Benkow admits faking interviews with Bill Gates and other celebrities "to survive". The 66 year old Norwegian freelance journalist, who's recently been accused of fabricating interviews with notabilities such as Oprah Winfrey, Michael Schumacher and Bill Gates, writes in a press release: "What has been done has been done out of desperation. To pay rent, electricity, food, and to survive. I have no excuses, only explanations." Benkow insists that he has met the celebrities in question: "I have met and talked to these celebrities, but circumstances and timeframe have not always been as described." The freelance journalist writes that deteriorating health has severely restricted his mobility and prevented him travelling around and seeking up people like he used to. This, he says, has reduced his income considerably and prompted him to do what he did. "I feel incredibly sorry for him and feel no need to kick someone who's lying down. But to get money for electricity, food and rent there are other options than cheating. Even for him," Per Edgar Kokkvold of the Press Association told Norwegian Press. Read Benkow's press release here (in Norwegian).