Mugabe doesn't know it yet but Louis Theroux has him in his sights.

If the TV interviewer has his way, the African despot will join the ranks of assorted celebrities and politicians including the likes of Jimmy Saville, Paul Daniels, Ann Widdecombe and the Hamiltons, to undergo gentle scrutiny before an audience of millions.

Whilst acknowledging Mugabe's appalling qualities Theroux believes he would be a fascinating subject.

"The situation is more complicated than papers like the Daily Mail would have us believe," he said.

Theroux has built a career on interviewing some of the world's weirdest,and not necessarily most pleasant of people as well as a selection of well-known figures - coaxing information out of them with his disarming blend of sincerity and innocuous charm.

The off-beat interviewer, who is known for his forays into weird sub-cultures does have an uncanny knack of gently persuading his subjects to reveal more about themselves than they might otherwise have wished, but he is hoping his fame might not have spread to Africa.

"I don't think they get Weird Weekends in Zimbabwe - and if they did I think I would take the chance," he said.

Realistically he accepts that his pool of willing interviewees is not necessarily as big as he would have wanted, after a series of warts and all documentaries.

"There are lots of people I would like to interview - but perhaps slightly fewer would like to be interviewed by me," he admits.

Indeed he has already been turned down by the likes of Noel Edmonds, Lady Thatcher and Alan Whicker - who sent a note saying "thanks, but no thanks."

Among those he has shadowed there are certainly some who are less than pleased with the finished product.

PR guru Max clifford has alledgedly threatened to take revenge after his less than flattering portrayal.

But for every subject upset, others have been more than happy with the way they came across.

And there doesn't seem to be any shortage of people queuing up for their 15 minutes of fame.

Theroux has made compelling viewing out of the people who live on the fringes of American society, and he has caught up with some of them again for his book The Call of the Weird.

He held an Ilkley Literature Festival audience in thrall with his descriptions of some of the off-beat characters, from porn stars to UFO contactees, and Are You Being Served-loving neo-nazis.

Whilst discovering the lighter side of neo-nazis and taking end of the world predictions in his stride - it was meant to happen in 1994, but has now been put back to 2011 - Theroux admits to having become a little irritated with the alien Korton, who conversed with him through the auspices of "space channel" Bob Short.

He treated the audience to a very commendable impersonation of the space being himself, whilst helpfully pointing out: "Bear with me. I am not actually channelling Korton - I am just showing what it looks like when Korton is being channelled."

"You really need to have seen the documentary to appreciate how eerily accurate it is," he assured those less than convinced.

But if it's a weird world out there Theroux insists his own life is far less exciting.

Indeed when he was originally offered a book deal - "I didn't really have an idea for a book - but my agent said just sign the deal, you don't need an idea" - he contemplated publishing his diary.

"I kept a diary for a year - and when I looked at it I thought this is pretty boring."

But there have no doubt been one or two exciting episodes on his ventures into the ecletic world of celebrity, weirdness, and truly awful bigotry. It's not always a comfortable place to be - last year Theroux discovered that he was on a Combat 18 hit list.

But he does maintain cordial relations with many of those who have featured in his fly on the wall documentaries. He had a Christmas card from the Hamiltons - and he still comes up to Yorkshire to visit Jimmy Saville, whom he says he would be happy to put up in his spare room in London.

"It may be presumptuous but I would like to consider myself an honorary Yorkshireman due to my friendship with Jimmy Saville," he said.

Indeed the Saville interview is his own personal favourite. "I like all my shows but that one is a particular favourite because Jimmy is such a unique character," he said.

Theroux added: "There were a lot of people who thought the Jimmy Saville documentary was quite hard on him - and it is certainly true that its is a warts and all portrait."

In fact certain parts were deliberately toned down by Theroux, who felt he was coming across as too aggressive towards the DJ.

But Saville himself liked it - a fact which Theroux seems genuinely pleased about.

"At the human level I don't like to hurt people's feeling. I just try to find the middle way where you are telling the truth about someone - but not in a way that will hurt them."

It is undoubtedly this concern for the well-being of his subjects while getting them to reveal all that helps to make his shows so successful.

Theroux is polite and courteous even to those with the most obnoxious views and manages to keep a straight face where lesser men would have dissolved into helpless hoots of laughter.

But for all the success of his

programmes, and now his book, Theroux says he is a private person and admits he would be a very reluctant interviewee.

"I am not convinced I would let someone into my house and show then my bedroom," he said.