Nicki Chapman is a recognisable face on our screens thanks to her presenting duties on BBC One's Escape to the Country. Viewers will also remember that Nicki was a judge on Pop Idol back in the early noughties.
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But did you know that she originally sought out a career working behind-the-scenes in the media before becoming the huge television personality she is today?
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Speaking about her career journey, the 54-year-old revealed that her first job was at a music label working as an assistant. She quickly rose up the ranks and by the mid-nineties was a joint partner of a music PR company, which led her to rub shoulders with some seriously impressive acts!
"We represented the Spice Girls, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Phil Collins, David Bowie, The Brit Awards and The Big Breakfast to name a few," she told First Time Buyer magazine.
It was at her next job, while working as creative director for a different PR company, that Nicki was approached to take part in the new ITV series Pop Idol alongside Simon Cowell, which she described as "the most amazing experience and something I will never forget".
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© Photo: Getty ImagesNicki in her Pop Idol days
The TV star then moved into presenting lifestyle shows like Castles In The Country, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Holidays at Home. In 2009, she joined the Escape to the Country team and has been a regular presenter of the series ever since.
Nicki, who is married to the music executive Dave Shackleton, also revealed that her career could've been completely different had she gone through with a plan to move abroad after university.
© Photo: InstagramNicki has presented Escape to the Country since 2009
She explained: "After studying for three years, I travelled to Australia for eight months, and I loved it so much I decided to emigrate. While waiting for my visa to be processed, I applied for three jobs in the music industry and I was offered all of them!
"Suffice it to say, the lure of the music industry stopped me moving Down Under."
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