FLICKY HARRISON talks to children’s TV presenter Naomi Wilkinson about her new show

Children's TV presenter Naomi Wilkinson proves that she is up for any challenge from mash potato wrestling in the States to swimming with sharks or dressing as a fish finger!

When she comes to Swindon the former Milkshake star will be bringing a few frightful and fearsome friends with her, as part of Naomi's Wild and Scary show.

The format is based on Naomi's Nightmares of Nature, the television documentary show for children.

Keeping her unpredictable pals at bay on the Wyvern Theatre stage will be Animal Mark alias Mark Amey.

"Mark will be bringing some fantastic exotic creatures so we can look at their behaviour, how they operate in their natural habitat and hopefully spark an interest and passion for wildlife in children,'' said Naomi.

The presenter will also be recalling some of her more adventurous escapades filming for the CBBC show All Over The Place, with Ed Petrie, including a dive alongside marine biologists to learn more about sharks.

"I had to re-educate myself about my own phobias which included a fear of spiders and sharks,'' said Naomi. "The marine biologists would make me distance my fears by focussing on observing the sharks, and asking was it a female, was it pregnant what was it doing and why?''

Naomi's passion for scary creatures was further ignited when she teamed up with Steve Backshall, adventurer and Strictly Come Dancing contestant, on the live Saturday morning children's show Live 'n' Deadly.

Well and truly breaking the old adage of never working with children or animals, Naomi revels in the added excitement of going live.

"With your heart racing you never know what is going to happen. Once a snake bit Steve on air and another time we were doing a live theatre show, like the one we are doing in Swindon, when a huge snake decided to have a wee all over him. It was like a hosepipe being turned on,'' she said.

Naomi knew she wanted to work on children's television from watching Blue Peter as a child, and she spent 10 years on the early morning show Milkshake.

"I have a brilliant time, it's a great job because every day is different and where else would you be dressed as a fish finger or flown to Australia to take part in a Dunny Derby, which is racing through 100 toilet cubicles,'' she said.

To hone her craft Naomi started off as a Red Coat at Butlins because she had heard it was a good place to get noticed for television.

"Stephen Mulhern started there and whenever I saw him I would quiz him how I could get into children's television. The truth of course is it takes persistence, you have to make your films, keep sending them off and you have to want it enough,'' she said.

Naomi has been guest presenter on Countryfile and hopes to be invited back, but at present she is working on her own show, Marrying Mum and Dad, where the children come up with extreme ideas for their parents' wedding, and in the summer she is off to Asia with Ed to film more of All Over The Place.

Naomi's Wild and Scary comes to the Wyvern on Sunday April 2 from 2pm. Tickets are £22.75 from 01793 524481 or visit www.swindontheatres.co.uk - Flicky Harrison