AS Channel Four's international Wife Swap programme hit our screens on Tuesday evening, star of the programme Elissa Baker said she stayed true to herself.

The 40-year-old toastmaster and bank worker said she didn't put on an act for the cameras and saw the whole experience as an adventure.

And, totally happy with her busy lifestyle, the mother-of-two has made little change to her routine.

Elissa had to swap places with Tanya from Melbourne, Australia and live with her husband and six children for two weeks.

For the first week the wives must abide by the others rules yet in the second week they can enforce their own influence on the family.

Elissa, who works for Halifax bank in the Longfield Centre, Prestwich juggles a busy career with motherhood and her part time job as a toastmaster.

Husband Steven gets daughter Natasha and Isabella ready in the morning and does the household ironing at night while Elissa heads off to the gym.

Elissa's lifestyle came under fire from Aussie Tanya who accused her of neglecting her family but Elissa hit back and said: "What they didn't portray was that I arrange my working week so I can be there for the children in the morning and I pick them up in the afternoon from school.

"They have friends round and an active social life and Steven always gets a hot dinner when he finishes work. I only go to the gym when the girls have gone to bed."

Elissa was even criticised by Steven, who seemed to agree with Tanya about his wife's behaviour, calling her "selfish and judgmental".

Elissa said: "It was a bit of a shock for my husband to criticise me on national television but most men married to career women would agree that they wanted their wives at home more. I am actually around more than most people and the programme did not show the full picture."

Elissa said that since the show she had received a positive and supportive response from her friends.