Drumming up support

In the 1980s there were some huge disasters: Chernobyl, the famine in Ethiopia and Flock of Seagulls. You can imagine the international disaster committee's consternation - what should be done? Well, clearly there was only one answer. Duran Duran were called in to save the world. The first question was how to prevent people all over the world from being contaminated by the nuclear fallout from Chernobyl? The answer, simple. Nick Rhodes led by example donning a white suit (proven to repel any plutonium residues) and John Taylor inspiring the world to protect themselves from black rain by the simple solution of wearing a trilby over a massive mullet. And so, the world lived another day.

Secondly, Duran Duran single mindedly ended all famine (well, not quite) by being leaders of the free world. Uniting the world in song. They sang 'Feed the World' and the world was fed. Amply fed. Look at pictures of Simon le Bon from about 1986 if you need any proof. In my local museum there is a whole wing dedicated to this. Ok, maybe it's one leaflet. But still.

However, for a few traumatic hours in 1985 the entire world was on tenterhooks. Ask anyone what they remember about 1985 and their response is almost certain to be - wondering whether Simon le Bon was going to be saved from his capsized sailing ship, Drum. I believe that the UN was convened that night and whichever pontiff was Top of the Popes at the time was asked to intercede with the Boss. And if Bruce Springsteen was busy, maybe the deity? And if Nick Rhodes was busy ... (ok, I'll stop now). Anyway, Simon was saved. As was the world.

And now, ever one to laugh in the face of danger and Slimfast, Simon is trying to save the world again. This time fellow members of the Duran sorority you must be ready for Sunday 8th March 2009, 10pm BBC2 'High Altitude' where Simon Le Bon and his brother Jonny, will visit a frozen lake in Sweden in a quest for sailing supremacy - on ice. They will fly across the ice on catamarans at speeds of up to 100kph in an exhilarating - and potentially very dangerous competition. Why, you ask? Well clearly, the apocalyptic ice age demonstrated by The Day After Tomorrow is about to happen and Simon's been shoed in to find a way to fight the freeze.

Duran Duran save the world. Again.