From GMTV’s sofa - credit crunch star Martin Lewis

Breakfast TV and the British consumer have a new hero, says Antonia Quirke, and you can find him at the Christmas cash clinic

FIRST POSTED DECEMBER 12, 2008

So, I was watching Lorraine Kelly interviewing Keanu Reeves on GMTV (can that actor's face get any purer? Like a palimpsest, forever wiping itself clean) when the channel's money expert Martin Lewis came on to talk about Woolworths and I knew I was in the presence of a bone fide TV star.

Have you heard of this guy? He's the one who insisted we should refuse to pay bank charges, and even posted a super-useful template letter on the internet detailing precisely how to demand your money back from the thieving bastards. Anyway, whoever thought of putting Lewis on the television was having a good day, because he is genius breakfast TV casting: possibly lightly gay, irreverent without ever dropping his manners, not remotely nervous.

Here's a typical Martin exchange:

Presenter Ben Shephard on the sofa some time in November: "Money is high on the agenda at the moment. Martin is here and he says we need to start guarding against the Evaporating Equity Trap. What does it all mean? What does it all mean?"

He delivered his bad news so tactfully, like the good teacher on the doorstep

He turns to Martin, who is sitting looking serious in a purple striped shirt, the kind of shirt a person could wear on both a date and an employee evaluation after a good year.

"Evaporating equity is happening to millions of people across the country without them realising it," says Martin, firmly. "I guarantee that the equity you thought you had in your home is no longer there." His face then softens to an expression of intense sympathy. "I now need to explain to you before I go on, about the Loan to Value Ratio."

Turning his body micromentally towards camera he socks it to us: "If you have an 80 percent mortgage I'm afraid you now need to ... low LVR ... in the 94th percentile..." (look I can't remember the words exactly but you get the drift) "... and you must understand the next element of this because this is only bash number one and I'm afraid this is bash number two..." The point being, he delivered his bad news so tactfully, like the good teacher on the doorstep telling you the kid has talent but really must stop peeing on the floor.

Martin Lewis: possibly lightly gay, irreverent without ever dropping his manners, not remotely nervous.

And I've noticed that ever since he's been on the channel the other presenters have been infected with his good sense. Last week Fiona Phillips picked up a Christmas catalogue and flicked through it, stopping on a page and saying: "Look, there's a tree for seventy quid here, comes in a pizza box. All you need to do is open it and shake it down!" She obviously really dug this tree, and was about to start rhapsodising, but suddenly stopped herself and said "...But we are having a frugal Christmas..." and looked a little regretful - then spotted Martin and straightened her back with a new purpose.

She was surrounded by bits of tinsel at the time, and the set looked like it was about to fall down in that nice spit-and-sawdust way of GMTV, as though the whole show is in fact broadcast out of Sainsbury's Homebase. She was also wearing an entire lipgloss. Mind you, so was Martin.

(I used to have a slot on GMTV years ago talking about movies, and let me tell you, the people who make breakfast television run smoothly are the make-up artists. They are the portal through

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Martin Lewis is GOD to anyone in financial crisis - the guy gives excellent straightforward advice - and has an awesome website to help you every step of the way - Hurray for MSE - the rest of the gang are very helpful and understanding too - you are not the only one struggling, reap their experience http://www.moneysavingexpert.com

Posted by michellew at 11:07am on December 12, 2008