After 11 years of producing television for the nine-to-13-year-old demographic Nickelodeon in the UK has finally woken up to the notion that

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After 11 years of producing television for the nine-to-13-year-old demographic, Nickelodeon in the UK has finally woken up to the notion that children might not be as impressed with the puerile behaviour of ludicrously attired adults as was previously believed. The station has chosen to give children various production roles in the making of a programme that it hopes will change the face of breakfast television. While she herself has never suffered from racism - she was headhunted to become a chat-show host in 1998 - she believes that it is still prevalent in British television "It's a very unfashionable thing to say. Nickelodeon executives believe The Crunch will fill a gap in the current early-morning schedules by offering children their own equivalent of the traditional breakfast-television format.John Donaldson, its director of programming, says that The Crunch is the first step towards children having control over scripting, filming and presenting shows "We need to give control over to them. How many black presenters are there really?"She sums up her decision to move to Five as "intuitive": "I was pretty sceptical when Five came along. What did it for me was when Dan Chambers [Five's head of programmes] said, 'We believe in you Wherever you want to take us, we'll go' Those were the sweetest words.". Those of us who wasted precious childhood hours enduring the likes of Timmy "I'm utterly brilliant" Mallett or the less than fandabidozi Krankies might well consider that even at the age of 10 they could have done a better job of making kids' TV themselves.

It's not recognised now - we know those mindsets are there, but broadcasters all vehemently deny it. US broadcasters have also approached her, but she decided to stay in Britain for the sake of her family - she lives near Norwich with her husband and two young daughters.Goddard began her television career in Australia as a current-affairs journalist with SBS TV, and then as presenter on ABC's news and current -affairs programme The 7.30 Report, where she was the country's first black primetime anchor. She has not yet decided whether her Five show will also feature DNA tests, but points out that she made the tests available to those who would not otherwise be able to afford them, and provided post-show counselling.She is not concerned about who will replace her at ITV "The people who would worry me aren't on TV. "I like the new kid on the block, the underdog who is keen and hungry."Did she have other offers? "I could have gone to another network that will remain nameless," she replies, adding that it wasn't Channel 4. I've discovered them and I'm going to work with them." Nor will she admit to worries that Five, a young channel, will not deliver as big an audience.

While its content may not be to everyone's taste, Trisha was hot property for Granada, drawing in around 1.5 million viewers daily. But despite being offered more money, Goddard chose to defect to Five and the promise of complete creative freedom to make her show through her own Norwich-based production company, Town House TV."What Granada had to offer and what I felt I needed was not the same. I'm a vegetarian, so if I go into a steakhouse, somewhere, me and the steakhouse are going to part company It was time for something new It has never been about the money It has always been about my sanity. I wanted to spread my wings creatively," says Goddard, a trained mental-health counsellor.Her show has been criticised for presenting the results of DNA tests to guests live on air. One 19-year-old, Anthony Sampson, attacked his girlfriend's father after discovering that he was not the father of her four-month-old son. When he admitted the assault at Norwich magistrates court, his solicitor described Trisha as "the lowest common denominator" and "absolutely appalling"."People always take pot shots Which show has not attracted criticism?" responds Goddard.