Watch Cherry blossom

WHEN she returns to our screens tonight, Inside The Factory’s Cherry Healey has a face full of needles. We’re talking maybe a dozen or more. This would be somewhat disconcerting if Inside The Factory were the programme she was actually presenting. I’d imagine the factory folk would point at her and mutter. Fortunately, it isn’t.

The programme Cherry’s presenting this evening is her other television series, TENYEARS YOUNGER IN TEN DAYS (C5, 8pm), the long-running and really rather moving makeover show which is back for a new run.And now that I’ve told you this, you can probably guess what these particular needles are doing to Cherry’s face, can’t you?

Yes, exactly. They’re hurting it. Just kidding. Acupuncture, in case we need reminding, is “a traditional Chinese medicine that’s believed to help alleviate pain and trauma and can also help soften wrinkles.” Cherry doesn’t really look as though she needs any of that, but there’s a lady on a couch a few feet away who’s having some as part of the rejuvenation programme the show has kindly laid on for her.

So maybe Cherry gets hers chucked in as a freebie.

In a street poll, prison officer Adeline has had her age estimated at 49. Since she’s only 45, this hasn’t done a lot to boost her self-esteem.

And Adeline, who seems lovely, could very much do with that boosting, having rather lost touch with who she is. Hence she’s quite happy to put her faith in the programme’s experts.

The person who puts the needles in her face (Cherry reminds us always to “see a trained practitioner” if we’re thinking of having this done, I guess as opposed to some bloke in the pub who says he’ll do it if you buy him a pint) also puts some tubes up Adeline’s nose. This is to give her “a hit of activated oxygen”.

Again, I’d imagine we need to be careful here, in case some charlatan tries to fob us off with the inactivated kind.You can’t be too careful, can you?

Before that, THE GADGET SHOW (C5, 7pm) starts its new run by asking if we really need to pick the big-name brands when buying a new television. It’s a good question, because alongside your Sonys, your LGs, your JVCs, your Toshibas, your Panasonics etc, most electrical stores offer tellies with similar spec made by firms I’ve never heard of, often at a fraction of the price.

Personally, I think you get what you pay for.

So if you want my advice, you can’t beat the Samsung Series 5. I’ve whiled away many a happy evening in front of mine.

Yes, OK, so it’s a washing machine. But it beats watching BBC3 most nights of the week.