For readers who can't wait to read The Rise and Shine Saturday Show, here's an extract from the first chapter...

CHAPTER ONE
STARSPOTTING

Zaza Jones was numb with cold. Her fingers had turned pinkish-blue and her legs were covered in goosebumps. She’d tried stamping her feet countless times. And blowing hot air on the palms of her hands. But nothing seemed to warm her up.

For the tenth time that morning Zaza cursed the stupid wardrobe department at The Rise and Shine SaturdayShow. It was a freezing morning in early March and yet instead of kitting her out in thermal undies, fleece and woolly scarf, she looked as though she was off to the beach.

The Rise and Shine Saturday Show had two presenters. Zaza was the scatty blonde one. She wore a purple vest with her name emblazoned across it in white sequins, a tiny pair of pink shorts and lilac flip-flops. Didi Bell, Zaza’s bossy older sidekick, had spiky red hair and was wearing her trademark huge silver hooped earrings. She was resplendent in a Union Jack mini skirt, scarlet star-spangled T-shirt and massive red platform heels.

Daniel Drewsome, the show’s producer, put his head in his hands when the pair walked on to the set. What were these two like?

‘Blooming heck,’ he groaned to the floor manager. ‘What the blazes do they think they’re wearing? Their clothes are supposed to complement each other. Just looking at the pair of them is enough to give me a crashing headache. And they clash with the sofa. I think I’m going to have to go and lie down.’

Zaza and Didi glanced at the famous Rise and Shine sofa in horror. They’d taken so long to get ready – Didi had spent a record ninety minutes in hair and make-up - that everyone had forgotten that the sofa was an unfortunate shade of pea green with giant yellow spots.

‘Oh well,’ said Daniel, shrugging his shoulders. ‘It’s too late to do anything about it now. We’re on air in two minutes. You’re both miked up, I take it?’

Didi nodded her assent with a gleaming smile. Inwardly though, she was livid.

The viewers at home would never have guessed this in a million years, but the stars of Rise and Shine couldn’t stand the sight of each other. Zaza had never forgiven Didi for spraying her with foam during an item about fire-fighting a few months back. Didi had sworn it was an accident but Zaza knew she was lying. For her part, Didi considered Zaza a complete waste of space.

‘She’s as much use to Rise and Shine as a chocolate teapot,’ she repeatedly told the crew backstage. Every week the girls begged Daniel Drewsome to replace the other. Every week he shook his head and muttered something about their ‘dazzling onscreen chemistry’.

‘Dazzling’ was exactly the right word for them today, thought Daniel as the nine a.m. news bulletin drew to a close and the cheery Rise and Shine theme tune burst into the nation’s eardrums. ‘Anyone got a pair of shades on them?’ he asked one of the Rise and Shine team. ‘Those outfits are making my eyes go all funny.’ Rise and Shine was easily the most popular programme on children’s TV. It regularly pulled in five million viewers and Daniel was quietly confident that today’s show would attract a bumper audience. Not only did the team have the usual mix of jokes, quizzes and celebrity interviews lined up but most important of all… today Zaza and Didi were going to launch Rise and Shine’s long-awaited Starspotter competition. That would really pull the punters in.