"I've got my rum and coke," he says, as he saunters into a deserted Radio 4 Extra office.
Eddie Mair in the Radio 4 Extra studio
It's 7.50 am on a Wednesday morning.
I've scrubbed out a R4 Extra mug specially in readiness for a demanding, adrenalin-fuelled presenter. (Along with the script, audio and studio set-up, the key item when preparing for a studio guest is a drink.)
I've offered him a coffee. But he's clutching a plastic frappuccino thing with a straw. And I've forgotten how wonderful Eddie Mair's voice is. Fresh back from holiday he's tanned and relaxed.
As an On The Hour enthusiast, Eddie Mair kindly agreed to present an On the Hour special for Radio 4 Extra.
Unbelievably, it's twenty years since the show first aired back in August 1991. Liz, one of our presentation producers, noticed the anniversary and plans developed to find the right presenter.
A trained journalist, not only did Eddie work on the same programme as Armando Iannucci (OTH's producer) at BBC Radio Scotland but he listened avidly to the series and says "I got into the news business because of one programme and one programme only and it's not the bloody World At One."
During the recording with Eddie, the fact we are all laughing continuously when we hear snippets of On The Hour is testament to its brilliance. It's still funny twenty years on - not least because it pre-empted the era of 24 hour rolling news. "Today we're live," shouts Chris Morris, "Out on the street, closer than ever before to where the news actually happens... You sir you're a person on the street, how close are we to NEWS?!" says Chris hot-footing it down the street clutching a microphone.
Apart from the lack of references to email and Twitter - it remains spot on.
The three hour special also includes programmes from spin-off series Knowing Me, Knowing You with social climbing Alan Partridge and Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive.
With the script and the trails recorded I quickly take a few dimly lit and, as it turns out, blurred studio photos of Eddie on my phone to use on our website and upload on Twitter.
Eddie heads off to prepare for PM, Radio 4's 5 o'clock news programme.
"What a great way to start the day," he says. Indeed. I discuss the trail with Kerry our trails producer who, having done a bit of presenting herself says, "I'm so in awe of presenters." I tell her of the professionalism and the glorious voice and we wonder if the adage "women fall in love with their ears" is true.
Later in the day I go to a lunchtime session on how to take a decent photo in a studio (never use a phone).
Sarah Wade is a producer for Radio 4 Extra
- It's a Painful Business: On The Hour with Eddie Mair is on this Saturday 1 October at 9am, 7pm and on the 4 Extra website shortly afterwards.
- You can follow us on Twitter @BBCRadio4extra. Eddie Mair is @eddiemair on Twitter. Follow at your own peril.
- Look at the full Radio 4 Extra schedule on the website.
