Mark Foster's blog by Mark_Foster

Hello everybody, the last week has been busy with work and play. It started with being asked to be a guest on a pilot show called Sportsvibe. It's a magazine show which is the home of sports entertainment featuring a who's who of the world's top sports stars. It also has all the big names from music, comedy and entertainment with over 700 unique films, articles, news, competitions and social media. In the space of two years it has become very successful and has now created much interest in the general media, including terrestial TV, for it's irreverent take which reveals stars as you've never heard them before - including me!

One of my best mates Gail Emms was hosting the show with co-host Ian Stafford. They had asked me to be a guest along with Katherine Grainger. We talked sport (of course) music, food and party tricks!! This is just the pilot, but it was great fun and I hope it makes it onto the main channels, as it's a great insight into sport and its characters and it shows them in in a very different light, so keep an eye out for it. This was followed by attending an event at the House of Lords. I hope you don't get too bored of all the Olympic themed events I go to!! Well it is only 32 weeks to go!! Then I'll stop I promise.

I was invited there to say thanks to all those companies, who support UK sport. These are the companies who help athletes actually make the Olympics and then hopefully the podium. The event was hosted by Baroness Sue Campbell CBE, Chair of UK Sport, and was attended by a couple of hundred people. As you would expect it was a really positive and worthwhile event and a good chance to let those companies meet some of the athletes that they support. I then hot footed it off to BAFTA to have dinner with my mate Duncan Kenworthy. It was a chance to catch up and it also co-incided with the preview of the new Absolutely Fabulous Christmas Show and there were many of the great and the good of TV and film attending.

I just gawped for a while then we nipped upstairs to the restaurant to have a nice meal. It was a great night, so thanks Duncan! As you might have gathered I am so excited by the Olympics so anything I can do to promote the games and all the people involved is always a joy. And I know I talk a lot about being at all these seemingly glamorous events connected with the Olympics, but I am a real believer in getting people in the street involved in this fantastic event that's coming our way in 2012. The last time the Olympics were in London was 1948, which is 64 years ago!! And it won't be coming back again for another few generations at least. So this Olympics despite what all the cynics say, will be ingrained on the minds of everyone in this country for decades to come.

Think of how many people still talk about the World Cup in 1966. To be part of 2012, especially as a sports fan, is just a dream come true. Anyway I digress, this event was about announcing the people nominated by Lloyds who will be the torch bearers. The winner was Elin Haf Davis. and to be able to tell her live that she had won was just pure joy for me. Elin had raised £250,000 for charity by rowing the Atlantic, a true inspiration. But as I said last week the Olympics is not the only event taking place next year. On Friday I went to meet all the dancers who are taking part in the Strictly Come Dancing National Tour in January and February next year. I also got to meet my new dancing partner the very beautiful Natalie Lowe. She really is stunning and thankfully about 5'10", which makes the dancing that much easier. I am really excited and nervous about the tour and I have got so much to learn. And these guys are so good and are match fit!! So I am really looking forward to rehearsals and getting started.

To finish off the weekend I had the good fortune to be invited to the Jingle Bell Ball at the O2. It was Capital FM concert. There was a great line up, although I did feel like I was getting old when I kept asking; "Who's this?" JLS kicked things off and Jessie J closed it. I must admit when One Direction came on, I thought The Beatles had made a comeback, the screaming was that loud. All in all it was a great show, great entertainment but ended with a cold shiver, because I suddenly realised that I have to dance at the O2 on the 28-29th Jan in front the of a crowd that size, and then repeat it for 41 dates. God help me!! Have a good week.