Ian Botham blasts Tory party and makes Reform prediction before responding to Ben Stokes 'has-been' jibe

Far from dreading this milestone, Botham reveals he's more energetic than he's been in a decade.

He's back to his beloved fishing and golf, though recent mishaps on the course saw him flip a buggy and break two ribs during a Valderrama holiday.

"I can have three casts and, before I know it, three hours have passed," he says of fishing on Scotland's River Spey. "It's a total switch-off."

Botham doesn't hold back on his political views, having served as a cross-bench peer since 2020.

The Brexit supporter expresses deep frustration with Labour, accusing them of abandoning their manifesto promises almost immediately after taking power.

"At the moment, we're just a golden ticket, with no due diligence done on most of the people who come in on the boats," he declares.

He predicts Reform will perform strongly in upcoming local elections, admitting that despite being a lifelong Conservative, he believes his party has "got this horribly wrong."

On the monarchy, Botham is equally forthright. Anti-royalists should "p*** off and go somewhere else if they don't like it," he says, describing the royal family as one of Britain's greatest exports that draws tourists worldwide to visit historic palaces.

The former England all-rounder dismisses Ben Stokes's "has-been" jibe with typical defiance. "Prove me wrong," he challenges the current captain. "If they do, I'll be absolutely delighted, because I love to see England do well."

But Botham pulls no punches about England's Ashes preparation. He brands the decision to play three one-day matches in New Zealand beforehand as "an absolute nonsense," arguing the team hasn't given themselves the best chance of success.

"Nets are for fishing, they don't do anything for me," he scoffs. "It's in the middle that it counts, and I don't think our bowlers do enough. They're mollycoddled."

His frustration stems from England's dismal record Down Under - they haven't won a match in Australia for 14 years, and Botham believes arriving earlier would have improved their chances.

England's recent collapse in Perth has vindicated Botham's warnings about their preparation. The two-day defeat - the shortest Ashes Test in 104 years - proved that a casual game at Lilac Hill and some net sessions weren't enough to compete with Australia.

Botham understands the potential impact England could have, drawing parallels with 1981 when his famous 149 not out at Headingley lifted the nation during race riots and economic turmoil.

"Everything was doom and gloom. But then along came the Ashes and we pulled the iron out of the fire," he recalls. "Suddenly there was a ray of sunlight."

He believes Stokes's team have a similar opportunity now. "People need an escape," he says, noting how travelling England fans have saved their money for months to follow the team.

Botham's most enduring legacy remains his remarkable charity work. What began with a heartbreaking hospital visit in 1977, where he met four young leukaemia patients who all died within eight weeks, has transformed into a £60 million fundraising phenomenon.

His famous 1985 walk from John O'Groats to Land's End sparked a series of gruelling treks across continents, covering 10,500 miles despite taking a physical toll that sometimes required nightly hospital visits.

The impact has been extraordinary. When Botham started four decades ago, children with the most common form of leukaemia had just a 20 per cent survival chance. Today, it's 94 per cent.

"I wanted to do something positive," he reflects simply, with his wife Kath and daughter continuing to organise the walks that have saved countless young lives.