Anita Rani

Last year in India, you experienced rush hour - or as the locals call it “super dense crush load” - on the Mumbai rail network. How did you find commuting on the subway in New York?
Compared to India everywhere is a breeze and ultimate luxury. It was more comparable to travelling on the tube. Rush hour on a packed train in any major city is not going to be too enjoyable, although I did get a seat and people were willing to talk to me, which is not always the case in London. But to emerge into the grandeur of Grand Central Terminal was fantastic. It's a cathedral.

New York produces almost none of the food it consumes, but you saw some innovative ingenious projects, albeit on a small scale. What are New Yorkers doing to produce their own food?
Nearly all of the food which sustains this amazing city is shipped in from elsewhere, but I did experience some ingenious new urban micro food producers. Like the bee keeper producing honey on the roof of one of the highest hotels in Manhattan. Also the fantastic community allotment in the Bronx, encouraging people to grow their own and reconnect with food, in a particularly deprived part of New York where fresh produce is not easily accessible. It was wonderful to witness community spirit and togetherness in this metropolis.

Can you tell us about some of the incredible shots we will see in the programme… for example, when you welcome the audience to the show from the top of the Empire State Building, and from the middle of Central Park, filmed from a helicopter… how complicated was that to achieve?
The first thing I filmed was the opening shot on top of the Empire State Building. The logistics to make this happen were great fun. We had one small crew in the chopper and me and another small crew in a cordoned-off corner of the Empire State, plus a powerful walkie talkie system. The issue was spotting the right helicopter as there were about five flying around that afternoon. My job was basically shouting into the sky every time the helicopter flew past, when someone behind me shouted GO! I'd gathered quite a crowd up there.

To get under the skin of one of the world's greatest cities was a fantastic experience. Plus New Yorkers are a joy to interview.