Cathy Newman

What's that initial exchange of, you know, how do people look when they come in after a heavy day and they sink onto the sofa, my new velvet sofa, which is very comfortable.

Have you had anything to do with the tension of the springs

Well, it's... I mean, I did... Right from the start, I said the problem with a lot of TV furniture is that it's made for men and it's too big.

The chairs are too big.

And you're just sort of like you can't reach the floor on some of them.

I'm very small.

So I sort of let my views be known.

And the team has done an amazing job picking a chair that I can reach the floor.

And it's very comfortable and very relaxed.

And that's the point, to have a sort of slightly more informal, chattier...

and therefore more revealing conversation.

So people coming into the studio, we've got this gimbal camera, which is very nimble, and we'll film those initial exchanges.

If it's been a particularly heavy day in Westminster and a minister sinks into the sofa and is looking sort of sweaty and shattered,

That's important to know.

Equally, if it's someone who's looking emotional.

I mean, one of my first interviewees we had to send out for a box of tissues.

You know, it's like those are human moments that everybody relates to.

You know, everybody has a bad day occasionally and we need to know what that feels like.

I suppose the other thing about the political scene at the moment is that

you know, a lot of people increasingly don't see politicians as sort of human beings like any other.