I RECENTLY came across this video on an old computer and it brought back a very embarrassing memory. So I did what anyone else would do: I posted it on YouTube.

You might recognise the woman: her name is Sarah Alexander, and she’s an actress (do I have to say “actor” these days?) who appeared in, among many other things, Coupling, written by Steven Moffat, an old friend of mine. Shortly after I was elected to parliament, Steven invited Carolyn and me to his 40th birthday party at a club in Soho. On arriving we couldn’t help but notice the presence of a number of thesps, including Sarah and her on-screen boyfriend, Jack Davenport.

I admit to having “a thing” for Sarah Alexander; not in a Norman Bates “if I can’t have her then no-one will” sort of way, or anything. And although she’s not as beautiful as Carolyn, she is nevertheless very attractive. And a few glasses of champagne into the evening, Steven hadn’t yet introduced me to her (even though he had introduced Carolyn to Jack Davenport, at her request…). Eventually (and at last) he took the hint and called Sarah over.

Steven: “Sarah, can I introduce you to a friend of mine.”

Sarah: “Hi. And how do you know Steven?”

Me: “…”

(Embarrassing pause)

Sarah: “Do you-”

Me (just a bit too loud): “I’m an MP!”

(Second embarrassing pause)

Sarah (nervously walking away): “Okay…”

Next morning, I was woken by the shuddering of our bed. Carolyn’s very first conscious thought when she woke up was of my finest moment. She instantly dissolved into a fit of giggles which came and went over a period of… oh, about six years.

Appropriately enough, at my own 40th birthday party in 2004, Steven arrived and proudly showed me this video which he’d recorded on his phone earlier that week: