FIONA Bruce didn’t have time to be nervous about taking over as host of The Antiques Roadshow.
The BBC News at Ten presenter had just filmed her 12th Roadshow when I spoke to her earlier this month.
“It’s like travel with a sense of anticipation, of arriving, and having a good time when I get there,” she told me.
The new BBC1 series starts on Sunday September 7 and contains plenty of surprises.
Show one features Fiona at Bolton Abbey in North Yorkshire, which was actually the sixth programme she filmed.
Having taken over from Michael Aspel, her first Roadshow was at Chester Cathedral and will be seen later in the run.

YOU can never accuse Robson Green of holding back on his views.
Or of worrying about causing possible offence.
The church came in for a bit of a blasting at the launch of a new series of Wire In The Blood.
It came after Robson was asked if he’d learned things about reading human nature from playing clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill.
“Why religious people are like they are,” he told us.
“Church, it’s obvious. It’s controlling. Religion is about control.
“You go into a church and the first thing you see is a man on a cross.

LAST Choir Standing judge Suzi Digby summed it up.
“I wish the people at home could have been sitting where I’m sitting, because I can feel the electricity. It’s unbelievable.”
As luck would have it, I was sat just a few feet behind Suzi in Studio 1 at BBC Television Centre in London on Saturday night.
Watching the show on TV at home gives you some idea of just how special ACM Gospel Choir are.
But hearing them in the studio is something else entirely.
Salford’s Russell Watson’s verdict on their version of Stand By Me?
“ACM – or Absolute Choral Magic.”
While third judge Sharon D Clarke was – again – in tears.
The students from The Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford and musical director Mark De Lisser were almost in a different class on Saturday.

SIMON Cowell doesn’t change.
He still walks into the room, shakes your hand and asks if you’d like a drink.
Despite the multi-millions and enough global fame to turn anyone’s head, Simon hasn’t forgotten good old fashioned English politeness.
At least off screen.
The launch of The X Factor 2008 had plenty of highlights.
Around 150 journalists plus camera crews crowded into a screening room to watch the first episode – on ITV1 at 7.30pm tomorrow night.
That was followed by the usual general Q&A with all four judges.
And then small round table interviews.
Mine began with Simon paired with Cheryl Cole, then presenters Dermot O’Leary and Holly Willoughby and finally Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue.

HARRY Potter star Geraldine Somerville says her children have yet to see her in the films.
The actress makes brief flashback appearances as Harry’s murdered mum Lily Potter.
But her oldest child – son Caspar, aged six – is banned from watching.
“It’s still a bit scary,” she explains.
I met up with Geraldine recently at the launch of new ITV1 thriller The Children, which co-stars Kevin Whately.
Due on screen next month, it’s a disturbing three-part drama about step families and our messy modern lives.
She plays Sue (pictured), the mother of an eight-year-old girl found dead on the patio of her home.

HAD your summer holiday yet? No, me neither.
Once a year I receive a reminder that time for that break in the sun is running out.
It’s the invite to the launch of a new series of The X Factor.
I’ll be going along to that later this week, ahead of the first ITV1 show on Saturday night.
Yes, that’s Saturday August 16, with the fifth series finishing – as usual – at Christmas.
Don’t ever accuse ITV of not squeezing the last drop out of their hit shows.
Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue and new girl Cheryl Cole are due to attend this week’s launch.
But they’ve already been talking about the new series.

YOU can hear the critics sharpening their keyboards for Lost In Austen.
Modern day bank worker Amanda Price is obsessed with Pride and Prejudice.
Then one night she discovers Elizabeth Bennet standing in her bathroom.
And suddenly finds herself back in time in the world of the book.
Before you mention it, the cast claim comparisons with Life On Mars are wide of the mark.
I saw episode one of the new four-part ITV1 drama yesterday.
It includes a scene where Amanda, played by Jemima Rooper, sings Petula Clark’s Downtown to Mr Darcy and co.

JAMES Benamor pretended to be filming a TV documentary in Moss Side about voluntary youth workers.
But he’s really a multi-millionaire said to be worth £77m.
The hard-nosed tycoon thought taking part in Channel 4’s The Secret Millionaire would be just like any other business deal.
Identify the projects worthy of his cash and then hand it over.
Except it proved a lot more emotional than that.
“I’ve always wanted to be the best at whatever I do,” he says.
“But this experience has softened me a little bit.
“I realise that you can be the best at making a difference in one person’s life.
“And that’s really special.”

CELEBRITY meltdown is big business.
“Her heartbreak turned into everyone’s entertainment,” says one contributor to tonight’s Channel 4 film Saving Britney Spears.
It’s a documentary by Manchester-raised TV director Bruce Fletcher, who witnessed the Britney breakdown economy at first hand.
I spoke to Bruce recently about his road trip across America and the characters he met along the way.
They include Sheeraz Hasan, the founder of Hollywood.tv.
And Kristi, who runs the Poor Britney blog.
“Her enthusiasm for tragedy was infectious,” Bruce comments during his film.
You can read Kristi’s take on the documentary here.

HEARTBEAT fans won’t need to be told just how badly the drama has been messed about by ITV schedulers.
So here’s a photo of former Coronation Street star Nikki Sanderson wondering just when her first Aidensfield appearance will be screened.
It was taken back in January, with new regular character Dawn Bellamy finally making her Heartbeat debut this Sunday.
I spoke to Nikki – best known as Corrie hairdresser Candice Stowe – earlier this week.
She told me how she has now filmed the last eight episodes of series 17, as well as the first five of series 18.
The online version of today’s MEN TV feature is here.
Co-star Gwen Taylor has already voiced concerns about the sporadic scheduling of series 17.