Konnie Huq
Konnie Huq tells Female First just how much things have changed since Blue Peter, including her tranformation into becoming a sex symbol and why she will never have her eyelashes curled.
How has life changed for you since leaving Blue Peter?
Well I was going to say it’s more varied but I guess you can’t get more varied that Blue Peter but its varied in a different way in that in every job you do is new people. Though having said that, on Blue Peter you’re doing so many different things and often you’d be working with new camera crews. It’s a massive team, like absolutely huge, so people are changing on that all the time so I guess it’s like Blue Peter but on a bigger scale. I have to say that I’m one of these people that definitely loves variety and I couldn’t work in a 9 to 5 office job. I just like challenges and different things I get to do, the places I get to go, the people I meet.
What was your favourite activity on the Blue Peter?
That’s so difficult to say. I’ve done so many things, like feeding sharks at the bottom of the ocean which is mad. I’ve walked on hot coals, I’ve climbed up a canyon, I’ve prepared the face on Nelson’s column, I’ve done the world championship car rally on snow and ice. It’s just so bizarre. It’s so varied it’s hard to compare experiences.
I bet you have a massive collection of badges…
Yeah! And I have all sort of different ones because they changed the design a few times. There’s ones made of rubber, ones made of plastic, ones that are embossed, ones that are flat, a 40th birthday edition and 50th birthday edition, so there’s quite a few in there.
You gained a degree from Cambridge in Economics. Do you think this is something you would like to take up again?
I wouldn’t go into the city or anything like that so not in its purest form. I mean economics can be used in many different ways but I would never do it pure now.
How do you feel about being named a sex symbol?
Oooh I like it. It’s nice and flattering.
Is it true that you were offered a six figure sum to do a Playboy shoot?
Do you know what, my agent gets offered these things and I don’t really get told!
Is it something you would like to do?
Not necessarily Playboy. Maybe something classier.
You also presented When Beauty Goes Wrong. What was the worse case that you came across in the show?
This poor woman – and I didn’t know you could get this done - went to have her eyelashes curled before her wedding so she went to the beautician and something went wrong with it .They curled inwards back on themselves and she couldn’t open her eyes. Basically, she couldn’t open her eyes for the whole wedding, and they were all red and puffy. She was showing me the photos and I felt so sorry for her. She had to go to A&E on her wedding night, ruining her wedding. You would think eyelashes, are relatively unintrusive thing on ones life but it was a nightmare.
What did you learn from that show? Not to mess with your eyelashes?
Yeah, I learned not to curl my eyelashes! It was interesting actually because, you know if you walk on really high heels all your life, it toughens the tendons in your legs, and basically we met this expert, and apparently walking in really flat shoes is bad for you as well. The ideal height shoe to walk in is a one and a half inch heel because you’ve got arches in your foot and naturally you need to have a bit of bounce in your step.
Did you buy loads of one and a half inch heels after that?
You know what; they’re just not very in at the moment. Apparently wedges are alright, when I thought wedges would be lethal but the shock absorbs part of the step. We actually had to, as part of the show, go to this shopping centre with this doctor who was diagnosing everyone’s feet. I hate feet! They’re so horrible and I had to be there looking at peoples bunions and stuff. Not nice!
You’re currently promoting Nintendo’s SimAnimals. What encouraged you to get involved?
Even on Blue Peter, I played The Sims. I burnt the whole house down! And I’ve got Sims Castaway on the PS2 and I’ve just got a PS3. I didn’t know there was a Sims Animals until they told me and I think its done a lot of good things for young people because there’s so many games with death and destruction, and this ones about growing things and nurturing things, and you can have your own woodlands. You have to feed the animals, grow trees and pro-create. It’s very beautiful and all about free love. I think lots of little girls will like it, but also anyone who’s an animal lover, kids that might be interested in the environment, or someone who wants to become a botanist. It’s quite a relaxing game in a way because it looks so idyllic and there are lovely lakes and trees and butterflies fluttering about and flowers and acorns which you shake off the trees and squirrels come. It makes me feel like Snow White!
You played it for a while then?
Yeah I did. But you know what’s also good as well; it teaches you about different plants and wildlife and what feeds off what and where they are in the food chain A lot of kids that grow up in cities and they don’t get a chance to get out in open air and run through the meadows!
>What lies in the future for you?
I’m going to Afghanistan so keep your fingers crossed that I return. The Sun do this military award on Sky One for people who have done amazing things for their country; a bit like The Pride of Britain Awards, so I’m going for that.
When will it be broadcast?
I actually don’t have a clue!
We’ll keep an eye out. Thanks Konnie!
Thank you. Bye!
By Karen Asbury
Engage wild animals, experience life in the forest, and let your creativity run wild in SimAnimals™, out January 2009 on the Nintendo DS and Wii’.
Konnie Huq tells Female First just how much things have changed since Blue Peter, including her tranformation into becoming a sex symbol and why she will never have her eyelashes curled.
How has life changed for you since leaving Blue Peter?
Well I was going to say it’s more varied but I guess you can’t get more varied that Blue Peter but its varied in a different way in that in every job you do is new people. Though having said that, on Blue Peter you’re doing so many different things and often you’d be working with new camera crews. It’s a massive team, like absolutely huge, so people are changing on that all the time so I guess it’s like Blue Peter but on a bigger scale. I have to say that I’m one of these people that definitely loves variety and I couldn’t work in a 9 to 5 office job. I just like challenges and different things I get to do, the places I get to go, the people I meet.
What was your favourite activity on the Blue Peter?
That’s so difficult to say. I’ve done so many things, like feeding sharks at the bottom of the ocean which is mad. I’ve walked on hot coals, I’ve climbed up a canyon, I’ve prepared the face on Nelson’s column, I’ve done the world championship car rally on snow and ice. It’s just so bizarre. It’s so varied it’s hard to compare experiences.
I bet you have a massive collection of badges…
Yeah! And I have all sort of different ones because they changed the design a few times. There’s ones made of rubber, ones made of plastic, ones that are embossed, ones that are flat, a 40th birthday edition and 50th birthday edition, so there’s quite a few in there.
You gained a degree from Cambridge in Economics. Do you think this is something you would like to take up again?
I wouldn’t go into the city or anything like that so not in its purest form. I mean economics can be used in many different ways but I would never do it pure now.
How do you feel about being named a sex symbol?
Oooh I like it. It’s nice and flattering.
Is it true that you were offered a six figure sum to do a Playboy shoot?
Do you know what, my agent gets offered these things and I don’t really get told!
Is it something you would like to do?
Not necessarily Playboy. Maybe something classier.
You also presented When Beauty Goes Wrong. What was the worse case that you came across in the show?
This poor woman – and I didn’t know you could get this done - went to have her eyelashes curled before her wedding so she went to the beautician and something went wrong with it .They curled inwards back on themselves and she couldn’t open her eyes. Basically, she couldn’t open her eyes for the whole wedding, and they were all red and puffy. She was showing me the photos and I felt so sorry for her. She had to go to A&E on her wedding night, ruining her wedding. You would think eyelashes, are relatively unintrusive thing on ones life but it was a nightmare.
What did you learn from that show? Not to mess with your eyelashes?
Yeah, I learned not to curl my eyelashes! It was interesting actually because, you know if you walk on really high heels all your life, it toughens the tendons in your legs, and basically we met this expert, and apparently walking in really flat shoes is bad for you as well. The ideal height shoe to walk in is a one and a half inch heel because you’ve got arches in your foot and naturally you need to have a bit of bounce in your step.
Did you buy loads of one and a half inch heels after that?
You know what; they’re just not very in at the moment. Apparently wedges are alright, when I thought wedges would be lethal but the shock absorbs part of the step. We actually had to, as part of the show, go to this shopping centre with this doctor who was diagnosing everyone’s feet. I hate feet! They’re so horrible and I had to be there looking at peoples bunions and stuff. Not nice!
You’re currently promoting Nintendo’s SimAnimals. What encouraged you to get involved?
Even on Blue Peter, I played The Sims. I burnt the whole house down! And I’ve got Sims Castaway on the PS2 and I’ve just got a PS3. I didn’t know there was a Sims Animals until they told me and I think its done a lot of good things for young people because there’s so many games with death and destruction, and this ones about growing things and nurturing things, and you can have your own woodlands. You have to feed the animals, grow trees and pro-create. It’s very beautiful and all about free love. I think lots of little girls will like it, but also anyone who’s an animal lover, kids that might be interested in the environment, or someone who wants to become a botanist. It’s quite a relaxing game in a way because it looks so idyllic and there are lovely lakes and trees and butterflies fluttering about and flowers and acorns which you shake off the trees and squirrels come. It makes me feel like Snow White!
You played it for a while then?
Yeah I did. But you know what’s also good as well; it teaches you about different plants and wildlife and what feeds off what and where they are in the food chain A lot of kids that grow up in cities and they don’t get a chance to get out in open air and run through the meadows!