A quickie with...

How does it feel to be back for a second series?

It’s great to be back in Birmingham! It’s incredible to see how much the first series resonated with jewellers, and how many were inspired by it. Showing the beautiful work and talent of this season’s contestants is going to be a thrill.

Did you do anything differently with the contestants this series?

I saw some comments, saying I shouldn’t joke around so much when the jewellers are trying to complete a serious assignment – so I just did more of that, really.

Are there any funny or dramatic moments?

It was amazing to have Shirley Ballas as a celebrity guest client. It was a very tense challenge for the jewellers, who were all desperate to have their piece worn on an episode of Strictly. There are some real gut-wrenching moments this series, too, where pieces break at the last minute or just that the jewellers just don’t finish in time. You spend so much time with them you want everyone to do well and when it goes wrong it’s awful. But it does make great TV.

Has the series changed how you shop for jewellery?

I borrow a lot of jewellery and own very little, but All That Glitters has inspired me to investigate more local artists and invest in their work. It’s so easy to forget the hours of work that go in to designing and making a piece, but seeing it being crafted in front of you really brings it home. I love rings and brooches.