1. "His relentless and self–absorbed despair makes everyone else‘s spleen look almost kittenish.

2. Times pop music writer Chris Lee, who listened to four tracks, reported that Hilton has "a competent, kittenish singing voice" that in one cut is played against a background of orgasmic squeals and suggestive panting that makes it sound like "the musical companion to her sex tape." This sort of comment has probably long stopped bothering Hilton, who says, "I am so happy to have so much success.

3. His other passions are cricket and music – he composes for the xylophone, although he can no longer play, and he has written three operas, including one about Theseus and Minotaur – in Patrick‘s interpretation the monstrous Minotaur is "a delightful, kittenish little animal that likes biscuits". He is responsible for a musical version of Galileo‘s life: The True Story, in which the scientist‘s accusers sing: "You ridicule Holy Writ and make it but a mock, and replace our creator with the dreadful Mr Spock". As he speaks, I can tell he is in pain – his fingers are swollen, almost spherical, and he interrupts our meeting for a visit from the nurse – but he struggles gamely on, like a great, unfaltering ship, answering my questions about aliens and Star Wars, although I suspect he thinks I am an idiot.