What is your daily routine when presenting?
Well there’s a lot of research in advance on whatever it might be. Shoes one day, cruise holidays another and jewellery another so there’s lots of preparation before you even go into the studio. It’s a pretty long day and there’s lots that needs doing and I spend a lot of time keeping in touch with customers as well on Facebook and Twitter so it’s always so busy.
When you’re working away what is your must-have item to take away with you?
My mobile phone. I honestly can’t be without it. Everywhere I need to be like hotel bookings, train tickets and where I need to be and how to get there is on that thing! I’ve got a terrible sense of direction so my mobile phone has to come everywhere with me.
What TV programme would you like to present for?
The Hotel Inspector. I want to be Alex Polizzi! I don’t know how to put things right for people but I’m great at picking holes in things saying “this is wrong” and “that’s wrong” and “this is what you should change” so yes I’d love that.
What got you into presenting?
I used to work in radio before TV and the TV act happened a bit by accident really. As a kid I always wanted to be a TV news reader and so I used to tape the local news on my little video recorder and then type out the script on my little computer and then read the news! I didn’t think I’d actually get into TV but I was lucky enough to work in radio and I loved it. I’m doing what I love.
What is it that you like about presenting for Pavers?
I think it’s about quality of product. I know who our customers are because I go into the stores and I can see people have a genuine love for Pavers. It’s great working for a brand that’s trusted and people have known for so many years and really do trust and it’s such a great team to work with. Being a family business you really get that sense of family as well. I think it means a lot more. If I was working for a big shoe brand that was all around the world you just wouldn’t feel like you have such a relationship with it. The best thing I ever did here was interview Cathy Paver because she is an amazing character and for that one woman to have that vision in the 70s and be a really gutsy individual is incredible. For a woman starting a business in the 70s and for it to be as big as it is now…it’s a testament to her and for me, her heart and soul is involved so that’s why I love this business.
What’s your favourite TV show?
Other than Hotel Inspector?! I love things likes Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares. I love programmes where they go in and shout at the owners; it’s so dramatic! I love holiday programmes as well because obviously I talk about cruise holidays elsewhere as well. I love learning more about the world and it helps my job.
If you were to have a party who would you invite?
Alison Moyet. She’s got the most amazing voice and you don’t hear her being interviewed very often. She’s been a musician that’s always been in my life one way or another. You know how sometimes music from one person follows you throughout your life? I don’t really know much about her but I would just love to sit down for a couple of hours over dinner and a few glasses of wine and find out all about her. I just think she’d be a great conservationist.
Do you have any hidden talents?
No I don’t. The only talent I have is what I do and people say “you’re very good at what you do”. All I do is walk into a studio, put on a mic and say what comes into my head. I don’t know if I see that as a talent or not.
What do you do when you’re not at work?
I love walking in the countryside and I’m lucky enough to live in North Yorkshire so that’s full of countryside and I love walking. I also love walking by the sea.
How much travelling do you have to do for work?
I’m usually either in London, Yorkshire and also the Midlands. To be honest, I am wherever anyone wants me to be. There’s a lot of travelling in this role. I do about 30,000 miles in my car a year but I love my car and I love travelling.
What’s on your bucket list?
In TV I don’t have any big ambitions. I love what I’m doing. I don’t have any ambitions to be Philip Schofield or anyone like that. I’d like to do more travelling. I’ve been lucky enough to go to India and a couple of other countries that I’ve really loved. I’d love to go to Australia, New Zealand and the Caribbean of course because of the cruises. I’d like to go on a Caribbean cruise.
