What it’s like to appear on Big Brother’s Bit on the Side

It was delightful to meet Emma Willis, the presenter, who is warm, ultra-professional and happens to like Maltesers, as she nipped into the green room to pinch some, and that’s when I first met her.

It’s quite a lonely experience because you arrive, are ushered into the Green Room and left alone for quite a long time until a friendly lady with headphones comes to collect you and take you into the studio, where it’s full-on for a live rehearsal. So no chit-chat between Emma and me beforehand; we really meet for the first time on the sofa in the glare of the lights and camera.

Emma is warm, relatively contained and definitely in charge as she takes me through the questions. I really enjoy connecting with her, we seem to spark quite well, and the time just flies. Later the producer advised that we overran by two minutes, so two questions are being dropped, and one question is being expanded; oh, I also need to update with this evening’s episode before doing it for real.

The green room fills with the other guests for this evening’s show. Lucy Watson from Made in Chelsea, Mark Little (great guy) and Lydia Scott-Lee are lovely ladies and former BB housemates.

I watch the VT of the show and mentally update my planned responses. A very pleasant, relaxed and incongruously older guy comes in and makes me up; at this stage, I realise things are getting serious!

The panel guests are ushered away, and it’s just me alone in the room; the pleasant lady with the headphones says, “it’s time” (reminding me almost of an execution). I am there in the studio, and it’s all happening. There is a live audience and a panel, and Emma is 100% even more bouncy and lively than in the rehearsal.

I realise I cannot remember anything I am about to say, and I am supposed to be speaking for around eight minutes. I remember at least the first three sentences of what I had rehearsed, and then bang, I am on the sofa waiting for Emma. I can see the cameras focused on me; I try and find a comfortable seating position and wait.

Emma arrives, is smiley and warm, and welcomes me as a new celebrity coach presenter; it’s great fun, and whoosh, eight minutes pass in 90 seconds! Emma is generous enough to compliment me at the end, which was much appreciated and bang, it’s all over. I’m ushered straight into the car they have booked, and while the show, the excitement, the fun, the energy is all still going, I am in the back of a car, and away, my head is spinning mentally through the whole experience.

I have to say it’s an adrenaline rush and somewhat addictive. I hope I did just enough to follow the old maxim, always leave them wanting more!