Former BBC presenter David Dimbleby, who hosted Question Time for 25 years, has opened up about his health and ageing.07:50, 21 Jul 2026Updated 07:50, 21 Jul 2026Former BBC presenter David Dimbleby has opened up about his age and health, admitting he's "kept alive by swallowing pills".‌The veteran broadcaster revealed in a new interview that his age is "startling" but he wants to keep working.‌Dimbleby spent 25 years fronting Question Time from 1994 until Fiona Bruce succeeded him in 2019, and has anchored election broadcasts and numerous state occasions, including Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, for the BBC.‌He's now candidly spoken about his desire to continue working. "My own age is very startling to me," the 87-year-old told Radio Times."I'm amazed I'm alive and healthy and able to go on working. I'm kept alive by swallowing pills. It would be hard to bear if a health condition curtailed my ability to work.‌"But I'm not a workaholic. I love my family, my children," reports the Express.He continued to say he adores travelling, adding: "I love music, go to a lot of concerts, the opera... and yes, I love working, but it's never been a slog. I don't think of it as work."Back in 2013, Dimbleby made headlines when he got his first tattoo, showing off a scorpion on his shoulder.‌The then-75-year-old said at the time: “You are only old once. I have always wanted a tattoo.”"I thought I might as well have it done now. It's a dream come true for me," he added.‌He got the tattoo while filming Britain and the Sea, as he looked into how body art was introduced to the UK after Captain Cook’s South Sea adventures."I thought it was wimpish having it just drawn on and I needed to man up," he said.‌He went on: "It took about 30 minutes - an hour in all - and I thought of Winston Churchill having his done while mine was being done. It wasn't painful at all, it just zings a bit.“It's modest. It can't be seen unless I choose to show it to someone. I'm rather fond of it actually, this little scorpion sitting on my shoulder ready to attack my enemies.”After getting the scorpion to represent his star sign, Dimbleby was left addressing whether it needed a correction, as his tattoo only had six legs, while scorpions have eight.Article continues belowMonths after getting it, he told ITV’s Loose Women he was “no David Attenborough” and didn’t spot the missing legs.Confirming he wouldn’t be getting it corrected, the veteran broadcaster said: "Apparently it should have eight legs, not six. I'm no David Attenborough, I didn't spot that but apparently there's a thrash metal band called Megadeth in America and Megadeth have a six-legged [scorpion] so I'm now a fan of Megadeth.”