It's easy to see why John Mortimer is so in love with the witty, exuberant, vital Australian novelist Kathy Lette.

But what does she think of the 80-year-old ex-barrister, now wheelchair-bound, half blind and extremely deaf?

The answer came in a scintillating conversation between the two, hosted deftly by Simon Fanshawe. Very sexy.

There is an intriguing chemistry between the raunchy, modern author of Mad Cows and the creator of Rumpole Of The Bailey - even though both are happily married, with children.

She likes his witty stories, never too long and always apposite. She loves the way he listens to women and understands the way they work. He adores female company.

The dialogue was effortless, speedy and sparky during an hour that never dragged. Fanshawe teased some revelations out of them and popped in a couple of quick anecdotes about Harold Pinter.

Although all three writers are from the liberal Left, they all have in common a delicious loathing for the arrogant, humourless playwright.