Jools' Annual Hootenanny

Music, magic and mayhem: Mark Cooper on 26 years of Later... with Jools Holland

The only time he nearly missed one was when he was holidaying with his family in Portugal. But, much to his wife’s annoyance, he flew back to be in the studio before returning to the beach once his work was done.

“I’m a sad bastard,” he reflects. “There’s a point you get to when you’ve done so many that the idea of missing one would be heartbreaking and numerically sad.”