Duchess seeks UK health advice role

10:04am Wednesday 14th May 2008

The Duchess of York has said she wants to return to Britain as a campaigner for healthy eating after spending 12 years living mostly in the United States.

Sarah Ferguson hopes to launch a UK media career with an appearance in a new TV documentary where she gives advice on battling obesity to a family living on benefits in Hull.

She plans to use her experiences to discuss tackling Britain's looming public health crisis with Government ministers.

The ITV1 programme, called Duchess in Hull, follows her from her apartment overlooking New York's Central Park to the deprived council estate where the Sargerson family lives.

The Duchess, who has battled with her own weight, helps them cut back on smoking, start exercising and budget to feed six people healthily on £80 a week.

She revealed she has sub-let her US flat because she plans to spend "more and more" time at her home in Egham, Surrey.

Asked at a press screening of the documentary whether she planned to make more British TV programmes, she said: "I would love to follow up my word.

"My word has been to come back to Britain to support Britain's youth, to help them in the future with education. That's why I went to learn with the Sargerson family myself so I could be well-educated about what it's like and what life is like.

"I would love to do more work in this country to just share some of the knowledge that I have gleaned over the last 15 years - how I'm still standing really, and what do I do with my health and fitness regime.

"Not just that but how do I stand up in front of millions of people and talk about what it's like to go through the adversity of life and be smiling and be happy. I would love to share that, and if I can I would love to do it - and perhaps also support Britain. I love Britain."

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