TWO Wirral mums will feature in the next episode of a programme hosted by broadcasting legend Jeremy Paxman.

Julie Lloyd, 58 and Sally Green are part of a group called the Mersey mermaids, who swim regularly at Queens Dock and Liverpool Watersport Centre and will show off their swimming abilities of Rivers which will be shown on Channel Four this Sunday at 8pm.

The episode will also look into how the River Mersey helped create modern industry and how it has recovered from pollution, scales its tallest bridge and goes trout fishing.

Julie and Sally swim together every week in open water and have been part of the Mersey Mermaids for more than two years.

A retired community nurse Julie from Wallasey told the Globe: “I have been swimming since I was a little girl.

“Jeremy is nothing like you see on the television – after the swim we always have some cake, we offered him some and he said to me ‘you might just be my perfect woman’.

“He also said to me ‘you look old enough to know better’ swimming in open water and tackling the assault course at the centre.

“Sally was very supportive of me while I was training to swim an ‘Ice Mile’. This is swimming a mile in water that is less than 5 degrees in just costume, hat and goggles.

“I successfully completed this swim in February just outside Glasgow, it was ratified by the International Ice Swimming Association and I am now Ice Miler No:208. I think I am the first person and woman to do this from the Wirral.

“We just love swimming. The feeling you get from it – we call it endolphines instead of endorphins. We’ll swim out in open water but always have someone there watching in case any of us get into difficulty.

“I have no idea what is going to be shown of what they filmed last year so it will be quite exciting to see. I know they got a lot of great footage and they seemed thrilled to be there with us. It was a great experience as we were just ourselves.

“Later this year I will be swimming 10km - the length of Loch Earn in Scotland for the British Heart Foundation as my husband had coronary heart disease and had to have treatment. I’m so thankful to the charity and for all the work that they do.”