5 minutes of fame and my best mate Vanessa Feltz!

Normally I'm so safe... so careful and unadventurous! I decided that I needed to do something out of my comfort zone.

So what happened...?

Yesterday I found myself in my usual spot at my desk in my studio, at the computer working. Radio on, listening to BBC London Vanessa Feltz... always a great show.

She does a topical phone in radio programme and this morning was talking about Joanna Lumley letting foxes into her house - there was a newspaper article about it and apparently she feeds them and lets them sit on her sofas in the house. Well... my ears pricked up because we had a fox that came into our house in the middle of the night and went into my daughter's bedroom (she was 3 at the time). It had come through our cat flap that had been temporarily broken by our enormous cat called Badger (sadly gone now!). It had gone up the stairs and into my girly's room and that's when it woke me and I found it coming towards me on the landing. It was the smell that struck me - you really would not want one in your house! Luckily my daughter hadn't been harmed and the fox had 'only' wee-ed on her carpet - but it had been all over the house and left clumps of fur where it had been and it's unmistakable stink!

So - I decided to ring in to tell my story - they wouldn't pick me I was sure. I got through to a researcher who asked me what I had to say and after a very brief chat cut me off quickly saying that they might call me back. Ten minutes later the phone rang - someone said 'putting you through to Vanessa' and I could hear her talking to a fox expert! Oh no! What had I done? What was I doing??! My heart started to race and my breathing started to go out of control... My mind went blank!

I then heard Vanessa say ' We're going to a quick trail then we have Hayley from Aldershot'. No I'm not... I'm not from Aldershot!! I'm from Fleet - lived here my whole life! What I should have done was just ignored it and told my story - but I decided to put her straight. Nooooo! You can't tell Vanessa off! But I did. Anyway - location sorted, I told my story. I was the first caller on the fox subject and was on for what seemed like ages. What happened was I went into automatic mode - I had my best telephone voice, pronunciation and diction perfect! Well you have to talking to the mighty V! I chatted - said some ridiculous things about Joanna Lumley, air freshener and pongs... It was like I was listening to someone else talking! ....and then it was all over! I started to laugh... and to chuckle... and haven't really stopped!

I've since listened to my 5 minutes of fame... Oh my - I sounded dead posh! I didn't sound as nervous as I was - I cringed several times - what was I saying!! But it was OK.

This was so out of character and so far out of my comfort zone - but do you know, it's done me good. It's made me think I can do anything - we all can. I may become an adrenaline junkie - I may jump out of a plane next - or maybe I'll just make a cup of tea and stop scaring myself half to death!

This has been Hayley - for the Vanessa show - BBC Radio London!