Just a couple of weeks ago I wrote about how blogging can be really hard work, but eventually, you get what you give. Every now and again, something crops up in this blogging world that makes you super grateful that you stuck with it. For me, this came last Friday when I was invited to This Morning Live at the Birmingham NEC.
Long standing This Morning Fan
I have been a huge fan of This Morning for as long as I can remember. Four years ago it was a calming presence and a huge part of my maternity leave. Those mornings in the early days when you’re finding your feet as a new Mum. The faces of the stunning Holly Willoughby and the brilliant Phillip Schofield were familiar and comfortable faces to share my morning with. ‘Sick day’ television had turned into a daily routine for me and when I went back to work, I was lucky that I started back working afternoons, it was still a part of our lazy mornings together. These days I work mornings so don’t get to see it as often as I would like, I will admit the record button is used quite regularly though. I have no shame, we all have our guilty pleasures, This Morning is one of mine.
The Invite
When the PR company for This Morning Live got in touch and invited me, I literally couldn’t reply to their email fast enough. Before I knew it the day off work was booked, the childcare was arranged and my plus one was invited – thank goodness my Sister could get the time off as well!
If you’re reading this and don’t really know what I’m talking about, let me quickly brief you before I tell you (and show you!) more about my day.
What is This Morning Live?
This Morning Live is basically what it says on the tin – This Morning – but Live! It’s also been described as a lifestyle exhibition offering guests the ultimate shopping experience. It was held over four days, 18th – 21st May and featured live appearances from the usual members of the team – even Luna the This Morning Puppy With A Purpose.
As a huge fan of the show and of Holly and Phillip, I was very excited to see them all in person on the main stage, but I was also really looking forward to seeing what else was there. Along with the main stage, there were two others – the Food and Drink stage and also the Home, Garden and Pets stage. These all have various segments going on over the course of the four days with some very familiar faces. There was also the Panasonic Beauty Studio and the Health Club.
There were stands galore – think The Clothes Show, The Baby Show or The Wedding Show – any kind of show that you may have been to and the NEC before. Various companies came and set up shop for the day and it was great to walk around such an amazing array of different stands. I could have spent a small fortune – but I kept it reasonable and only bought some Curlformers, I can’t wait to see how they turn out!
My Day
I spent most of my day by the Main Stage (sponsored by eBay). I wanted to soak up the atmosphere and watch the people I’ve been watching for years on the television do their thing. It began with Phillip and Holly being joined on the stage by the whole This Morning family.
There was a live link to the live This Morning show being broadcast from London. Knowing you’re going out on live television is always quite exciting, but what I really loved is seeing how a live show works – Phillip even let us hear what they hear in their earpieces! You can see why they have so much fun making the show.
The introduction was followed by a brilliant fashion show featuring the likes of East, Lands End and Dorothy Perkins.
Shortly after we had the delight of watching a live kitchen session with Gino D’Acampo, Phillip and Holly. It was just as funny in real life as it is on the tv – what I love about these guys is their genuine friendship. None of it is forced, and they make you feel like you’re a part of it. This was a real treat and one of the many highlights of the day.
Press Lounge Perks
After this segment, we went for a wander and a bit of lunch. I have to be honest, I took advantage of the wonderful Press Lounge and it was lovely to be able to go somewhere to have a sit-down. I may have even enjoyed a sneaky glass of Prosecco! Well, it would be rude not to! It was here I managed to work on a bit of social media aswell.
Working liquid lunch. Well, it is Friday!! #tmlive #tmliveevent #thismorning #birminghamnec
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It was in the Press Lounge that we saw Gino doing various interviews. He was being rushed about as he had hundreds of people waiting for him to sign his new book! It was great to see him up close though.
Memorable Moments
We headed back to the Main Stage after lunch to watch a brilliant interview by the lovely Rylan Clark-Neal with Holly and Phillip. It was all about their ten years together on tv. Something they’ve never done before – what should have been a fifteen-minute interview ran on for forty minutes. It was a great watch for a big fan.
A great end to a great day
After another little wander, I headed back to the Press Lounge to have another sit-down. And maybe another glass of fizz!. I wanted to wait to see Rylan. I knew that he had media interviews scheduled for 4 pm. I wanted to try and catch him before we headed home. During my wait for Rylan, I also got to sit by Dr Ranj as he did an interview. He is such a genuinely nice guy!
The wait was worth my while because I did get a precious minute or two with Rylan. Despite being ushered off to be interviewed he made the time to stop and take our photo. He truly is a real gent. Despite me looking a little too goofy in the picture, it’s one of my favourite shots of the day!
Highly recommended
If you are a fan of this programme, as I am, and you didn’t get to go this year, I would highly recommend keeping This Morning Live on your radar for next year. There are several opportunities to get selfies with the stars as they do meet and greets throughout the day. If that isn’t your thing, it’s still such a treat to see your favourite tv presenters do their thing right before your very eyes. I can’t wait to go back next year!
All that’s left for me to say is a huge thank you to Rare Breed Publicity for the invite. I had a really wonderful day.
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