Richard Fidler

Blue spent a year as personal assistant and private secretary to the legendary ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev.

Before that, Blue had played rugby, surfed a lot and sailed yachts in the Caribbean.

By his own account, he knew absolutely nothing about dance.

And then he found himself working for Nureyev, celebrated as the greatest male ballet dancer of the 20th century.

Nureyev had defected from the USSR in 1961, slipping away from his KGB minders in Paris during the height of the Cold War.

The drama of his personal story, along with his phenomenal talent, made Rudolf Nureyev an international sensation.

His career included dancing with the Royal Ballet in London and directing the Paris Opera Ballet.

But by the time Blue met him, Nureyev was carrying a secret, was one that would ultimately claim his life.

Hi, Blue.

Let's begin very far from the glamorous world of international dance, the Isle of Jersey, where you grew up.

What sort of place was it when you were a kid?

How did you spend your time as a boy?

And what was the usual career trajectory for boys like you on Jersey?

Did your parents give you any advice about whether they thought you should stay or leave the island?

So while a lot of the friends around you, Blue, were making their way in finance...

You began your professional life in childcare.

And what was that atmosphere like at a girls' residential school in London?

So how did your time there come to an end, Luke?

I need friends like yours, Blue.

So tell me about the life on these yachts.