The People You Meet: The 1948 Olympian Diver, Actor, Singer, Father, Peter Elliott

If I'm ever fortunate enough to live healthy and strong to a ripe old age, I want to be like the legendary Peter Elliott. I am inspired by Peter Elliott as one of the people that I've met along the way as Peter has the spirit, the energy and the 'groove' of a 30-year old in an 81 year old's body. In fact, when I first met Peter, he was wearing tap-dancing shoes with his black-tie on his way to an Olympic ball. "What do you think" he asked me as he did a full turn with a 'clickety-click' closed out with a dashing smile in our living room.  Charming, sophisticated and a friend to all I can't imagine a better dinner date and dance partner..!  Proud father to DJ Lora, my uber-talented flatmate, I've been fortunate enough to have gleaned from Peter's wealth of experiences, travels, adventures and absolutely brilliant sense of humour.

Among his many accolades including actor, stunt-man, dancer and singer are that at the age of 17, he was the youngest Briton ­in the 1948 Olympics which were also hosted in London. He is only one of a handful of survivors from those Games alive today. I couldn't help but think of Peter as I watched the crowds of athletes walking into the spectacular venue at the opening ceremonies here in London last night... This is how he recalls his experience from 1948 walking into the opening ceremony at Wembley, representing team GB with a blazer that was too tight, an unfashionable beret and frustrated by the long rehearsals for the march-past. As he entered the stadium, he found his partner, a six-foot-six wrestler, crying.

“Tears were rolling down his cheeks. I was thinking, what’s he crying for? But then I heard the roar of the crowd and I started crying, too. In 1948, the nation felt it was a great honour to host the games. We had come through a terrible war and we felt, ‘Wow, we have not done too badly have we?’

Last weekend I went to Malta for a short holiday to meet up with friends including Laura and her father Peter. Once again, I looked on in awe from the comfort of my deckchair as I watched Peter curl his toes on the edge of the pool, hum the tune to, 'Don't worry, be happy' and dive gracefully into the water, resurfacing with a quick flick of his hair and a gigantic smile. It was enough to have me put down my Hello magazine in astonishment..!

Peter has been been a great supporter and a wonderful friend, and, among so many other things, has reminded me of the importance of of believing in yourself, staying fit and healthy and remembering to live each day to its fullest..

Enjoying the sun in Malta with Peter, Tom, Laura and Eloise