Melanie Sykes

Presenter Melanie Sykes has co-hosted Today With Des and Mel, and provided reports for The One Show.

WHAT DO YOU DRIVE?
A Renault Megane.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
A Ford Focus.

WHAT WAS YOUR BEST/WORST CAR?
I haven't had the best one yet. I'd quite like to have a vintage something or other. I would like a Prius.

I had a convertible at one time. A Mercedes two-seater. Quite flash with a soft top. It used to kill my back to drive it. It just felt heavy.

I'm really not that flash. If you have the roof down, everybody stares at you. I was quite uncomfortable with it, so that went back quite quickly. I have very simple tastes and I have a very simple life, so I just need a little runaround, and that's what I've got.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM CAR?
Some kind of old Porsche. Something beautiful looking. Or an old Jag. An XK150 is amazing or a Mark Two or something like that, but the thought of breaking down in something like that scares me.

DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A GOOD DRIVER?
I passed my test actually on The Big Breakfast and I learnt gears, but since I passed, I've only ever driven automatics, so I wouldn't have a clue how to drive a gears car.

I'm a decent driver. I'm aware of what's going on, and I like a little bit of speed, but not too much.

WHAT DO YOU ALWAYS KEEP IN YOUR GLOVEBOX?
Wet Wipes for the kids. I always keep hand cream for me, tissues and mints.

WHAT DRIVES YOU MAD BEHIND THE WHEEL?
Lorry drivers and bus drivers who think they own the place. The worst thing I've ever seen is a bus driver on a mobile phone. I just could not believe it.

WHAT'S THE BEST MUSIC TO DRIVE TO?
Rock music of some kind. Either Guns and Roses or Kings of Leon.

At the minute I'm really into Lady Ga Ga, which is so not me. I go through phases. Melody Gardot was my CD for weeks.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A CRASH?
No. I've reversed into a bollard, and I've reversed into a lamp post, but not at great speed, so it doesn't really count. And I came off a motorbike years ago, but I wasn't driving it. I was just a passenger.

I landed on the back of a car. Luckily for me I only had to wear a collar and I had a bit of a limp for a while, but I was alive.

WHO WOULD BE YOUR PERFECT PASSENGER?
Somebody that is not a backseat driver, who lets you just get on with it. I've always dreamt of doing a Thelma and Louise-type thing, so it would probably be any one of my girlfriends because you can have a good old chat.

WHAT'S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU'VE EVER DONE IN A CAR?
I can't think of anything.

WHO CLEANS YOUR CAR AND HOW OFTEN?
I just take it to a car wash and leave it there for half an hour and pick it up. I do that probably once very five weeks. It gets pretty grim before it goes in that's for sure.

I always make sure I keep it tidy inside, though I did leave some strawberries in the car once and I kept getting in thinking it's really smelly. They were so mouldy and awful and they were under the passenger seat.

View more images of Melanie Sykes on Bing

Celebrity car mishaps
Hollywood celebrities and their cars
British celebrity car photos

Join In.
Join MSN Cars on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter