Trisha speaks up for Liverpool

Talk show host Trisha Goddard has signed her first year-long contract as a radio presenter in Britain and pledged to use the money to support charity work.

The 50-year-old, who hosts The Trisha Goddard Show on Five, said money was her prime motivating factor for taking on her new role, but said she will give the salary for the one-show-a-week broadcast on Merseyside's new station, City Talk 105.9, to support good causes.

I'm looking forward to learning a lot more about the city. People here have a sense of humour and don't take themselves seriously.

The chat refused to reveal how much the donation would be.

She has two favourite charities, Norwich Mind and Home-Start Norwich, but indicated that the first of those causes would benefit from the new tie-up.

She said: "I have certain gigs, if you like, that pay for a position, or with Home-Start family therapy every week, and so I needed an extra job to fund Norwich Mind.

"Radio is something I once did in Australia.

"It's a more intimate medium and I enjoyed it and all of those things came together and that's why I'm here.

"The money from City Talk does not even come into my coffers as far as I'm concerned."

Home-Start Norwich is a charity which helps recruit and train volunteers to support parents with young children in their homes.

Trisha was also made an 08 Ambassador by the Liverpool Culture Company's acting chief exec, Kris Donaldson, joining the ranks of such luminaries as Cherie Booth, Ken Dodd and clothing designer and poet George Davies.

Speaking about becoming an ambassador, Trisha said: "Liverpool is amazing. Everybody's so friendly and chatty. Being made an ambassador for the capital of culture I'm really chuffed and amazed to be involved. So, I'm going to be talking up Liverpool wherever I go.

"I'm looking forward to learning a lot more about the city. People here have a sense of humour and don't take themselves seriously."

She said she would include some elements of her chat show in her broadcasts but the show would also include debates.

The station, which is on the FM band, launches on January 28 at the Radio City tower in Liverpool city centre.

Goddard's first show will be broadcast on February 3. She will be broadcasting from her home in Norwich with some shows expected to be broadcast from Liverpool.