PM admits: no flowers for Cherie

The frank admission came as part of a fly-on-the-wall documentary made with the prime minister for a television programme aimed at young people.

He also spoke of a childhood crush on actress Grace Kelly, and said he sometimes has to "wing it" in public and yearns to go to a pub unrecognised.

He is also questioned by young people on Iraq, the US and drinking laws.

"I am romantic. There are other ways of being romantic"
Tony Blair

Interviewer June Sarpong spent 24 hours over two days with Mr Blair for the documentary, to be screened on Channel 4's T4 programme, aimed at 16 to 34-year-olds on Sunday.

She joined the prime minister in December as he attended events in his Sedgefield consitituency.

It also included one of David Blunkett's last press conferences as home secretary.

During gaps in his schedule, Ms Sarpong asked Mr Blair the type of questions he rarely faces on hard political programmes, such as how often he works out, which celebrities he "fancied" in his youth and how often he sends flowers to his wife.

To that, he replied: "I've never sent her flowers. If I sent her flowers, she would get worried."

But he quickly added: "I am romantic. There are other ways of being romantic."

He also said he "loved" Grace Kelly in his youth and that he rarely had time to prepare for public appearances, saying: "I wing it all the time".

He admitted he sometimes bites his lip when confronted by members of the public.

"The worst thing is when someone is giving you a real earful and you think 'I'm going to say something I will regret'... John [Prescott] gets away with it, but I wouldn't get away with it," he said.

'Normal'

Asked what he would do if he was invisible for a day, he said he would "just walk down the street and go to the pub... just be absolutely normal".

Mr Blair also answered questions from an audience of young people for the documentary.

He defended Britain's decision to invade Iraq and the close alliance with the United States.

Of Mr Blunkett, he said: "I still think he's actually a very decent guy, and I felt very sorry for him."

He said the government would "come down hard" on irresponsible drinkers, as well as on pubs who sold alcohol irresponsibly, but denied extending licensing hours would make the problem worse.