A man who owns a cleaning business has got himself a surprise lockdown break as a TV presenter on a Channel 5 show.

Richard Pearson, 44, owner of Poppies cleaning service in Lower Heswell, was offered the role as co-presenter in the new series of Filthy House SOS.

Mr Pearson was contacted in July by TV production company Gobstopper, who were looking for a new presenter with experience in cleaning and decluttering for the show.

Wirral Globe: Richard outside his Poppies shop in Lower HeswallRichard outside his Poppies shop in Lower Heswall

He said: “I thought it was a bit of a prank. I thought it was one of my friends winding me up!”

Mr Pearson was told he would be perfect for the show and was told the initial dates he needed to be available for.

He said: “I realised the first day of filming clashed with the first day of my family holiday in Cornwall.”

“I called my wife who also thought it was a joke but when I told her it was true we decided to cancel our family holiday so I could make the filming dates.”

Mr Pearson then went through a series of zoom auditions before meeting his co-host, Brennan.

He said: “I was first contacted on the Monday and then by the Wednesday I had landed myself a job as a TV presenter!”

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Mr Pearson has been up and down the country over the last few months filming the new series which sees him and his co-presenter, Brennan, tackle some of Britain’s dirtiest homes.

He said: “The first day was really nerve-wracking being on set but by the end of the first day I had gotten into the swing of things and started to forget about the cameras.”

The show aims to help residents who are struggling to keep their houses clean and tidy by decluttering their homes over a three-day period.

Mr Pearson has owned his cleaning business for 10 years and has a wealth of experience in domestic and commercial cleaning which he has been able to use to help those on the show to help turn around their homes and their lives.

He added: “This has been a fantastic opportunity for me and I feel very lucky to do something I love while helping improve people’s quality of life.

“Being on filthy house has been brilliant and I hope those watching enjoy the show. It’s been a difficult year for everyone, I know I’ve felt it especially business-wise, so to get this opportunity out of the blue was amazing!”

The new series is currently being shown on channel 5star on Mondays at 9pm.

If you would like to hear know about the show and learn about Mr Pearson’s favourite cleaning tips both on and off the show, then follow his Instagram account: @richardnpearson