'I want to make my wife and daughter proud' - Sir Ranulph Fiennes remembers expeditions

• Watch Rob Murphy's interview with Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Sir Ranulph Fiennes was the first man to travel to both north and south poles by surface.

The 78-year-old was also the first to cross Antarctica completely by foot, famously self-amputating the ends of his fingers after frostbite.

He ran seven marathons in seven days in seven continents after a heart attack and he climbed Everest despite a fear of heights.

Now, Sir Ranulph Fiennes is back home on Exmoor preparing for his lecture tour, which will include a stop in Bath.

The adventurer is considered by some as the best in the world and ITV News West Country's reporter Rob Murphy has been speaking to him ahead of his tour.

When asked about his career highlights, Sir Ranulph Fiennes said: "Mike Strahan and myself did the first crossing of the Antarctic continent with nothing, so maybe 2500 miles as you zigzag without any support of any type.

"And at the end of that, we were in a very bad state."

When asked about the toll his expeditions had taken on his body, he replied: "I don't know exactly. I mean the frostbite obviously, but that doesn't really get in the way.

"It's very difficult to do up a black tie before lecturing at a black tie dinner or whatever, if you're in a hurry.

"And I would never take on my team on a polar expedition, somebody already had frostbite. No, I make an exception for myself, of course."

He has endured extreme temperatures and extreme environments. The drive for him came from his father.

He said: "The driver was not being able to do what I always wanted to do, which was to be like my father, who was killed four months before I was born in the war, the Second World War, commanding the Royal Scots Gray's Regiment, which I eventually got myself into - but I couldn't get higher than Captain because I couldn't get to Sandhurst."

The explorer also shared the lessons he had learnt, saying: "Choose your team with great care, not only people who are totally motivated but people who've had a bit of experience if you possibly can.

"But you don't want too many cooks, they spoil the broth. I have to say very often I've started to hate people when the expeditions get really tough. When you start getting gangrene or whatever, you know, you take it out on the other people, your mind sort of it wants to blame someone.

"The most difficult expeditions I find, whether it's solo because you've got no one to hate."

When asked what he wants to be remembered for, Sir Ranulph said that's never been something he's concerned himself with.

"I've never really thought 'I'd like to be remembered', that doesn't sort of concern me, but hopefully whatever it is, it will make my wife and daughter proud."