How healthy are you?

I used to think ill health was something that happened to other people. Then in 2007 I ate an oyster and got Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterial infection that kills 95 per cent of its victims in two days. I had 19 operations, was pronounced dead five times, and they cut off a great deal of my left leg. It was rotting. My attitude to health now is that if you've got it, be very happy.

What exercise do you take?

I do pilates every morning, and have physiotherapy three times a week.

Are you happy?

I think it was Socrates who said only pigs are happy. I would call myself happy with some reservation.

Do you smoke or take drugs?

I never took drugs; I thought I was too pure for that. Instead I smoked Montecristo No1 cigars all day long for decades and ended up having a triple heart bypass in 1994. A lot of my friends who took drugs like cocaine and heroin didn't smoke cigars and they are now fitter than I am!

How much do you drink?

I have a large glass of wine every night. It has to be good, bought for about £600 at an auction.

Do you worry about your weight?

When I was directing in Hollywood the stars were wonderful at dieting. Both Charlie Bronson and Burt Lancaster would eat very little. It took me 69 years to show their restraint. A few years ago I took three-and-a-half stone off and last year wrote a diet book, Fat Pig Diet. Now I worry about my weight more than ever because you cannot plug a diet book if you are fat.

Is sex important to you?

It's no longer the prime objective. It used to be all-consuming and I would be massively unfaithful to all my girlfriends. It caused them great hurt, which I regret, but I'm still friendly with nearly all of them.

How much sleep do you need?

I had a doctor who said sleep is like money in the bank. I think there's a lot of truth in that. I sleep for at least eight hours a night.

Have you ever had therapy?

When Jenny Seagrove walked out on me, John Cleese's wife, who is a psychotherapist, recommended someone. I went and said, 'After 50 minutes I'll stop and you tell me if you think I should come back'. After 50 minutes she said, 'I don't think you are ready for me yet'. I would be bored talking about myself that much.

NHS or private?

I went private for last year's operations and it cost me three quarters of a million pounds. There is no question that private is better, but I still brought in day and night nurses of my own after I found out that four patients shared just one nurse.

· Fat Pig Diet by Michael Winner is out now, published by JR Books, priced £12.99