A tribute to the late Bill Turnbull will be played on Pet Classics on Guy Fawkes Night.
Charlotte Hawkins has taken over hosting the annual soothing music show on Classic FM from veteran broadcaster Turnbull who died in September aged 66.
Former BBC Breakfast host Turnbull last presented the show in 2019 when it was called Pet Sounds.
Hawkins, 47, temporarily took over in 2021 due to his health and will continue in the role.
The broadcaster died at his home in Suffolk after a “challenging and committed fight against prostate cancer”, his family said two months ago.
Speaking to PA news agency about taking over the show and Turnbull, Hawkins said: “He was just one of those people who was brilliant at (their) job.
“An amazing, excellent journalist, a brilliant presenter, but also (he) had a good sense of humour, had great jokes and (he lightened) the atmosphere at the same time.
“He was a generous person to work with, and just knew the industry inside out and I feel very lucky to (have worked) with him.”
She also said on Wednesday when people got in touch with the radio show last year, they told her the music had calmed down their tarantula, horses, dogs, cats, birds and donkeys.
Hawkins said: “The amazing thing was the weird and wonderful pets that people have and it seems to work on every kind of animal.
“Coming up to Guy Fawkes Night with all the fireworks, it can be a really stressful time.
“Lots of animals find it (a) really difficult, really anxious time. It’s a time when they get very stressed and it’s really visible to see in your pet.
“So it is a worrying time for a lot of owners wondering how to deal with that.”
Good Morning Britain presenter Hawkins told PA about the time her seven-year-old daughter Ella Rose came onto the ITV show to interview musician George Ezra.
She said: “She absolutely loves George Ezra.
“So I’d said to the producer: ‘Do you think he might sign a photo for her?’ Because she’s such a big fan.
“And, then they said: ‘Well (would she like) to ask him a question?’
“She was so excited about this. She wrote a whole list of questions for him.
“She absolutely loved it.”
She added that Ella Rose keeps asking her if Adele, Justin Bieber or a Spice Girl are on the show next so she can plan her next interviewee.
“I think she’ll have my job before I know it,” Hawkins said. “She doesn’t like early mornings, though.
“So that’s the thing that might save me.”
The former Strictly Come Dancing contestant, who went home third in 2017, also had a message to the current celebrities on the dating show.
Hawkins, who used to get up at 2.45am to present her early morning show and then do 10 hours of dance training, said: “It takes over your life for the amount of time that you’re on it.
“(You are) able to learn ballroom dancing at that level (so) you’ve really just got to embrace it, throw everything into it.
“You never know which week is going to be your last.”
Pet Classics will be on Friday and Saturday from 5pm to 9pm on Classic FM, available to listen to on 100-102 FM, Global Player and ClassicFM.com.
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