So, you'd like to present a fitness DVD?....

When the producer of BBC Radio Leicester’s lunchtime programme rang my office last week to ask if I would help with a ‘weekly challenge’ for the presenter Bill Buckley, of course I said ‘yes’. The challenge is ‘can Bill learn a fitness routine to sufficient a standard to present it as a fitness routine for fellow listeners to follow on the BBC website? If not, he fails!’. Bill is one really busy guy. Just check out his website and you may recognise him from That’s life, many moons ago.

So, on Monday I went into the studio to offer the challenge ‘live’ and on Monday evening Bill visited the class I personally teach in Birstall, Leicestershire and worked out with my members. Bill can move reasonably well and most of the time can hear the beat of the music but occasionally he misses the beat and the rhythm so this really is going to be a challenge. My members were very encouraging and there is no doubt that Bill is a good sport and very determined. After all, Bill has already won 'Come Dine With Me', not once but twice!

It was arranged that Bill would be recorded at our studios on Wednesday but on Tuesday we had an emergency phone call. Bill is suffering symptoms of flu so Wednesday’s recording has been postponed until next week.

I’m not sorry about this. For any of my videos we rehearsed for around a month, admittedly to record around 16 tracks and Bill only has to do one, but nevertheless, to expect Bill to learn and professionally present an exercise track so that viewers could actually follow it and exercise safely in just two days, as well as work full time, is a tall order.

So, Bill has a week to learn his routine, to learn about cueing so that you can tell the viewer what’s coming next when you’re doing something else, and to keep in time with the music. Let’s hope he soon feels better and can start rehearsing. I really want him to succeed as he has tremendous determination and a great spirit. Get well soon Bill!

The track Bill is learning is track 3 from my Real Results DVD. Check out whether Bill succeeds from Friday 30th July on www.bbc.co.uk/leicester.