Haslingden woman hired by Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch

24-year-old Chloé Fuller, and her support dogs Ted and Cinna, have been making sporadic appearances on the show since last September.

Chloé has now revealed that she is a permanent cast member and will make an appearance on the show as a 'pet expert' every two weeks until the series ends this summer.

• READ MORE: Disabled woman who taught dogs to do housework speaking at festival

She said:  “My eyes filled with tears when my producer pulled me to the side after a segment that I had done, asking me to fill a permanent slot.

“It’s so exciting. I am there as a ‘pet expert’ and weigh in on topics that are animal related.

“I don’t know why they have picked me but it’s an absolute honour.

“My dogs love having the limelight. The crew are always excited to see them.”

In the past Chloé has covered a range of topics from ear cropping in dogs to helping your elderly cat around the house.

Chloé suffers from a genetic connective tissue disease called Ehlers Danlos syndrome, dysautonomia which affects her heart, as well as intestinal dysmotility.

She was diagnosed with these conditions at various stages through her teenage years, and they impact her physical mobility and health.

Chloé said she is so grateful to have been chosen to present the segment as she was selected for her pet knowledge and not her disability.

She said: “What is really lovely is that I am not there because of my disability. I am there to talk about animals, not my disability.

“When you are disabled you are shoved into a box and it almost becomes your identity. I am so much more than my disability and now I get to talk about what I love.”

Chloé always wanted to have a career in television but thought her disability would hold her back.

She said: “When I became disabled I felt like I would never achieve anything again and that I would have to say goodbye to my dreams.

“I never saw anybody like myself on TV and I assumed that was because we weren’t wanted on TV.

“The message that sends to kids with disabilities is really powerful. It shows them that they can have a disability but they can still do the things they want to do.”

Chloé, who is a wheelchair user and has a feeding tube, says she often receives messages from parents who tell her how nice it is to see someone like their disabled child on TV.

She said: “To be able to represent, not only a wheel chair use but also someone with a feeding tube, is really important.

CChloé Fuller with her support dogs Cinna and Ted (Image: Chloé Fuller)

“I get so many messages from parents who have children with feeding tubes. They talk about how their little one saw me on the show, not seeming to care about my tube, which made their kids feel much better and confident about their own.

“The fact I can have this kind of impact is phenomenal.”

Chloe hopes her time at Steph’s Packed Lunch is just the beginning of her career.

She said: “I really hope this can open some more doors for me in my career. My dream is to present Crufts, an international dog show, and to be a TV presenter talking about a range of topics.

“I feel so lucky and privileged.”