If first impressions last forever, then get watching Who Do You Think You Are? daily from Wednesday 14th July at 9.30pm. UKTV Style's brand-new personal makeover series sees style guru Ollie Picton-Jones and top psychiatrist Dr Sandra Scott perform makeover surgery, inside and out, for 15 lucky guests, brought to us by our irrepressible host with the most, Paul Roseby. Surprise guests are nominated by loved ones who believe they're in need of a boost, turning to the experts for their professional magic.
While Daily Mirror fashion editor and stylist to the stars Ollie Picton-Jones plays fairy godmother in the costume department, Big Brother psychiatrist Dr Sandra Scott takes a deeper look at behaviour and body language that could be holding our subject back - an internal makeover to ensure confidence is projected from the inside out.
First, guests are secretly filmed and members of the public asked to comment on the footage. Roseby and the transformation team then meet the person in question and reveal the first impressions they have made on total strangers. High-flying 43-year-old Debbie, for instance, is aghast to find out that strangers think she's a stiff, staid and 50-something office worker. And with her dull clothes and matching expression, Jane is reckoned to be a miserable divorcée - certainly not a woman who is just two weeks away from getting married.
According to psychiatrist Dr Sandra Scott, Who Do You Think You Are? is nothing like your average TV makeover: "Most of the other programmes concentrate on changing people from the outside. But unless changes also happen from within, the transformation will never be permanent."Sandra, whose stints on Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity have made her one of her profession's most recognisable faces, is also worried that some makeover shows may actually be detrimental.
"The last thing we want to tell people is that they somehow aren't good enough," she says. "On this show, it's not about being perfect. It's about taking what you've got and improving on that foundation. Our aim is not to create a second-rate someone else, but to make a first-rate you."
Sandra begins by analysing the subject's body language. "Most people are unaware of how powerful body language can be. It can be a new tool to be kept in our back pocket and used to our advantage. And remember that something as simple as a smile not only makes for a positive image, but releases chemicals in the body that can improve our mood. "There are so many things that we do subconsciously that can influence people's preconceptions about us. Even something as apparently innocuous as twiddling our hair or crossing our arms can have repercussions, costing us a job or even meeting a new partner." Many of those featured in the series were very surprised by the poor impression that they were unwittingly creating. But even the most basic pointers from Sandra resulted in amazing changes. "Initially some of them did feel artificial," she concedes. "But before very long it was coming as naturally to them as all their bad habits once did."
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