Ant and Dec, Claudia Winkleman, Bradley Walsh and Dermot O’Leary are just some of the big names in entertainment who present some of the nation’s most loved shows.
But when it comes to behind the scenes, there is one key role that is responsible for keeping live audiences entertained and getting into the spirit.
Speaking to online bingo provider Zingo Bingo, Gavin Inskip has lifted the lid on his experience working on some of the UK’s biggest television programmes as a warm-up presenter - including what new Strictly host Emma Willis is really like off-camera.
He discussed his first big breakthrough, his thoughts on The X Factor being cancelled and recalled when he accidentally read out Sue Barker’s name wrong on A Question Of Sport.
Speaking to Zingo Bingo warm-up presenter Gavin Inskip said:
How did you get into the role of being a warm-up presenter?
I started out in radio when I was 16. I always wanted to work in telly. I worked on Channel 5 and then became a continuity announcer. I then did radio at the weekends for Capital, and also started doing stand-up comedy. I had a background in TV production as well and someone one day just saw everything [I’d done] and suggested to me, ‘You could do warm up presenting.’ It’s such a specialised job and it uses lots of different skills.
When was your big breakthrough?
It probably might have been Big Brother for Channel 5 when I started doing it seriously. I've done some odd TV shows before that.
What does a warm-up artist actually do behind the scenes?
You've got two shows happening at once. The show that people are watching at home, and then you've got the show that the audience is there to watch. My sole focus is looking after the audience, as the presenters keep everyone else at home entertained.
To get people warmed up, we’ve used audio tracks where we do little dance offs, and we play some little games, little short bursts of music and things like that. There's definitely an energy that you pick up on and analyse. I always ask myself, ‘Are they up there or are they down?’ If they get too loud, we just politely tell them off during the ad breaks.
Which shows have you worked on over the years?
I’ve worked on The X Factor, Piers Morgan's Life Stories, Deal or No Deal, Love Island After Sun, The Great British Bake Off: The Extra Slice, and Loose Women. I’ve also filled in as a replacement warm up presenter on Strictly Come Dancing.
Strictly is really, really big, and the team who work on it are amazing, and you just sort of slot into this massive moving train where everyone knows what they're doing. It’s so seamless and it's a privilege to be part of that.
What was it like working with Dermot O’Leary on The X Factor? Did you speak to him?
He's a really nice guy, but obviously, what you have to realise is it's not a social club to hang out in - everyone's got their own particular jobs that you're doing at the time.
What is the most challenging part of being a warm-up presenter?
Some audiences are harder than others. Your job is to get them going, but the worst gigs have been ones where the audience has been sitting for hours and hours. That’s tough. You get the odd person falling asleep, which is no word of a lie.
What was it like working with Emma Willis on Big Brother?
Emma is amazing. She's really good, really easy to work with, absolutely amazing at her job, and knows everything. You stand there like watching her going out on stage and I am just in awe. I think she’ll be amazing on Strictly - look at her CV! The show is absolutely in great hands.
What are your thoughts on The X Factor being cancelled?
It's just a natural part of TV. These shows come and go, and you’ve got to have a break sometimes. So then in a few years, there is a need or want for it.
Is that a particular show that you would like to really work on?
I've not been [to see this show] for many years, but I've been in the audience a handful of times, and it's such a well made show and it goes by really quick, and that's The Graham Norton Show. I would love to do that one.
What’s the best TV show past or present you think has had the best audience?
I've been in the audience many times at Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. It is the best TV show you could go on and watch as an audience member. The warm up presenter at the time was absolutely brilliant. It is, without a doubt, the best live TV show of recent times that our country has ever done.
Have you ever experienced any blunders or mishaps?
I felt really bad once when I was on A Question of Sport. Before I went on stage, we’d been talking about the very lovely Matt Baker. I then introduced Sue Barker to the audience as Sue Baker, just because I had it in my head. I felt awful. It's just that thing where your brain isn’t really thinking. It’s not about you, there’s a lot of stuff going on around you. I’m wondering when we are ready to record, and what the floor manager is doing.
