Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

There are some very tight twosomes on CBeebies – Big Cook and Little Cook, Charlie and Lola and Bill and Ben to name but three! But perhaps the most beloved of the human double acts are Chris Jarvis and Pui Fan Lee who, for the past seven years, have entertained and enchanted young viewers on CBeebies. Chris puts their magical chemistry down to the fact that they're great pals both on and off screen:

"We just get on really, really well," he explains. "I'm godfather to Pui's son, we socialise together, we never tire of each other's company and we make each other laugh. I think making each other laugh is hugely important because there's got to be a twinkle in your performance when you're working on children's programmes – I mean you can't be a little teapot short and stout without a twinkle!"

Pui agrees, she says: "Chris and I are great friends. We both know each other so well and I feel like I've known him forever. We've got a similar sense of humour and make each other laugh a lot and I hope a bit of that comes across on screen."

Whilst both presenters have numerous talents, Chris feels Pui brings something special to the show because she's a mum. He says:

"I've been doing this since I was 16 and you pick up little tricks but I've never had kids. I'm a godparent and I'm close to my cousin's children but that's very different to putting kids to bed every night and knowing how to comfort them when they're upset. Pui's experience as a parent is very valuable and what she brings to the table is amazing."

"Chris has a very special gift in front of the camera," says Pui. "His natural warmth shines through and kids love his genuine charm and sense of fun – and he's a bit cheeky too which is always a winner!"

So will the two CBeebies' favourites continue to work together in the future?

"After we finished our regular CBeebies presenting jobs we were desperate to stay working together which is why we suggested this show," says Chris. "And hopefully there will be lots more episodes commissioned so we can continue to work together for a long, long time!"

Q&A

What was your favourite TV programme as a child?

Chris: "I grew up watching Play School and was just blown away by Brian Cant and Derek Griffiths and Jonathan Cohen playing the piano. I was really inspired by them and it encouraged me to become an entertainer – so that's what television's done for me."

Pui: "I suppose I just loved it all as there wasn't so much choice then – Roobarb & Custard, Mary, Mungo & Midge, Whacky Races! And I loved Hartley Hare – he was a bit of a devil, wasn't he?!"

What was your favourite toy as a child?

Chris: "My favourite toy was probably my first teddy bear – a yellow one. I think it's nice that there's a teddy bear in our set of toys because most children have a teddy bear. And Teddington's just a bog standard bear – viewers would just have to put a bow tie on their bear to look like him and that's sort of the point. Hopefully they can adapt their teddy bear to be a friend of Teddington!"

Pui: "I was the youngest of four children and we didn't really have very much but I remember having a big doll called Tracey who talked when you pulled a cord on the back – although I think I broke it!"

Which is your favourite of the toy characters in Show Me Show Me?

Chris: "Well, obviously we don't have favourites but I have had to choose one it would be Stuffy the cube. He's basically just a fluffy cube and you could make him very easily using some old bits of material. I think even I could sew together a Stuffy and that's really the nature of the show!"

Pui: "Well they are all really funny characters but Miss Mouse is really sweet. She's a little knitted mouse and dresses like a land girl from the Forties – we think she's small but very feisty!"

What is your presenting partner's best talent?

Chris: "Pui is a brilliant mime artist actually and in the show she does Incy Wincy Spider all in mime, dressed up as a spider with a top hat and a bow tie. And the way she communicates with the audience is just hilarious."

Pui: "Chris is amazingly skilled at impersonating people – famous celebrities or ordinary people we know – which means he's also great at creating funny characters. He does a very funny Humpty Dumpty in Show Me Show Me and I love his mad cap character Wee Willie Winkie."

What is your presenting partner's worst habit?

Chris: "Pui's worst habit? We share one. We're both chatterboxes and never shut up!"

Pui: "Chris is very generous and is always buying cakes and biscuits for the crew. We all love him for it at tea breaks but it means we all put on tons of weight at the end of the shoot – despite him trying to convince us that the fat dissolves in the oven."

What was the most challenging thing you had to do for Show Me Show Me?

Chris: "Play the piano! I'm not the greatest pianist in the world – well I am when nobody is around – but the producer said he'd like me to do it as it might encourage children to play. I was very nervous but thankfully I did manage to do it within a few takes!"

Pui: "Keeping a straight face! I have to admit, there were times when Chris and I would have total giggling fits and, honestly, the challenge would be to pull ourselves together and get on with it! It all got very silly sometimes."

Are you like you are on screen?

Chris: "The person you see on screen is not too dissimilar from me but obviously I'm not that happy all the time! Sometimes the coffee wears off and then I have to have fruit juice!"

Pui: "I think so. Of course, I sometimes have more of a serious head on in my home life like everyone else, but generally I'm pretty good-tempered and like to enjoy life."

What's the best thing about working for CBeebies?

Chris: "It's lovely to be connected with CBeebies because it's so special and it's just loved by everyone because of what it is. I always think of my grandmother who was always so pleased to see me and that smile of love – you can't bottle it. So whenever I welcome kids to a show I think of that and try to make them feel so special and welcome."

Pui: "Over the years, I've worked with so many incredibly talented people at CBeebies who are all striving to make great entertainment for very, very young children. You can only do this if you really care and I feel very privileged to be part of the team."