We've got to raise our game

THE Culture Show, BBC2's attempt at a non-elitist review of all things artistic, has seen Sunderland's Lauren Laverne quickly establish herself as the programme's regular host, although the likes of Verity Sharp, Andrew Graham-Dixon and Mark Radcliffe, among others, have all appeared in the presenter's chair.

Laverne, who was born Lauren Gofton in 1978, says presenting the show is "the best job on TV, easily," is all-too-aware of the trap a programme exclusively about the arts may fall into.

"Yes, you hear the word 'culture' and you automatically think 'there will be questions later'. That's what we're trying to get away from on the programme - it's an entertainment show," she says.

"The show's about the subjects people are passionate about, and will debate hotly, and there are no right and wrong answers, but it has to be challenging and entertaining. Most of all, we want people to watch and enjoy the experience. It's not supposed to be like sitting in double maths, and desperately having to cram to keep up to understand.

"I get a lot from presenting it.

It's made me braver with my choices and opinions, and I hope the audience gets the same from it too. It's not about us on the show being the teachers and the audience being the pupils - we go on an adventure together."

Previously a staple of Saturday evenings, albeit in a constantly shifting timeslot, the forthcoming run of The Culture Show will find itself in a prime-time Tuesday night spot. In the world of TV, such a thing is a big deal.

"It is indeed a big deal," says Laverne proudly. "We've got to raise our game and earn that slot, but equally, the show that's got us that slot is already in place, we've already been doing it. Now we just have to better what we've done before. People seem to really like the show, but we're definitely going to try to improve it."

Content can change quickly, and most items are filmed in the week prior to transmission to maintain fresh and original features, although in the arts calendar, few events are bigger than the Edinburgh Festival, and the Royal Academy's Summer Festival, both of which will be covered extensively.

"We're doing a Royal Academy special, and it's shaping up really well. Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and I are doing an hour-long special on that. "It's basically like X Factor for the art world, but it's been going since the 1800s, and it's utterly amazing. The mix of art you see is incredible," says the mum-of-one who first found fame with punk band Kenickie. She and friend Emmy-Kate Montrose released four top ten hits and an album before splitting in 1998.

After an attempt at a solo career, she presented The Alphabet Show on UK Play and took part in TV shows such as the Orange Playlist, RI:SE, CD:UK, Test The Nation and Transmission.

On the new series of The Culture Show presenters will be asking the rather daunting question: What is culture?

"Yes, we're starting the Culture Is... debate because it's so hard to define," says Laverne, who begins a new BBC 6Music radio show next month. "It's actually easier to ask what isn't culture, because culture is everything, basically.

"Everything that isn't human beings tells us about human beings and therefore is culture.

It's art, it's film, it's architecture, it's how we talk to each other, it's sub-cultures, it's tribes, quirky interests that people have, everything."

Film critic Mark Kermode is a regular guest on The Culture Show, but this time around he will be joining Laverne as co-host, and she can't wait.

"He's like a really knowledgeable uncle, I absolutely love Mark to bits. I'm looking forward to it because we're kind of the opposite in a lot of ways, we butt heads a little bit because of that, but he has the knowledge to back up his opinions, so you have to respect that.

"We both really love music and film and all kinds of things, though. I think we come from the same place, but we're quite tangential in that way."

Laverne and her TV producer husband Graeme Fisher had their first child, Fergus, last October. While his arrival hasn't changed Laverne's priorities - she says her family have always been No 1 - it has meant she's cut out non-essential things from her schedule.

"Having a baby has made me a lot stricter with my time," she says. "I'm not devoting any less time to work, but you don't have time for things that aren't vital. I got a cleaner, too, as I don't have time for that any more. You definitely have to decide where you stand on certain things.

"I love being a mum. It's absolutely wonderful," she adds.

* Lauren Laverne presents the new series of The Culture Show, Tuesday, BBC2, 10pm