BEST friends from Swindon are starring in a primetime TV show in the run-up to Christmas.

Charlene Smith and Natasha Dixon, from Walcot, have known each other since school and enjoyed a fun day filming with This Morning host Phillip Schofield.

They appear on How to Spend It Well at Christmas, currently airing on Tuesday nights at 8.15pm. The consumer guide provides tips as people prepare to buy gifts for loved ones with the festive season fast approaching.

Charlene and Natsasha, both 39, were given different coffee machines to try as their gadget.

Student liaison officer for Swindon Dance Charlene said: “We both applied and then we had a Zoom call to see how well we gel together. We tried different coffee machines outside with tents, so it was a Christmas campsite. We tried different flasks, gadgets to make it but the perforated machine we found was the best.

“We got to meet Phillip Schofield, he’s so nice. The way he is on the TV, that’s exactly how he is. I was starstruck. I think he thought I was a bit of a nutcase. It was a lovely day out and we don’t get many of those at the moment.” 

The pair filmed the Christmas-themed show near Windsor on September 30. Both ladies feature in two episodes, one of which was last night (December 1). 

Charlene said: “I’m more of a hot chocolate kind of girl but when you are outside you don’t really mind what it is. It was really nice to do it together with your best friend. 

“We do stuff with our kids but this was just us. I’ve never done anything like that before. I’ve done a few TV appearance with my dancing but it was amazing being myself. 

“I’m shouting about it all the time, I got a message from a friend at 8.20pm last week saying ‘did I just see you on the TV?’. I’m glad I did it and want to do more.”

Mums of two Charlene and Natasha both live Sussex Square. Charlene has Reuben, 14, and Princess-Nahla, 5, while Natasha has Memphis- Lee, 15, and Ziva-May, 6.

Teacher Natasha said: “It was brilliant, such a fun day. We were all like ‘where is he?’ because he (Schofield) wasn’t there at first. 

“He turned up in an old ice cream van and then we were excited. 

“There was no separation between us and the celebrity. It was great spending the whole day with my friend and meeting Phillip Schofield, he was nice it felt like we had known him forever. 

“Because of the current situation it was nice to do something positive. 

“I am actually a massive coffee fan. I usually drink Costa Coffee but they did manage to convince me to taste other coffees.

“One of them looked like a toilet brush so we laughed so much. It wasn’t appealing to the eye but had a really nice taste. Usually when you gift a gadget you pick something in fancy wrapping and because of how it looks. 

She added: “We’re best friends so it is genuine which is what they were looking for, natural people. Sometimes when you watch these shows I think have they been put together and are they real friends. 

“We’re just us. She is my partner in crime and I tell my students, as long as you have one friend it’s going to be okay. 

“Now, our kids are growing up together and are really close, especially the youngest.”