Media Tart

Why such a title, I hear you ask?  Well that's a nickname that I've come by over the years.  When media opportunities arise, I seem to be at the right place, at the right time so to speak

My first taste of 'fame' was winning a local baby competition.... The prize, a leather bound photo album, which I still have today.  The winning photo.....

The next moment was when I was 5yrs old and certainly was not a case of 'right place, right time'  More of a complete injustice!  My Mum accidently knocked the wing mirror off a car with my buggy.  It hit both local and national press was because the car was parked across a pavement by a very busy road and my Mum, who was 8 months pregnant at the time, was arrested.  I'll fill you in on the details in another post...

When I was 12, I was given a wonderful opportunity to go to Disney-world, Florida.  It came about as part of a charity that had been set up by staff at British Airways. Money had been raised and this was the first trip, taking 288 sick, disabled and underprivileged children along to the States.

My Dad was treasurer for his local Arthritis Research Council (now Arthritis Research UK) and at one of the AGMs, I got up to give a talk about being a child with arthritis and my upcoming trip to Florida.

One of the guests, Mayor of Rushmoor, Councillor John Callan, was quite taken that arthritis affected children and afterwards approached my parents.

He invited us for tea in his parlour to talk more about my trip but on the day it turned out to be far more than just afternoon tea.  Local press were there to cover the whole meeting which then appeared the following week;

The trip itself was covered by local and national press, as well as BBC 40 minutes for a documentary.

Shortly after that I entered a competition with Granada Television, who were looking for new presenters for the children's programme 'Splash'... I got through to the final and so went off for a screen test, dressed in a horrible snot green jumper dress with black polka dots.  Sadly, I didn't win (*damn that dress!*)

Over the years, I've done various other local press interviews based on my arthritis and charity work.... which eventually earned me the nickname 'Media Tart'

This nickname has now definitely stuck, seeing as I'm now co-host on local community radio... The nearest I've got to wanting to be 'on radio' was popping Dads headphones on and pretending to do the chart show when I was about 8yrs old...

However, about 6 weeks ago, Mathew Hulbert, someone who I've got to know through the election campaign, posted on Twitter that he needed a co-host for his weekly shows... I jokingly replied that I have more rabbit than sainsburys and so was invited along to do a show, see how I got on etc....

Well I seem to have done something right as I'm now a permanent presenter at the radio station, Hilltop Radio, and every Friday I co-host with Mathew on the Friday Mix

I'm sure there will plenty more times when I earn my nickname, but luckily you won't be seeing me suddenly appear in the Big Brother house ;)