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'I'm a hoarder!'

Dale Winton reveals he’s got a cupboard full of Supermarket Sweep memorabilia

He's collected shirts, books and games from his old show

Dale embarks on a 1,500-mile journey across the US state of Florida in his new four-part series

Cilla Black [who died in 2015] was my best friend. Since then, though, I think people are surprised that I don’t live that celeb lifestyle.

If you’re photographed out with someone famous, the public think: ‘Oh, that’s his life.’ Most people I know aren’t in showbiz.

 Dale embarks on a 1,500-mile journey across the US state of Florida in his new four-part series
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 Dale embarks on a 1,500-mile journey across the US state of Florida in his new four-part seriesCredit: PA

There’s a lot of insincere bulls**t, so I’m very wary of media friends. Cilla always gave me the best advice. I had a boyfriend years ago and Cilla said to me: ‘Don’t lose this one, he’s a keeper.’ But I mucked it up. I wish I’d listened to her…

I don’t do any social media – no Facebook, no Twitter, none of them. There are about 20 people pretending mto be me on social media. It always makes me laugh seeing some idiot pretending to be me. I would like to do social media, but I’ve never figured out how it works. I’m a bit technophobic.

This is going to sound crazy, but I do have friends in my head who I’ve never met. I just think: ‘I know they’d get me and I get them.’ Like Judge Judy. I love Judge Judy. The chances are I’ll never meet her, but I know we’d be friends if I did.

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Credit: REX

I’ve got a cupboard full of memorabilia – sweat shirts, books, games [from his shows], God knows what’s in there. I’m a bit of a hoarder, but if I died today, no one would want all this old junk, so it’s about time I went through it all. If I haven’t worn an item for a year, I’m not going to keep it anymore. A lot of people have said to me I’d feel so much better if I got rid of my old stuff.

I’ve never really been a drinker. When I left school at 16, I worked in clubs as a DJ, but after I got my driving licence at 17, I was so worried about losing it that I didn’t touch alcohol till I was about 28. I’ve found in later years – due to a relationship I had where he liked a vodka and I thought it was the height of impoliteness not to have one with him – that I now quite like a vodka. But, listen, two shots and I’m kissing everybody!

 Dale hosts Dale Winton's Florida Fly Drive
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Dale hosts Dale Winton's Florida Fly DriveCredit: C5

I don’t like Saturdays – unless I’m in a relationship, which I’m not at the moment and haven’t been for a while. It’s more about the Saturday night going into the Sunday morning because I want to wake up with someone. But I’ve taught myself to believe that it’s just another day. In our business we’re as likely to be working on a Saturday as any other day.

I would like to relive the millennium night. I was doing the Lottery show and the machine got stuck behind the doors on live TV and couldn’t get on set. It was the biggest draw of the year! If I knew what I know now, I’d just have kicked this bloody cable blocking its way – instead I talked tortuously for three minutes about absolutely nothing. It still gives me shivers!

 Dale hosted Supermarket Sweep from 1993-2001 and again in 2007
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 Dale hosted Supermarket Sweep from 1993-2001 and again in 2007Credit: Rex

I take five iPods and two books with me wherever I travel – one of the books is a Dusty Springfield biography and the other is about every song she has ever sung and the story behind it. I’m a massive fan. The iPods are because I have 29,000 songs on them and live in fear of losing or dropping one. I know that’s a bit excessive, but it’s what I do.

Contestants take part in classic game show Dale's Supermarket Sweep

Dale’s Winton’s Florida Fly Drive, Thursday, 9pm, Channel 5

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