Konnie Huq

Konnie Huq

We last saw her hanging around with the animals in Zoo Days but she’s better known for her decade entertaining and informing the nation’s children on Blue Peter. Fresh from her Olympic torch drama we talk to Konnie Huq about travel, air races and furry human hands.You are involved in a new show, Zoo Days, what can we expect to see you getting up to?

Well I am phlegmed on by elephants quite regularly. I feed the animals so I get slobbered on lots. The thing is elephants have an amazing sense of smell so if they want you to feed an elephant at they end of a link the animal can smell the food before you’re ready so they try and reach round and grab it off you with their trunk it’s horrible! Then you freak out and realise the whole of the zoo is watching it’s very embarrassing!

What was your favourite animal to work with?

I quite liked the Ring-tailed Lemurs they’re cute! They’re really sweet they’ve got little hands that look like human hands except they’re black and furry and they grab grapes from you.

What was the highlight of making the show?

I really get on so well with the team, it’s a real laugh they’re really good fun, and then been at the zoo obviously. It’s a really fun place to be for a day’s work. It’s just a fun day out but you’re working!

What was the worst part?

When it rains. You just want to be outside when you’re at the zoo but if it’s raining it’s a bit horrible!

What have you been up to since leaving Blue Peter?

Well this weekend is the Red Bull Air Race World Series in London which I’ve been presenting for Channel 4. It’s usually on Saturdays but this weekend it’s on Sunday at 4.15 because the race is on Sunday. They’re expecting about 50,000 spectators all along the River Thames by the O2. It’s a spectacular backdrop, Canary Wharf and the Thames Barrier. There’s going to be 23 air gates on the course which are these massive inflatable pylons the planes have to fly through them but they can’t go too high or too low otherwise they get disqualified.

Sounds amazing!

It is, they have to do all these manoeuvres, it’s amazing. Go to the website and have a look at the photos its www.redbullairrace.com it’s absolutely spectacular. This is the fifth leg out of nine and so far there’s a Brit in the lead, Paul Bonhomme. Last year the Americans won so fingers crossed! They’ve built a temporary airport next to City Airport for it and they’ve built a special runway for the planes to take off and land, it’s so cool

What do you miss most about the Blue Peter?

I guess the people because I love the people. And the travel but then Red Bull’s taking me so many amazing places as well in this race because it’s Abu Dhabi, San Diego, Detroit, Rotterdam, London, Bupabest, Porto, Spain and Perth.

So what won’t you miss?

There’s more money outside of Blue Peter so that I won’t miss!

So more shoes more dresses?

Exactly! Nicer lifestyle!

So what made you decide to leave?

Well ten years is a good inning so I was ready to move on. I joined the same year that Tony Blair came to office and I left a year after he left.

Is there anything you wish you could have done while you were on the show that you never got round to doing?

I wanted to go to some countries that I never got to but I could obviously still go to them. I guess I did so many things I can’t complain!

What was your favourite thing you did?

That is such a difficult question because everything is so different and so varied its hard to compare but the travel was awesome. I went to Brazil, Mexico, Romania, Morocco, Uganda and Kenya. If I started counting all the countries I’ve been to the list just goes on and on. It’s the best job definitely.

So you did Blue Peter for ten years, where would you like to be ten years from now?

Whoa that’s a good question! A multi millionaire with a house in every country! Just very happy and successful. I don’t think you could want anything else but to be happy.

Yeah. So what’s in the near future for you?

More Red Bull air races then I’m doing some stuff for GMTV and just all different bits and pieces.

You were the carrier of the Olympic torch, how did it feel to be asked to do that?

It’s a real privilege to be asked to do that, really really good.

How did it come about?

Well because obviously they’re encouraging youngsters to start gearing up for 2012 when the Olympics are in London and I’m sort of connected to the youth and also it’s a multi-cultural event and my origins are from Bangladesh so I think those key messages were what spurred them to get me involved and on board.

Did you expect such a negative reaction from Human Rights groups?

Well I don’t think the reactions to me but I think the reaction is, and quite rightly so, trying to make a stand point just to raise awareness of the situation with China and Tibet which is fair enough. When you have such a big world platform and lots of eyes watching then it’s a good voice for people to speak out on issues they feel are important to them.

When the person came out how did you feel? Were you scared?

Do you know what it was over in seconds. It was over so quickly that almost blink and you miss it. Then the whole media flurry went off with the torch on the next leg and I was just left there dazed and confused thinking ‘did I just dream that or did that really happen?!’ It was surreal!

We ask everyone we interview to come up with a question for the next person we interview....and Jon from the Fratellis wants to know what your favourite type of cheese is?

I do love leerdammer which is nice and Emmental’s quite nice. But then I do love Feta and Halloumi. What’s John from the Fratellis favourite?

Blue cheese, he says it’s good for a hangover. So could you come up with a question for the next person?

When did some one last see you naked and why?

FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison and Jessica WatsonWe last saw her hanging around with the animals in Zoo Days but she’s better known for her decade entertaining and informing the nation’s children on Blue Peter. Fresh from her Olympic torch drama we talk to Konnie Huq about travel, air races and furry human hands.You are involved in a new show, Zoo Days, what can we expect to see you getting up to?

Well I am phlegmed on by elephants quite regularly. I feed the animals so I get slobbered on lots. The thing is elephants have an amazing sense of smell so if they want you to feed an elephant at they end of a link the animal can smell the food before you’re ready so they try and reach round and grab it off you with their trunk it’s horrible! Then you freak out and realise the whole of the zoo is watching it’s very embarrassing!

What was your favourite animal to work with?

I quite liked the Ring-tailed Lemurs they’re cute! They’re really sweet they’ve got little hands that look like human hands except they’re black and furry and they grab grapes from you.

What was the highlight of making the show?

I really get on so well with the team, it’s a real laugh they’re really good fun, and then been at the zoo obviously. It’s a really fun place to be for a day’s work. It’s just a fun day out but you’re working!

What was the worst part?

When it rains. You just want to be outside when you’re at the zoo but if it’s raining it’s a bit horrible!

What have you been up to since leaving Blue Peter?

Well this weekend is the Red Bull Air Race World Series in London which I’ve been presenting for Channel 4. It’s usually on Saturdays but this weekend it’s on Sunday at 4.15 because the race is on Sunday. They’re expecting about 50,000 spectators all along the River Thames by the O2. It’s a spectacular backdrop, Canary Wharf and the Thames Barrier. There’s going to be 23 air gates on the course which are these massive inflatable pylons the planes have to fly through them but they can’t go too high or too low otherwise they get disqualified.

Sounds amazing!

It is, they have to do all these manoeuvres, it’s amazing. Go to the website and have a look at the photos its www.redbullairrace.com it’s absolutely spectacular. This is the fifth leg out of nine and so far there’s a Brit in the lead, Paul Bonhomme. Last year the Americans won so fingers crossed! They’ve built a temporary airport next to City Airport for it and they’ve built a special runway for the planes to take off and land, it’s so cool

What do you miss most about the Blue Peter?

I guess the people because I love the people. And the travel but then Red Bull’s taking me so many amazing places as well in this race because it’s Abu Dhabi, San Diego, Detroit, Rotterdam, London, Bupabest, Porto, Spain and Perth.

So what won’t you miss?

There’s more money outside of Blue Peter so that I won’t miss!

So more shoes more dresses?

Exactly! Nicer lifestyle!

So what made you decide to leave?

Well ten years is a good inning so I was ready to move on. I joined the same year that Tony Blair came to office and I left a year after he left.

Is there anything you wish you could have done while you were on the show that you never got round to doing?

I wanted to go to some countries that I never got to but I could obviously still go to them. I guess I did so many things I can’t complain!

What was your favourite thing you did?

That is such a difficult question because everything is so different and so varied its hard to compare but the travel was awesome. I went to Brazil, Mexico, Romania, Morocco, Uganda and Kenya. If I started counting all the countries I’ve been to the list just goes on and on. It’s the best job definitely.

So you did Blue Peter for ten years, where would you like to be ten years from now?

Whoa that’s a good question! A multi millionaire with a house in every country! Just very happy and successful. I don’t think you could want anything else but to be happy.

Yeah. So what’s in the near future for you?

More Red Bull air races then I’m doing some stuff for GMTV and just all different bits and pieces.