WHAT KONNIE DID NEXT

Former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq tells Ella Dove why she’s ready to take on new challenges, far and wide

Konnie Huq opens up about the challenges that await her

Within five minutes of sitting down with Konnie Huq at a rooftop bar in central London, a waitress has politely asked us to quieten down. ‘Whoops, sorry,’ Huq replies, a warm wide smile on her face. ‘I get a bit overexcited.’ She’s animated, yet gracious, and her enthusiasm is infectious. It’s easy to see why she became Blue Peter’s longest-serving female presenter, with hundreds of thousands of families across the country tuning in each afternoon to watch her do everything from appear as a Bollywood extra to achieve a world record for pinning 17 Blue Peter badges to a co-presenter in 60 seconds.

Her passion for presenting began at an early age; at just 17, she interviewed Labour MP Neil Kinnock ahead of the 1992 general election, before going on to present shows on CBBC and ITV while also completing a degree in economics at the University of Cambridge. Her iconic 10-year Blue Peter stint began shortly after; believe it or not, she was just 22.

And yet while Blue Peter catapulted her into the limelight, it would seem that in recent years she’s been happier avoiding the attention. ‘Definitely,’ she agrees. ‘To be honest, it feels like I’ve mostly been mumming since then.’ Translation: living a quiet suburban life in Ealing, where she grew up, with her husband, screenwriter and Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker, and their boys, Covey, seven, and Huxley, five. ‘I didn’t have a clue what was going on in the world,’ she laughs. ‘But then in September, my youngest started school, and I feel like I’ve come out of this bubble. I almost feel like I’ve been on ice.’

There’s another reason Huq has shied away from media attention in recent years. She’s been working on something close to her heart: a semi-autobiographical children’s book series centring on the life and adventures of a young girl from a Bangladeshi family, who loves science and often feels she doesn’t quite fit in. ‘As the small brown girl in the big white suburb, I felt like that growing up,’ she admits. ‘Ealing wasn’t the melting pot it is today. My mum and dad were a bit older than everyone else’s cool, funky parents. My mum wore a sari and they ate with their hands; no one else’s parents did that. The Cookie books aim to embrace diversity, while also being a nice fun romp. I think the best way to educate kids is through entertainment.’

Has writing been hard to juggle with the demands of two young children? ‘I quite like spinning loads of plates,’ she says, ‘apart from when they all drop. It’s so hard to be a mum and not feel like you’re being shit at everything sometimes.’

A shrug is followed by a smile. After all, she says, she always knew she wanted kids. ‘I’ve always had that affinity with them.’ But for Brooker, it was a different story. Last year, he told Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs that he’d been worried about feeling ‘nothing’, being that dad who didn’t emotionally connect with his babies. ‘I think it’s because that hadn’t been his world at all before, so it wasn’t on his radar,’ says Huq. ‘Which is funny, because he’s so kid-friendly now. He has this persona of being scary, but he’s a real softie.’

They’re often seen as the ‘yin and yang’ couple – the eternal satirist versus the fresh-faced kids’ TV presenter, something Huq doesn’t deny. ‘I was doing The Xtra Factor when we met, while he was doing a show that effectively took the mick out of that [reality TV] stuff, so it was a bit of a mismatch,’ she admits. But it works, she tells me. After all, the pair are celebrating a decade of marriage next year. They’ve even proved their mettle as a couple at work. In 2011, they co-wrote Fifteen Million Merits, the Black Mirror episode centred on a TV singing competition, an experience Huq describes as both ‘brilliant’ and ‘surreal’.

It’s clear she is a skilled multitasker. ‘I must have a low concentration threshold because I like to do lots of different things,’ she says. As well as presenting, writing and ‘mumming’, she also loves a bit of campaigning. She’s passionate about combating climate change and has been vocal in her support of her elder sister, Rupa, who is a Labour MP for the Ealing Central and Acton constituency. She even helped with leafleting.

Would she ever consider going into politics herself? ‘Before, I didn’t get it,’ she laughs. ‘I was like, “Ugh, why would anyone want to do that?” But, actually, I got quite into the leafleting. What I like is the camaraderie

– you’ve all got this like-minded thing and you’re working for a cause. It’s quite addictive, quite a buzz.’

Huq isn’t afraid to voice her opinions – something she got in trouble for during her Blue Peter days when she was reprimanded for attending a rally organised by former mayor of London and Labour MP Ken Livingstone. ‘It wasn’t even a political rally,’ she exclaims. ‘It was an event to promote cycling!’ I look around, hoping the waitress won’t tell us off again. Not that Huq minds. There is a definite streak of rebellion beneath her wholesome kids’ TV smile; perhaps the same streak that led to her doing an FHM cover back in 2009. At the time, she said she was ‘kind of coaxed into it’, adding, ‘It should be possible to be sexy yet taken seriously.’

‘The thing about working for the BBC is you have to be impartial,’ she explains. ‘People jumped on that cycling thing – me and the Beeb were easy targets. But after it happened, I did sort of try to keep away from all that.’

And now? ‘Well, I’m older,’ she smiles. ‘I have kids. I feel things more acutely. When you’re younger, your priorities are different. I wanted to look trendy and to find a husband or whatever. Now, I want to save the planet and I do think we’re better in Europe, and I want to make the world a better place. I can’t help myself because I feel so strongly about it. I believe we all have a responsibility to do what we can. Helping other people is what leads to happiness, and that’s all we can want in life. Stronger together, I think! Am I wrong?’

I shake my head, somewhat meekly. Even if I did disagree (I don’t), it would be hard to contradict her. Eloquent and outspoken, personable with a touch of fierceness – I, for one, certainly wouldn’t want to stand against her in an election. ‘I could actually imagine myself doing it!’ she exclaims.

From Blue Peter to Brexit – you heard it here first…

‘I QUITE LIKE SPINNING LOADS OF PLATES’