Jeff Brazier kicked off the Disney XD Challenge, a giant, interactive, inflatable assault course designed especially with boys (and girls) in mind, at the Westfield Shopping Centre this week.
We caught up with him to talk about the new campaign, how he keeps his kids active and jobs that he has in the pipeline.
- You have teamed up with Disney for the Disney XD Challenge so can you tell me what it's all about?
Disney XD challenge is an inflatable, interactive obstacle course with seven zones which each bring to life a different show our children know and love on Disney XD.
Kids feel they’re a part of their favourite characters’ worlds as they knock down barriers, squeeze past columns, slip down slides, scale walls and crawl through tunnels in a race against their friends to complete the course in the fastest time.
- The challenge is going to be touring the country so how and where can people get involved?
The Disney XD challenge will be touring the country throughout the summer holidays. There’s loads of information on the website at disneyxd.co.uk/xdchallenge.
All parents need to find a variety of fun things for the kids to do in the summer holidays and this is a fantastic family activity that costs absolutely nothing.
- Have you tried the challenge yourself?
Yes! I got to try out the challenge and I really enjoyed it! It took me back to my childhood when I was small enough to fit in the soft play zones. At one stage I was even doing somersaults when there was no need to - but that was just the big kid in me coming out.
- So how and why did you get involved with the campaign?
I’ve got two young boys with more energy than they know what to do with and they’re both off school so I need to find things for them to do while I’m working.
But this was one job I certainly didn’t have to drag them along to - it made perfect sense to bring them down because they’re both fans of the channel, especially Phineas and Ferb.
- It's a great way to get kids active - there is a big worry about the rising obesity levels in kids so, as a father yourself, how do you get your kids active?
I always encourage my children to be as active as possible and I’m very lucky that they’d rather play out on their bikes or have a kick about with friends than sit indoors wasting the day.
I also encourage the boys to try as many sports and activities as we can find; I’m still hopeful that one of them will represent Britain in the Olympics in the future!
- Have you any tips of suggestions for parents who want to get their kids away from TV and computer games these summer holidays?
Kids love TV and computer games but as a parent I know it’s also important to spend quality time with them and get out and about.
So I’d suggest parents spend at least an hour a day playing games with their kids. There are fantastic events like the Disney XD challenges happening in local areas across the country.
It’s important to encourage your kids to play, be creative and most importantly be sociable! I like to set up play dates for the boys so get outdoors and enjoy the fantastic weather.
- We have seen you working on both This Morning and OK! TV recently so how are you finding your TV work?
I love how my career is going at the moment; the TV presenting is going amazingly well but what people don’t realise is I also have a thriving writing career - by the end of August I could have six weekly writing jobs in the pipeline.
- How do you juggle that with being a father - do you find getting the balance right difficult?
I’m so grateful for all the work I have but it’s very important for me to have a balance between work and family time. When the balance is off I get a horrible guilty feeling in my gut - it doesn’t happen very often but when it does it serves as a sharp reminder.
I’m lucky in that I have some amazing people around me and I can plan my work hours around my boys: I often write in the evenings when they’re in bed.
- It's been ten years since you appeared in Shipwrecked how was the experience when you look back on it now?
My Shipwrecked experience 10 years ago was where it all began and I’d love to do it all over again. It was the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to and I learnt so much about myself - I was only 21 and I really figured out what I wanted from life while I was there.
I would go so far as to say that, apart from having my kids, in a very eventful 32 years it was the most amazing experience of my life.
- We also saw you on Dancing on Ice earlier this year so how much did you enjoy your time on the show? Do you still keep in touch with Isabelle Gauthier?
I tweet Isabelle from time to time because it’s difficult to spend six months by somebody’s side on a daily basis and not have any contact with them afterwards, even though we definitely had our ups and downs!
I’m very grateful for the skating skills she taught me and the contacts I made on the show, which I’ve put to use to set up a skating academy: watch this space, it’ll be hosting events at a rink near you very soon.
- Finally what's coming up for you up until the end of 2011?
This year is fully booked up with writing my columns each week, event hosting around the UK, slots on This Morning and an exciting daily presenting job... which I’ll be announcing very shortly!
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Jeff Brazier