THE last place you would expect to find a polar explorer is on a desert island.

But 44-year-old Robert Swan, the first person to walk to both poles unaided, said he would relish the experience when he became the latest guest to appear on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs yesterday.

Robert, whose family comes from Wycliffe, near Barnard Castle, credited his teacher Stuart Tate at Aysgarth School for inspiring him as a youngster.

"People underestimate the power of teachers. He brought history alive and made me want to go into history in some small way."

Robert remembered looking at the map of the world on the school wall.

"I was mesmerised by these white fingers sticking up from the bottom of the world," he told presenter Sue Lawley. "The fact nobody owned that part of the world fascinated me."

His ambitions were further fired by the classic film Scott of the Antarctic, which starred John Mills. "When I was stuck in a hut for months on end, 900 miles from the South Pole, I wrote a letter to John Mills explaining that it was his fault I was in this fix," said Robert.

The actor sent back a photograph of himself in full Scott gear with a note attached. "If you don't look like this soon, you'll know you're going the wrong way," it said.

The explorer got to know the actor personally when he returned from his trip - triumphant, but in deep debt.

"I mentioned this to him and he told me I would have to talk my way out of it by public speaking. We went and stood in his bathroom and over the course of a number of days, he taught me how to speak in public."

The speaking tours began, the debts were paid off, and talking is how Robert still earns a living, making money for Mission Antartica, based in Darlington. The "mission" is to clear the Antarctic of rubbish left by scientific expeditions.

Robert told Ms Lawley about how he sank into depression and found solace in drink at the age of 33, once his expeditions were completed.

His marriage fell apart, but looking at his son Barnaby one day through a hangover, Robert realised his son deserved better and sought help.

Among the discs he chose on the programme were Nessun Dorma, Verdi, The Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Fine Young Cannibals' Good Thing and Better Off Alone by Alice Deejay. The luxury item he wanted on his desert island was The Times World Atlas.

l Desert Island Discs is repeated on Sunday at 11.15am