Did I ever mention I was on the telly.... BBC Breakfast Star...

Would it be wrong to put this in place of my wedding photo? 

If you know me, (unless you've been living under a stone), there's no way you can't know I WAS ON THE TELLY!  Not, like, any telly, I was on NATIONAL telly, BBC BREAKFAST telly! 


So how did it come about; of course it had to be a result of my ridiculous twitter. My A BBC producer was mooching round Twitter looking for a mum's experience of maternity care (to note I've nothing but praise for NHS maternity care despite my 'OMG the hospital's closed and I'm in labour').  

It happened on a normal day...

So, I got a phone call from her, we had a chat, I was on the top deck of a bus, the kids had been mithering for a go on a bus, I did say quite loudly to our Liz "Sorry kids, I'm just on the phone to the BBC".  I talked her through what happened to me, in a very talky, easy way.  She said great, can you come on the show tomorrow.   I agreed, no problem (thinking it was radio and I'd call in).  Then I realised that she said "Don't wear red it clashes with the sofa".  My second realisation come a moment after 'OMG I'm going to be on the telly and my colour needs doing'  SHOCK HORROR roots on the telly!  

So I hopped off bus, got chips for tea, headed home, en route telling ten or so people to look out for me on the telly!  It was a quick turnaround at home, as I had a PA "do" thing to attend.  It was a bit of a drinky social do at the PA event, so I quite quickly got tipsy (to help with the nerves you know...), and, well, I can only apologise to the room full of one hundred very professional PAs of Manchester; it's a good thing my job at Uni is pretty secure, as I'd never work in this town again! 

Coping with the nerves, hard living in the spot light, priory for me next!

The funny thing was, I told every single person in my breathing zone that I was due to be on the telly at 8:10, when in fact I was top of the bill (well that's how I see it) at 7:10.  Unfortunately, at 8:10 when I'm guessing a lot of my friends, family and very professional PAs tuned in, the item being discussed was obesity in the UK and the risk of having a big girth leading to diabetes (of course a very serious issue... but come on my girth's not that big, and if one person made a connection I'll be cross). 

Media City (very early in morning)

So 'my' driver arrived very early to have me taken to Media City.  It was all very smart, I was greeted at the studio by a very enthusiastic "media" person; it was great, I was rushed into make up, where I begged them to do ANYTHING to cover my roots (they must have had a wig handy surely?), the make up lady was great and said "Look Holly Willougby has serious roots a lot of the time, you look fine".  #Obv I took that as she likened me to Holly W and was made up.  They sat me in the green room, offered me coffee and brekkie, to which I declined (was ropey with nerves and hangover).  

Next I'm being wired up, I actually think that was the best bit!  A producer went through my story, and sort of said, you've a nice way of letting it tell itself, just repeat it as you told me.  

Dum dum dum, I'm in the studio, bolted on the sofa, I was there five mins (not on camera), as they went to weather and read news items, I just got more and more nervous!  But I had an epiphany.... I had to control my nerves, because there's a chance I'll talk really, really fast, become scouser and sound like my fellow native, old Margi Clarke... so, with that, I decided I wasn't going to be nervous; and blow me it worked - I truly wasn't nervous.  I just chatted to Charlie like he was an old friend, when they cut back to me after the second bit to say "thank you", I took that as a cue to give advice and extend my five minutes "What I would say to pregnant women in my situation is to do this, this and this".... 

Media Star (very early in the morning)

They didn't seem to mind, and appeared to quite like me and said thanks, and that I was great (of course I was).  Charlie and Steph (my colleagues) tweeted me as much later that day.  The initial BBC producer said she would defo use me again if anything topical came about... I didn't really believe her, but was dead chuffed with my experience and left it at that.

Well, they only did bloody ring me; and if you think I was bad the first time, this time they wanted my DAUGHTER on too..... me and my girl on the telly... it was like a dream come true!  Bless, Liz was full of giddy excitement about the whole thing, and they made such a lovely fuss of her, the driver winked at me and said to her "Oh I can't wait to get home and tell my wife who I had in my car today".   Jim Davidson was on the same show, very surreal to be in the green room with him, having Lizzy mither me about getting on the next level of candy crush and my pal ringing me to finalize our picnic later that day.  Amazingly when I'm in the greenroom/make up around famous people I don't turn into a div', I save that for my friends/family/colleagues! 

So, since then, it seems they do like me, they called twice more, boo, the first time I was on holiday, they wouldn't skype me in from Bideford, and last week I was out of town in Milton Keynes, I can't help but wonder they must have budget for helicopters?  

Anyhow, I do love it, I'm destined to be a telly star.... Emma-Lou BBC Breakfast Parenting Anchor... it sounds lovely... perhaps you might want to start a campaign... tweet the BBC!  #GetEmmaLouBackOnTheSofa.... yes?

xx Emma-Lou 

PS Lesson learnt re colour/roots, even if one of my BFs is getting married I won't be saving it again, you never know when my public might come calling...

In typical mummy fashion, in the middle of my PA event and Telly slot, I had to whip up a costume for flippin' school, not a bad effort! 

  

Remember the camera adds 10lbs, in real life I'm skinny!

Debut Part 1 

Debut (part 2) When I come into my own!