I did several workshops with children aged ten to eighteen in Newcastle and Manchester to prepare to write the show and realised some things that would never have struck me without getting to chat to them, and do some poetry and performance games around ideas of health and exercise.
For starters, the show will not be mentioning the words “Health” and “Exercise”. It’s about being active, enjoying what you do and feeling good. I also won’t be demonising any foods. Chocolate is good, just not all the time and you can find ways to burn it off. Incentives like living longer are a bit long term, but showing young people why they’ll find exams easier or be in a better mood if they eat a varied diet is more likely to have an effect. It’s not as if I can be an aspirational example of astounding physical and mental fitness. I’ve realised I do have something to pass on though. My new enthusiasm for finding both mental and physical activities to be enthusiastic about. I can feel my neurons connecting up at this very moment...