Lizzie webb biography of mahatma

Eighties exercise icon Lizzie is 75, but still helps people stay in shape (Image: Peter Robertson)

While viewers could always expect a smile and warm welcome from the TV-am sofa ­during the Eighties and Nineties, this did not reflect the experience of exercise guru Lizzie Webb behind the scenes.

The fitness instructor, who turns 75 on August 12, has just published her autobiography and says she is often told by people how they fondly remember her heyday on the ITV early morning show.

Sadly, she doesn’t remember it in quite the same way.

In what could be a recent description of This Morning, she says: “On air it looked like the presenting team at TV-am was a happy family, but it wasn’t. The camaraderie didn’t exist in reality.

“Very quickly my fitness slot became popular and in about David Frost said that TV-am ratings and a survey showed I was the most popular presenter.

“So perhaps there