Wish You Were Here With... Ben Cobb
Sailing in the Hamptons? Partying in Ibiza? Lounging in Morocco?
Editor-in-Chief of Another Man, Ben Cobb is leading this week’s vacation selfie series and stirring some serious FOMO in Positano...
How would you sum up what you do in a sentence?
I filter out the uninspiring and irrelevant, and curate what remains.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A lawyer or private detective.
How do you waste time, when your schedule is clear?
I travel whenever my schedule allows. But that’s never a waste of time.
What did you do on your last day off?
Made a start on my towering to-watch-pile of blu-rays.
What's your greatest ambition?
To find the perfect life/work balance.
Do you have any phobias?
Yes, I have a weird phobia of my toes shattering into pieces like porcelain. I have no idea why. I don’t think there is even a name for it. I’d love to know if anyone else has the same phobia.
Who do you most admire?
People at the top of their game who can still laugh at themselves.
What do you talk about when you get your hair cut?
Anything to take my mind of the fact that I’m having my hair cut. Just ask Liz Taw.
What's the last dream that you can remember having?
It was a nightmare. A small arachnid-like creature kept doubling in size every time I hit it, but I couldn’t stop until it was of monstrous proportions. I woke up screaming. Let’s not analyse.
What would you most like to change about the world?
I would like to dismantle the world’s governing systems and institutions, and start again.
What would you most like to change about yourself?
I’m pretty content with myself. I’m even fond of my flaws. But a little more patience wouldn’t go a miss.
Have you ever pretended to be someone else in the mirror?
No, that way madness lies.
If you could do anything without fear of repercussion, what would you do?
Deep space travel.
If you could ask anyone a question, who would you ask, and what?
Helmut Berger. “Was it as much fun as it looked?”
Describe yourself in three words...
Obsessive. Daydreamer. Sagittarius.
What’s the most surprising thing we’d find out if we looked at your phone?
The number of animal photos and clips. I really need to get a pet.
Favourite song?
Like an Eagle by Dennis Parker
Favourite colour?
Brown – in all its many shades.
The perfect night out?
At home, all-night dancing with close friends and one random stranger.
The funniest person you know?
Anna-Marie Scott. Hands down.
The funniest thing you’ve ever read about yourself?
Years ago the Daily Mail ran a picture of me at a party at Annabel’s nightclub. Underneath was this caption: Blast from the past: Actor Ben Cobb looked seventies ready in a brown velvet suit and partially unbuttoned white silk shirt. For the record, I have never been an actor.
One thing you can’t live without?
Bed.
Favourite thing to eat?
Vitello Tonnato.
Least favourite thing to eat?
My own words.
What was your first job?
Working behind the bar at the Chelsea Arts Club. Money can’t buy a better education than that.
The best advice you've ever been given?
When I landed my first editor job I asked a well-established editor for one piece of advice. They replied, ‘Learn how to say No politely.’ That comes in handy every day.
Who or what inspires you?
Exotic places and free spirits.
What drives your creativity?
The hope of putting something meaningful and soulful into the world.
If you could interview anyone (alive or dead), who would it be?
Pier Paolo Pasolini.
Who do you consider to be the true creatives in the world?
Yves Saint Laurent, Daniele Baldelli at Cosmic nightclub and Dario Argento between 1970 and 1982.
Who’s the coolest person you know?
My twin brother Sam’s pretty cool.