Before - pasty and miserable (Wednesday)

Booking a session at the local tanning salon is an option, as is laboriously massaging some gradual tanning moisturiser, which takes a week to make any real noticeable difference. But there’s only one real answer for that instant look for the impatient like me – the spray tan!

It’s an ideal solution in many ways; you really can have a lovely tan in a few minutes and unlike other self tanning products on the market, if applied properly, won’t cause patchiness. Furthermore, skin isn’t permanently dyed and just like a normal tan, it’ll fade away in a few days.

My good friend Vicky recently qualified as a mobile beautician and spray tanner… and in exchange for some tasty lasagne (homemade, of course) she agreed to come round and give me the mahogany look closely associated with wags, pop stars and people who live in Essex. How lucky was I?

I tan quite easily so I was a little suspicious if this would look natural or whether I would turn into an Oompa Loompa. But hey, people pay good money these days to look like one of these charming little characters, so who cares?

Vicky gave me the lowdown on how to prepare my skin for the Sienna X tan:

• It’s vital to have a good scrub the evening before with some exfoliating body wash to take off any dead skin.
• Shave 24 hours before to ensure you’re as smooth as possible without leaving pores open (which if left open could fill with tan and give a horrid pimpled look!).
• Shower before the tan to ensure no deodorant or aftershave is anywhere on my body (this is really important as it could turn green if left to react with the spray tan solution – not a great look).

After - tanned and happy! (Thursday)

The tanning process itself was over relatively quickly in 15 minutes. It wasn’t uncomfortable at all, apart from having the cold solution spray over me, which, on certain parts of the body, were more sensitive than others! The only bit that made me wince was having to hold my breath while the jet of tanning spray covered my face. While I must admit to looking like a reject from Baywatch in my baby blue Speedos stood shivering inside a pop up tent in the middle of my living room, I was delighted with the outcome.

For best results, I waited until the next morning to shower (it’s recommend to wait 8 – 12 hours after the session for best effects), where the scene in the bathroom resembled an Oompa Loompa massacre. But I was assured this was normal! I was also advised to avoid having long hot baths (instead have short warm showers) and to moisturise often.

The following day at work I was greeted with lots of comments about how healthy I looked, which made me feel rather smug considering I only usually turn this tanned after hours of sunbathing! But I was conscious that I had a very mild whiff of biscuits (if you use tanning moisturiser, you’ll know what I mean), but this soon faded.

In summary, I have to agree that spray tanning is very convenient for those who are in a rush to get a tan or who are too busy to bake in the sun. Some people use it because they don’t tan very well or they are afraid of the risks from too much sun exposure. If you need a quick tan for a special day or even a photo shoot then spray tanning is ideal for you.

To get in touch with my friend Vicky, you can tweet her @vixtanandbeauty or call her on 07918022302.

January is well and truly upon us and I’m sure I’m not the only one out there who overindulged slightly more than expected at Christmas. So… following a lengthy battle trying to squeeze into my size 32″ waist jeans, I decided the way to help shed a few inches – and to generally improve my health and well-being – was to GIVE UP BOOZE FOR A WHOLE MONTH! Easy? Actually, easier than you think.

The decision to become teetotal until February 1 2012 was relatively painless when I found out how many calories my favorite tipple contained. Guinness – and some of its lager and ale cousins – are calorie-rich drinks, with the average pint of beer weighing in at a gut-busting 210 - 250 calories. So that translates to two pints measuring the same as 1 Big Mac. I probably go drinking about 3 nights a week and down anything between 2 – 5 pints of the black stuff. In other words, yes… that’s one hell of a McDs in a glass.

Me and Steph enjoying some much missed Mulled wine!

One week in, I have noticed how my drinking habits have changed. On Saturday just gone (Jan 7th), me and my girlfriend Steph (who’s joining me in the teetotal challenge) went to Oxford to visit my parents who were enjoying our joint Christmas present to them (a weekend away at Milton Hill House – a lovely place!). We’d normally head to a pub for a meal. Mum would order a red wine, me & dad a Guinness and Steph, a Rosé wine. But this time, me and the girlfriend’s drink of choice was a pot of tea each! How we would have laughed a month ago.

But dad wasn’t complaining when he got the bill. By cutting out the alcohol in restaurants, an average bill will reduce by some 20-30% – especially if you do what I’ve done and persuade your partner to forsake the booze too! Eating out as a teetotaller looks to be surprisingly look value these days of January. By my estimation, if you enjoy 3 or 4 bottles of vino a week, that’s about £60 saved in a month – £720 a year – and that’s not counting all those drinks in bars, pubs and restaurants.

No more drunken nights for me in January. No more silly faces either!

It’s worth noting also that in January I intend to lose some weight; as I unfortunately never did shift that bulge from my summer holiday to Turkey where my diet basically consisted of kebabs for a whole week! By forfeiting the booze, my goal of once again getting down to 65KG will be easier – and I certainly feel better that I’m leaving the glass of wine in the bottle for the time being which weighs the equivalent of a slice of pizza. Me and Steph have actually started a little detox challenge, with our weekly reducing bodily statistics gauged proudly on my fridge.

Our little detox challenge. I’ve covered up Steph’s measurements to save her blushes!

So how do I feel so far? Sharper, more energetic and definitely lighter. Give it a try; it’s not that hard when you think of the benefits!

Cooking is something I’ve always been fond of – so you can imagine how thrilled I was to make it through to the final of the Shine MasterChef Live competition held at Kensington Olympia!

It was a very special opportunity open to all Shine Group staff, both in the UK and globally, to recreate our own signature dish live on stage for John Torode and Gregg Wallace in a 45-minute time limit.

The final saw myself and colleague Oli Bates flying the flag for Princess Productions. Six others competing alongside us included those who work for Kudos, Dragonfly and Shine International production companies.

The dish I cooked is a favourite of mine and my friends – paella! However, despite my best efforts, I didn’t win the much coveted prize of £100 of Sainsbury’s Vouchers, a 3-piece MasterChef pan set and a 15cm MasterChef Filleting knife. But I did get to take home the MasterChef apron!

How pleased I was.

It was a fantastic evening watched by my proud parents in a crowd of around 300 who were lucky enough to sample my culinary creation. Best of all was not only meeting the stars of MasterChef, but also meeting Andi Peters who was there to compère the event – someone who I’ve been watching on the box since I was a wee nipper. But fortunately for everyone, he left Ed the Duck at home.

Next stop… Come Dine With Me? Watch this space..!

On September 3rd 2007, I nervously entered the world of morning television. After several meetings with production executives and a screen test the Friday before, it was a hectic week where I had every intention of starting work on the Monday in my then job as a producer for a mobile company. They weren’t very happy about that!

Little did I know it was a job application that would mean so much. In the final interview, they told me they wanted me until at least the following Easter for continuity… but low and behold, I’ve now been on The Wright Stuff for four glorious years – longer than they or I had envisaged!

I still remember my first day… waking up with a bounce thinking YEAH! I’m going to be on TV later! It wasn’t long until the excitement turned to nerves and the PA in the gallery (Screachy lady as Matthew often refers to her now) started the countdown. Five… Four… Three… Two… One… cue titles! And here’s what happened in the following seconds:

I was a nervous wreck! It was a miracle words could leave my mouth let alone I could hold the mic without dropping it.

So, four years have passed and I’ve witnessed some impressive moments and met some awesome guests. Who could forget the time George Michael rang to set the record straight about his split from Kenny Goss? Or when Katie Price called Matthew to defend her decision not to name her rapist? Not to mention the time a window cleaner decided to drop in on the panel during the paper review.

But one of the best parts of the job has to be meeting the special guests, many who I’ve been watching on TV for years! Who could possibly turn down a photo opportunity with Harold Bishop from Neighbours, or Jimmy Osmond? Here are my favourite snaps over the years…

I’m now very proud to have reached and passed the milestone that is the longest running co-presenter in the show’s history… and I believe, the longest serving co-presenter on Channel 5. Although I don’t officially have the paper work to back that up!

Here are my highlights from the past four years… and hopefully there are many more to come.

The hour-long programme launched on Monday June 27 straight after the main show, which now finishes a tad later at 11:10.

As both me and my co-host Kirsty Duffy are on screen for nearly three hours in the morning, we now have the honour of being the presenters on your TV screens the second-longest on UK morning television… beat by the presenters on BBC breakfast who are on for 20 minutes longer! Thankfully, the kind runners at Princess Productions keep us well-watered with tea and cupcakes in the breaks.

The Wright Stuff Extra focusses more on the stories that the public want to hear and valued advice from a team of well-known reputable experts. Gabby is also joined by people with incredible stories – from the tragic to the unbelievable.

When she joined, Gabby said: “I am really looking forward to joining the team at Channel 5 and excited to be hosting a live show where anything can happen. The Wright Stuff is a daytime TV institution and I can’t wait to continue the conversations every weekday morning.”

Similar to The Wright Stuff, the audience will be getting involved by asking questions to the experts or sharing their opinions to the topical issues being discussed. One of the biggest changes to TWS brand is Kirsty’s role, who is now the roving reporter sent out to interview people across the country – and does a brilliant job, too!

If you want to get involved on the show, call 020 7985 1927.

You don’t understand how good it is to write this post. Because since Christmas, I’ve been learning the fine art of latest PHP language, WordPress authoring – and getting to grips with the latest Adobe CS5 suite.

So here it is, after 4 years since the last facelift, the new Eric Johnson Online website is live. Hurrah!

Since the last design, social media has really taken off and I wanted to utilise all that was great about sharing content on Facebook and Twitter. Through WordPress however, it’s really easy to integrate social media tools with a series of ‘Widgets’ that come in various forms.

Furthermore, I am using WordPress as a Content Management System. So for once, I can edit and upload content from any computer, not just my own.

Thanks for bearing with me, I know it’s been a long time coming… but I’m as pleased as you are now it’s finally here!

On Saturday 12 March 2011, I abseiled down Watford’s Harlequin Shopping Centre to raise cash for vulnerable children, young people and families.

I was with a number of other daredevils and thrill-seekers who were invited to join me to raise cash for the Watford-based Action for Children charity.

It was a brilliant morning and it was such a good feeling to be doing something fun, yet so worthwhile! The charity do a super job of supporting thousands of kids across the UK.

Thanks to a few plugs on The Wright Stuff, I raised a total of £180. I ended up having to do it twice – once in my Wright Stuff T-shirt and once in their red one, but that didn’t mean everyone had to cough up twice!

I’m looking forward to the next charity event already!