To mark the debut of T2 Trainspotting into cinemas, John Humphrys surprised Radio 4 listeners by delivering his own take on the classic ‘Choose Life’ monologue Ewan McGregor’s Renton delivers in the original, though it also receives its own updated version in the sequel.
Another alteration, of course, was that Humphrys’ version didn’t end with “Who needs reasons when you’ve got heroin”, but “Who needs reasons when you’ve got Radio 4”.
T2 Trainspotting hits UK cinemas 27 January.
Of course, being the more genteel medium of radio, Humphrys dropped the monologue’s splattering of swearwords; himself choosing the softer “Choose a big telly” over “Choose a f*cking big television”.