GREAT-grandmother Anne Birchenough got the shock of her life when her shopping trip with her daughter to Preston turned her into a TV celebrity!
The 'Girls Who Shop' - Susannah Constantine and Trinny Woodall - intercepted Anne, 80, and her daughter Joan Maudsley while they had a drink in a cafe and took them on a whirlwind tour of the shops to find the perfect outfit for Anne's trip to Jersey.
And viewers to ITV saw the Help The Aged volunteer from Burnley make her TV debut on the half-hour programme. Anne said: "I had seen the programme before so when they came up to me and said they were the girls who shop I knew all about it. "I had a smashing day but I don't think I would like to be a TV presenter because it is too much hard work and the hours are too long. They were filming from 10am to 5pm and had to retake some shots."
The programme contacted the charity to find a pensioner to help with their shopping and manager at the Yorkshire Street shop Jenny Sutton suggested Anne who is the oldest volunteer.
Anne said: "I missed the broadcast on Friday because I was on my holiday, but I saw it on Sunday and said to my daughter I would have washed my hair if I had known I was going to be on TV!"
Sprightly Anne added: "I think someone made a mistake with my birth certificate because I certainly don't feel 80!"
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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