Celebrity interviews in newspapers and magazines always fascinate me. One question which is now frequently asked is whether the celebrity has had or would consider cosmetic surgery. It’s assumed that anyone in public life will have thought about and asking the question puts it on our agenda too.

The answers vary from yes, why not? It is just the same as make-up or dyeing hair- to uncertainty over fear that it would hurt, or it might go wrong.

Most people say “not yet- but they wouldn’t rule it out.”

It is a rare voice that says what I would say: which is no thanks.

I was in Los Angeles recently and while appearing to listen intently to people, I was actually scanning faces for tell-tale traces of unreal smoothness, a permanently surprised expression even when not surprised, and no laughter lines when someone was laughing. But the sport of Botox-spotting is so last year because in LA, it is apparently completely normal to have it done, or to be planning for it.

I met an attractive woman lawyer, in her late 40s who told me that when she went to her doctor’s for an unrelated medical procedure on her way out he told her – unprompted- which bits of her face he could fix and which bits he could quote- “do nothing about.” . He gave her a guesstimate at what it would all cost and offered his services as a reputable practitioner.

She was outraged and asked if he was serious? “The phrases “Pur-lease” and “get outa here” and “you gotta be KIDDING” featured in her reply. He was shocked at her negative reaction and assured her every female patient of her age expected that on a doctor’s visit.

I find the thought that cosmetic surgery will be part of our everyday lives now really disturbing. …….as though we should all automatically want to halt the process of time on our faces.

Ageing normally is natural, lines mean you’ve lived – a few wrinkles stand for hard-won experience - why should we fear that? We need to accept and even celebrate it! If my doctor starts adding cosmetic surgery to the list of standard questions – about blood pressure, cholesterol and so on I shall summon my best British accent and tell him to… “get out of here.”