The New Oprah

I'm going to let you into a little secret. I have a new project. I'm to be the new Oprah! Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating just a little. Actually even that's an exaggeration. The only thing Oprah and I have in common is we both have H, A and R in our names, although not necessarily in the same order.

The truth of the matter is I'm working on a program that maybe aired on our local TV station, NCTV. Another exaggeration. It will be aired but they have to approve a few episodes first so technically they may hate it. But they won't.

I've been working on this since last September. The only reason I'm mentioning it now is because we're going to begin filming within the next few weeks.

So, I hear you ask, what's it all about? Thanks for asking.

It's called The Ladies Room. Overall myself and any other local women I can find will be examining the topic "can Naperville women have it all?" To do this I'll be focusing on different topics that the average woman thinks is necessary to complete her life.

Now reading this back it actually looks pretty boring, but it won't be. First of all in the world of local TV I have overall control, as long as we don't talk about anything you'd actually want to hear about, like sex and wife swapping. (Still working on that).

Fortunately I do have an ace producer to keep me under control, who unlike myself, knows exactly what he's doing.

I believe the show will be good for Naperville women, because they deserve their own TV show, by which I do not mean some reality claptrap. It'll be good for my six fans, in which I include my dog, because they'll be able to watch me on TV and on the internet around the world.

The Ladies Room should allow me to present much of what I've done over the past four years in a new medium. (Or extra large). I aim to be a sounding block for local women, presenting their stories in a caring and gentle way.

But most of all it will give me the chance to be bloody hilarious, totally self deprecating and a fine example of British eccentrity at it's best.

Please 'like' The Ladies Room Naperville' on facebook so you can keep up with what's happening. The show will be interactive, so I need viewers to post and communicate on there.

Finally an insight into why I am doing this.

In January I will no longer have the right to work in this country. My new project is actually extremely hard work - a full time job in fact. But it is a voluntary position. Not one person on the show gets paid. To the contrary I've already invested quite a good proportion of my pitifully low salary on it.

I could sit in a heap and cry about how terrible life is, how I can live in the U.S. but not work. I could spend my day baking and alas eating cookies. I could, and probably will, volunteer all over town. Since I've been here, I've let my work define me. So just because I will not 'technically' be working, I'm not going to let it stop me from achieving my dreams.

I quite fancy being a TV star, so I'm going to be. It won't be paid, no one will watch it, it won't make me famous. But it will be a service to the women of Naperville and by golly am I going to have fun with it!