Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

It really is.

Very nice of you.

So to remind everyone who doesn't know Lloyd's extraordinary credentials, he is both the professor of ancient history at Cardiff University and the author of The Magnificent Persians, The Age of the Great Kings, which first brought us together.

I spent an entire summer driving around the country listening to Lloyd on his audio book, which I completely loved and warmly recommend.

But since he first came on the show, Lloyd became a priest.

When we first actually met in person, long after we'd first met on screen, you were all clericaled up.

I was.

I was all dog collared up.

It was a surprise to everyone.

Not just ancient, Lloyd.

You're paying your first visit to India to come to our festival next January and you'll find that there are still gods of

for example, that are worshipped here.

Little gods as well as great gods like Lord Shiva.

Saucy goddesses who rather turned the Egyptian gods on in some of the pictures.

One thing I've always wanted to know, Lloyd, is that when you see these animal-headed gods, are worshippers being presented by priests with masks on, pretending to be the gods?

And is that where it comes from or not?

It's not Brendan Fraser territory.

No, exactly.

And the pharaoh himself, where did he fit into this whole priesthood and religion?

So you treat them as a god.