My ‘mo’ on day 30 before it was shaved off

If you tuned into The Wright Stuff during November, you may notice something strange in the audience. It’s not an audience member falling asleep; it won’t be Kirsty wearing her boyfriend’s shirt by mistake. It’s actually me, looking like a rejected extra from the Village People sporting a rather fetching/unfetching (delete as appropriate) handlebar moustache.

This is the second year I’ve grown a fuzzy facial feature to raise cash helping fund vital research and support to men suffering from cancer.

What is Movember?

The tash became a great accessory for fancy dress parties!

Mo is slang for a moustache and is an annual month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November.

Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men’s health by growing a tash. The rules were simple – I must start November 1st clean shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month. The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men.

The money raised as a result of Movember is channelled into a number of world class and innovative education, support, research and awareness initiatives. Even though November may have come and gone, I hope you can donate and show your support for a worthy cause.

Movember Certificate. Thanks to all who have donated so far!

My 2007 Macbook Pro – Vintage?

It’s been a little quiet round here for a while. Over the summer, my beloved Apple Macbook Pro decided to kick the bucket and so, it’s been a little tricky to blog.

The ‘grey screen of death‘ became a familiar sight in August, which basically rendered the machine bloody useless as I couldn’t get past the startup into the login window. Despite numerous hardware tests pinging back a healthy bill of e-health, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly frustrated as nothing I could do pointed in any direction for any remedy.

I just kept on thinking to myself (and often saying shouting out loud) I’ve got a computing degree for Gods sake! Why can’t I fix this piece of crap!

The reason I chose an Apple product was because apparently they don’t attract viruses and are pretty hard to break, compared to their Windows rivals.

How wrong was I, especially as Apple proudly states how much better it is over a PC:

When you buy a PC, you’re buying hardware from one company and an operating system and software from other companies. Not so with a Mac. Because Apple builds both the computer and the software that comes with it, they’re literally made for each other. This means that a Mac rarely freezes or crashes. Occasionally an application might quit, but it won’t affect the rest of your system. And Mac OS X resists most viruses, so you can do anything — without worrying about losing everything.

When I think vintage, I think an old collectable item that could one day return to fashion, or a modern day antique, if you will. But when you’re talking laptops, it basically means any part is nearly impossible to get – and the few available online have an incredibly inflated mark-up. The helpful nerd suggested the problem lay with a logic board, which would set me back the princely sum of £875.

The Grey Screen of DEATH.

So would I rather face a bill of £875 + labour or pay a little bit more for a brand new machine? New machine it was. But why should I go with a brand that let me down so badly?

It’s Apple. We now crave the latest Apple products. The new iPhone for example, isn’t just a new phone, it’s the latest phone that every other brand aspires to beat. Any device that comes close to emulating the success of Apple’s iPhone, is brushed with an iPhone killer label. Samsung have been having a go for years, but no other company has come close. Apple has created their own ecosystem that have locked us down into continually buying into their brand. I’m so used to the OS X operating system, that a brand new Macbook Pro that costs considerably more than a repair appears worth it, just so I can play with the new bells and whistles that come preinstalled with the latest version (the latest at the time of writing is OS X Mountain Lion, in case you’re interested).

I’m well and truly caught in the Apple net. I’ve spend £1000s on software and Apple-formatted hardware that has locked me into its proprietary formats and products. Despite my grumbles at the time of my crashes, reboots and shutdowns, I never talked myself out of buying another Macbook Pro… and now I have it, I’m delighted with it. Shame I’ll expect it only to last five years though…

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This is a really healthy vegetarian dish – satisfying, hearty and fresh! You could use rice instead of bulgur wheat, but this recipe contains the latter which packs far more fiber and protein for your buck. Furthermore, bulgur has a lower GI, so the whole dish will release energy more gradually throughout the day. I used 130g of bulgur wheat and about half a pint of stock – that should be enough for dinner for 2 and enough left over for lunch. But if like me you found it too irresistible, you both may just want to polish the whole thing off in one go!

Cooking time: under 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Bulgur wheat. Can each of chickpeas, tomatoes. Onion. Pepper mix. Carrot. Garlic. Chili powder. Green chili. Oregano. Ground cumin. Stock.

Method:

1) Oil saucepan. Add onion, garlic, carrot, chili powder, green chili, oregano, cumin. Cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes & stock. Bring to boil.

2) Add chickpeas & bulgur wheat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the peppers. Season. Cook for another 15 minutes or until thickened.

Holiday season is well and truly upon us and like many, I’m looking forward to a well-deserved break in Europe. Only unlike previous escapades, this year I’m paying close attention to the monetary activities in the Eurozone.

While it’s been a mostly wet summer here, it’s been rather stormy on the sun-shine continent too, with monetary and political discord everywhere from Alicante to Athens. Greece appears to be suffering more than most of its Euro neighbours, and that’s where I’m destined to go on holiday! Should I be concerned? Actually, I don’t think so… at least for now.

I chose the island of Crete to go away, as I figured mainland Greece would succumb to impulsive protests and strikes against governmental austerity measures. Hardly the stuff dream holidays are made of. The Greek capital Athens is unofficially a no go area for tourists… and the country has been in recession for the past five years.

But the country now has a new PM, who it set to massage the €130 billion bailout into something more favorable, ultimately softening the austerity conditions for voters who’ve suffered cuts everywhere from their wage packet to the town hall budget. At least that what he wants to do.

Before Antonis Samaras was sworn in on June 20, a possible Greek exit from the Euro was high, with news reports giving the impression it could be a matter of weeks rather than months when a ‘Grexit’ was likely to happen.

No matter what happens, the beauty of Crete will remain forever

There is good news, however, amongst all the uncertainty – especially for us Brits. Firstly, our cash will stretch further than previous years thanks to the Euro offering the best exchange rate since 2008 (1 Euro worth roughly 80p). Secondly, the Cretians will be very pleased to see us, as roughly 15% of the county’s GDP comes from tourism. If like me you have the ability to haggle guilt free for a moussaka and retsina, then this is the place to do it. But hey, the more we buy the more we can help ease their multimillion-pound debt, right?

Obviously, I have my concerns. So I’m adding an extra €100 to my estimated spending should the unimaginable happen and Greece leave the Euro this summer. After all, anything is possible over there at the moment, if talks around the negotiating table go belly up.

The probability of Greece remaining in the Euro by the end of 2012 is 75%

It’s worth noting too, that were this to happen, a new currency – likely the Drachma - is likely to be worth 40% less than the Euro, which introduces a whole host of concerns. For example, should I buy a round of drinks that comes to €20 and I pay with a €50 note, I should expect to get €30 back in old money. But if the bartender is dealing in new money, I’ll only get around €18. The difference would be swallowed up in the new rates. To save me getting mugged off in new money change, I’ll be asking for €5, €10 and €20 notes when I get my holiday money. Low Euro denominations are best!

In writing this most, would think I’ve talked myself out of excitement for my imminent holiday. But beneath all the scary headlines of late, the legendary Greek hospitality that has welcomed and embraced millions of visitors over the years remains. Nearly 17 million people visited last year… they all can’t be wrong! But if we all went to Greece for our holidays, £55 billion would go straight into Greek coffers that would clear their debt in six years.

If you’re off to Greece this year, let me know how it goes! Take care… and travel safe.

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.