Where do you see Pavers TV going?
We’ve got to move forwards. We’ve got to make it more interesting. We’re looking at doing more of a lifestyle type channel. Apart from just having shoes we’re going to start introducing more clothing, shapewear, cosmetics, skincare and a bit of jewellery. Making the viewer who’s watching sit down with a cup of tea and really get into it so that they can look at it and think “that could be me”. So just taking it onwards and upwards and stop it being stale and just progress with it making it more interesting.
What is a must have in your make-up bag?
My must have is mascara. Mascara and concealer. If you’ve had a heavy night you can just put concealer round your eyes.
What is your daily schedule when presenting?
I get up early, have a shower, get myself ready, do my make-up at home. A lot of the others do their make-up here but I get up quite early. I don’t lay in particularly. I’ve only got George at home now so he sorts himself out. I pack the car the day before with all the stuff I need and then just get off early in the morning. I stop for a coffee on the way then get here and just get prepped. Now we do a bit of prep the day before. Trying it all on, check everything fits and then we can have a plain sailing day right the way through. So it’s a busy day. Coffee on the go mid-morning then stop for a bit of lunch for half an hour then we crack on. The first days always a bit slower so we start 9.30am right through to 5.30/6pm but then the second day should be 9am right through to 6pm. We try to do about 50 products a day or maybe more and cram in as much as we can but make it as interesting and varied as possible.
What is your favourite style or brand to present?
I like European. I like Italian. Brazilian isn’t European but I like Brazilian and Spanish. Obviously I’m a woman, I like glitz and pretty but obviously we’ve got to look at our customer and the demographic is more comfort wear so as long as the quality is good and in my opinion leather then they’re the best ones for me.
Do you ever get nervous when you’re presenting?
No. The background is that about 17 years ago Ian got approached by Ideal World who said they’d like to do our products as they’d heard a lot about us and it was Fly Flot that started us off on Shopping TV. I went down there with a Fly Flot and sat in the green room and I was introduced to a now very good friend of mine called Denise Robinson. She came in and I was supposed to be going into the studio and do a test run but that didn’t happen and she just chatted to me in the green room and she said “you’ll be fine” so the next day I had to go back down again and I was just put straight in the studio and thought “this is interesting. I’ve never done this before” and I just looked down the camera and all I thought was she (the viewer) is my friend so I just started talking like I’m talking to you now and it just went from then on. All you have to learn when you first do it is which camera to look at and how the lighting is and talking does the world of good as well.
What do you love most about presenting?
I love giving my opinion. I think when you buy through television you’ve got no idea. You’re just trusting the person so what I love is how much they trust me. When I meet people in the street they say “I’ve got them on!” and “Hi, how’s your kids, how’s your daughter” so they get to know you as a person and that to me is amazing because that makes me feel that they do know me because I am me on TV. I don’t fib. I tell them the truth. If it’s an ugly shoe I’ll say “this isn’t a bonny shoe it’s a work horse, it’s going to work for you”. I’m not here to tell fibs. I don’t think Pavers shopping tele is like other shopping TV. We tell the truth. You get presenters who work on other TV and the format is very different because we work very relaxed and we don’t push and that to me is what we need to be like with everything really because in the shops we don’t push and we let people decide so let people decide on the TV. You’re sat in their Living Room with them and you’ve got to think that they think your family and if they watch you enough and they like you. The biggest thing is if they like you and you don’t want to offend but you want them to think of you as normal because we are. We’re all the same. I’m just sat in here instead of doing a job like somebody else is doing. We’re just exactly the same people and I want to make them feel comfortable.
What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
Look after my Grandson. We’ve got another Grandchild on the way in August, I can’t wait! We love to go to Portugal and take Leo with us. I look cooking. I cook a lot. We walk the dog. Ian and I walk a lot now that he has sort of retired. So my grandson, cooking and walking.
If you were planning a three course dinner party, what would you cook?
My cooking skills go so far across the board because I used to be in food. It depends what I feel like on the day. If I’m trying to do something Mexican one night, then all the courses would be Mexican. I wouldn’t swap a course. Like if I did Spanish it would all be Spanish or if I did Thai it would all be Thai or Chinese or Indian. I’d follow through from the starter working with the main course then working with the pudding. I’m luckily quite gifted that I can just throw something together and do whatever. Julie Peasgood stays with me when she films and she’ll ask what am I going to cook and I’ll just say “oh I don’t know. I’ll just buy something on the way home” and I can just go home and put it together. That’s what relaxes me.
What is your favourite holiday destination?
I love Portugal. We go to Portugal a lot and I find the people welcoming and friendly and the place very calm. We like to walk on the beaches and I’m not a big sunbather but I like to be outside with nice wine and nice food.
What TV show would you love to present for?
I wouldn’t mind being on Loose Women. I would love to be on something like that I think it’s like when Julie and I do our bit we discuss things so it would be a bit like that. I can be quite outspoken so I would love the chance to do something like that. Just off the cuff, adlib and not working to a script. I’ve never done that. I think everyone having different views works. Debates are really interesting.
What is one thing on your bucket list?
Just to stay healthy and fit and work as long as I can. Just for my family to be happy and well. I don’t have ambitions as such I think I’m very lucky with what I’ve got but I just want it all to be great for my family. I’m big into family. I’m going to start crying in a minute! I’ve travelled quite a lot so I don’t feel I need to go anywhere. I’ve jumped off a mountain. The guy said to me “count to 5 and you’re off!” and I did. 35,000 feet off a mountain in Austria. I love skiing. I get a buzz from all that. I like staying fit and healthy. I don’t have anything that I haven’t achieved that I feel I want to achieve because that’s generally what a bucket list is. It’s just my kids and grandchildren achieving their goals. People need to be happy. That’s the biggest thing. Whatever you do you need to be happy.
