. I’ll be in my own little area with my zimmer frame and they’ll have to come down and talk to me. Who will you be personally rooting for at the awards? Who do you think will steal the show completely?

Helen Mirren is brilliant. You joined the Royal Shakespeare Company with her didn’t you? Yes, she was a little before me but I would probably root for her – I would go for the older woman. I also love Keira Knightley, but she’s not in anything. My favourite film is “Little Miss Sunshine” and Little Children with Kate Winslet isn’t bad either. That’s a few things.

Is there anybody that you’d still really like to interview in your career that you haven’t managed to quite get your mitts on yet?

It would have been Saddam Hussein but he’s gone. (Laughs) I think that world power might be more interesting but it’s hard to get to these guys.

You featured in Comic Relief’s Celeb Fame Academy a few years ago – the BBC are apparently bringing it back soon. Would you participate in any more reality TV shows?

No not really, I think those days are gone now. I loved Fame Academy though; it was one of my favourite jobs. But I was in the House with comedians, and they were all fun. We would learn to sing and dance, so I couldn’t be happier. It was just the greatest gig, but you wouldn’t go in with what’s going on now. That to me – I would end up in a mental asylum.

Do you keep in touch with anybody from that programme or any of your other popular TV shows at all?

Jo Brand is a friend – I keep in touch with her. I’ve never offended anyone I’ve interviewed – the interview with Fergie was all rehearsed.

Carrie Fisher is my best friend – and that started 15 years ago. I don’t mean it lightly. We meet and go on holiday together. So thank God for my career, I’ve met amazing people. Roseanne was friends with me for a long time and then I lost touch.

OJ Simpson?

No but he tried to. (Laughs) Yeah he did but for different reasons but you know, it’s too scary. Some of the scary people did try to keep in touch.

How do you combine your career with motherhood –do you find it a struggle at times?

Well I’ve been doing it for 450 years. (Laughs) So it’s been fine. I mean none of my kids have been effected by it. But I think I was just lucky, you know what I mean. They had good nannies and good daddies. (Laughs) That’s kind of where we are with it. Everybody working together. If you’re missing in action, somebody better be in their place and so I think that’s what happened. I was just really lucky, but I wouldn’t advise it always – you know, you aren’t going to get away with it all the time. You can do it but you might not have normal children.

Would you be happy for your three kids, Marina, Madeline and Max to follow you into showbiz?

I think two of them might – but I hope not. I think they might – but I don’t really want them to.

At least you could counsel them about certain things in the business though…

I couldn’t – I’d tell them to get out of it. It’s the girls – my son is the genius.

You have been open about experiencing periods of intense unhappiness in the past. What makes you happy now?

That’s a good question – my kids make me happy. How cliché is that!

You presented Celeb de Cirquite for Sky last year. Quite a few female competitors were reportedly bitching whilst participating in the show – Grace Adams Short and Sophie Anderton for instance. What’s your own view about that?

I didn’t see – because I would just come in and be the ringleader. That’s their world though. (Laughs)

You’re doing the coverage of the BAFTAS with John Barrowman – are you a fan of Torchwood, as he plays the infamous character Captain Jack?

You know I’ve done it a little bit, but tell me a little more about him (Laughs) I’ve never met him but I’m definitely looking forward to meeting him.

You’ve done so much – presenting, script editing, talk shows etc. Do you have a preference – would you ever consider going back to serious work as an actress, say in a theatre stage play?

I like that I change it all the time. It depends what it is. I’ve gone back to school recently and stuff, so I don’t know what I’m going to end up doing when I grow up (laughs). I’ve been doing a degree in psychology. I sorta love it and I sorta think that I might write books from it – so that’s what I want to do when I grow up for now. It’s hard!

At some point it might be interesting to put things together, like what I’m into in television – but I don’t know how, that’s sorta, I’m working with people who are better than me at this moment. How to make a kind of TV show about your brain.

You’ve done your own range of bags though haven’t you – would you like to do more of that kind of thing?

Oh yeah! Those are in Boots and I hope to go on QVC. I’m also designing for other companies. It’s like the ultimate bag woman and it all about ways of organising your life but with a sense of humour. I’m also the agony aunt for The Telegraph with Graham Norton. I would marry him if I were available.

You did a series where you got to be in a box and go underwater with sharks (Celebrity Shark Bait). They didn’t faze you – so what is your greatest fear?

That was a stupid thing. (Laughs) But that was because I was interested in Richard E Grant and Africa.

Flying! I combat that with lots of alcohol.

What's your ultimate fantasy?

Having my own plane. That really is a fantasy isn't it?

Ruby Wax hosts E! Entertainment Television’s Live from the Red Carpet: The 2007 BAFTA Awards, on Sunday 11th February from 4pm (Sky 155 / ntl:Telewest 173)

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