Workaholic Rolf Harris continues to put in the hours aged 80

Believe it or not, sprightly TV presenter/singer/musician/artist Rolf Harris was 80 earlier this year, but despite being at an age when most people are thinking about putting their feet up and relaxing, he is busier than ever.

He was born in Perth, Australia, after his parents emigrated from Cardiff. At first, Harris planned to become an Olympic champion after bagging a national backstroke title, but a serious back injury soon scuppered that idea.

Instead, seeking fame as an artist, he set sail for Britain at 22 with life savings of 287.

"I regarded this country as the hub of the universe," he says. "I wanted the best tuition and to see if I could stand on my own two feet away from home."

He attended art school in Kennington, London, where he met and fell in love with his future wife, Welsh sculptress Alwen Hughes, with whom he has an artist daughter, Bindi.

Needless to say that 287 didn't go very far, prompting Harris to supplement his income by working as an entertainer in London clubs.

In 1953, within a year of arriving in the UK, he made his debut on BBC TV as a cartoonist and storyteller. He quickly added his talents as singer, musician, artist and funnyman to become the all-round entertainer we know and love today.

In the 1980s, he hosted Rolf Harris' Cartoon Time and then Rolf's Cartoon Club before going on to relaunch his singing career with versions of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven and The Rolling Stones' Honky Tonk Woman.

In 1994, Harris began presenting BBC One's Animal Hospital, which became one of his best-loved projects. It began as a week-long event featuring live programmes, but its overwhelming ratings success led to 19 popular series.

It was axed after ten years, so Harris returned to his beloved art world, most notably Rolf on Art, which included Harris painting a portrait of the Queen.

In 2007, he began a run of Star Portraits, in which professional artists depicted such famous people as Michael Parkinson, Mo Mowlam and Barbara Windsor but, since then, Harris's TV appearances have been less frequent.

Now he's back with a project that involves painting pictures inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream. Among the subjects are supermodel Lily Cole, soap star Emer Kenny, actress Dervla Kirwan, rock royalty Lizzy Jagger and his beloved wife Alwen.

Harris's enthusiasm once again proves that the livewire Aussie has more energy than people half his age.

"I just enjoy working," he shrugs. "I suppose if you keep working it puts off the dreadful moment when you have to decide what you're going to do if you didn't. I can't imagine retiring. To me, the word retire equates with giving up."