"Television forces people to be larger than life. I would be too shy"

Heston Blumenthal's quote suggests that tv has a powerful influence on people, pushing them to be more outbound and confident than they would remain in reality. He suggests that he himself is too shy to be able to measure up to the expectations of television, which needs people to be bigger than life. This might be interpreted as a criticism of the way tv can develop impractical expectations of individuals, or it could be viewed as a reflection of Blumenthal's own insecurities. In any case, it is clear that Blumenthal thinks that tv has a strong impact on individuals, and that it can be hard to live up to its standards.