Big Breakfast presenter Paul Tonkinson was today axed from the wacky early morning show after just two months.

North-Yorkshire born Tonkinson joined the Channel 4 show in February but was told of his sacking after yesterday's programme.

A statement from Planet 24, which makes the Big Breakfast, said: "Paul Tonkinson has been released from his contract as co-presenter of the Big Breakfast."

The show meant a big change in lifestyle for Tonkinson, 31, who was originally from Northallerton.

At the time he got the job he told The Northern Echo: "It's bizarre, my life has been turned 360 degrees.

"I used to do a lot of stand-up comedy and would get to bed at the weekends at two or three in the morning.

"Now the car comes for me at 3.30 in the morning, we start the production meeting at four and from then it's all work. I'm normally finished at 9.30 to ten in the morning and then go to bed between half seven and eight at night."

The father of two was a pupil at the Grammar School, now Northallerton College, before going to study at Manchester University in 1987. He began doing stand-up comedy as a student before moving to London in 1990 to work on the comedy circuit.

His previous television work included BBC2's live The Sunday Show and a year on MTV. He also presented Channel 4's Dicing With Death and Pop Gun.

Updated: 14.01 Friday, April 6