Former Nickelodeon UK Presenter Simon Amstell Talks To 'The Guardian'

The official website of the British national daily newspaper 'The Guardian', Guardian.co.uk, has posted an interview they conducted with former Nickelodeon UK Presenter Simon Amstell, where he briefly talks about his time presenting Nickelodeon UK in the late 1990's/early 2000's:

Ever since he was 13, Amstell had wanted to go into telly. He grew up in Essex, his father ran a courier and minicab firm, and his mum dreamed of singing. As a teenager, he and his brother turned a spare room into a DIY studio where they'd make their own shows and act out being professionals. "I loved The Big Breakfast. I loved seeing floor managers and clipboards and earpieces; when I got my first job, it was such a thrill to be wearing a microphone and have an earpiece!"

In 1993 he made his first TV appearance, as a contestant on the C4 gameshow GamesMaster; he popped up again in his early teens doing a Dame Edna impression on Good Morning With Anne And Nick, and as a budding magician on Family Catchphrase. By 18, he was presenting on children's TV station Nickelodeon – from which he has said he was sacked for being "sarcastic and mean to children" – and by the age of 21 Amstell had established himself as the irreverent interviewer on Popworld. "The way to do it was to be the opposite of whatever the pop shows were at the time. Pop shows were bland, and I did not want Popworld to be another bland pop show."

You can read the full interview, which also talks about Simon Amstell's upcoming 2012 tour, here on the official 'The Guardian' website, although parental guidance is recommended as the full article contains language which may offend throughout.