IN THIS FEATURE Stars and cars A case for Columbo Return of the King

Of course you see a lot of stars driving their cars round Hollywood. But you don't often see them running round Hollywood. One day I'm driving down the street and I see this guy running by and he's in dress pants, shiny shoes and a white hand-made shirt! I thought, that looks like Peter Falk (Columbo). So I honk.

He looks up and says, "Jay, Jay Leno, is that you?" I say, "Yes Peter, what are you doing?" He says, "My doctor said I've got to exercise." "But in dress clothes?" I ask. "Son of a gun!" he exclaims, seemingly confused, looking down at what he's wearing.

"Oh, there's just one more thing, Jay..." credit: PeterFalk.com

So I offer him a ride back to his house. And on the way back he says, "You know about cars Jay. I have a Mercedes convertible. It's a '71, a beautiful car, a beautiful car. But it's been sat in my yard for ten or twelve years."

I ask what's wrong with it, and Peter says, "I dunno. I parked it and now it doesn't work." So I go home, get an air can to put some air in the tyres and a jumper cable to get it going. When I come back and have the jumper cables attached, I turn the key and see all the lights come on.

"Peter, here's your problem. You left your lights switch on." "Is that what I did?" he says. "What a dope I am." And then he does this thing where he hits his head and walks in a big circle, saying to himself, "I left the lights on. I can't believe I did that." He says, "Is that all that was wrong with this car?" It suddenly feels as if I'm in a Columbo episode - in a mansion in Beverly Hills, being grilled by Peter Falk...