I met Laura, who is 10 years younger than me, when I was 35 at a TV Times Christmas party. We married in 1983. She has been a terrific support during my dark times and I’m immensely sad that large chunks of her life have been taken over by my bipolar illness. When I was dropped from Springwatch and Autumnwatch in 2008, I sank into deep depression and attempted suicide twice. There must have been times when she wondered what she had done to deserve it. Self-help books tend to focus on the patient, but it’s often the partner who has the toughest time. I’m so grateful she stuck by me.