I TRIED my best to hold off for at least a few more weeks but sadly last night I finally cracked and turned on my central heating after a five month break.

However, my collection of winter onesies still remain safely under lock and key for the time being.

I know what you're all thinking, and yes, pictures of me modelling the penguin, cat or even Minnie Mouse all-in-one will follow over the coming months, you lucky things.

So with the heating up full bung, darkness now falling just after 8pm and Louis Walsh's little coupon lighting up our screens on a Saturday night once more, it's safe to say summer is well and truly over for this year.

Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor are back with a vengeance, although both shows have taken a slightly different approach to their 2013 shows.

Strictly has produced a whole host of new faces to dazzle us with their fancy footwork and send sequin and glitter sales soaring, while X Factor has decided to step back in time and gives us an old face from the past in Sharon Osbourne - although some may argue that she could in fact fall under the new face category.

Tuesday night was the red carpet launch night in London for Strictly and I have to say I'm loving the line-up.

Abbey Clancy, as expected, looked flawless, along with the BBC's Susanna Reid and Countdown's Rachel Riley, but I have to say I thought Vanessa Feltz looked great.

Like myself Vanessa has very publicly struggled over the years with her weight, but if these recent pictures are anything to go by. I'd say she is definitely winning at the moment.

With the tough and gruelling training she's about to embark on for the show, I can't wait to see what she looks like by Christmas.

There is of course plenty of eye candy for the girls too, with the likes of Hollyoaks star Ashley Taylor Dawson and Casualty's Patrick Robinson foxtrotting their way onto the dance floor - but the real hottie of the pack is former rugby player Ben Cohen.

I had the pleasure of interviewing him on STV The Hour a few years ago.

Well I say I interviewed him, but what I actually mean is that I just sat there staring at him, daydreaming about what our children would look like while my co-host Colin Kelly did most of the talking.

Yes, seeing Ben covered head to toe in crystals and lycra every week makes the coming winter months seem completely bearable.

In fact I'm so happy I may even have a custom-made sparkly onesie commissioned to celebrate, with the words Mrs Cohen embellished across the front.

Then again... I pulled that stunt once before with a Mrs Waterman T-shirt back in 2004 and I'm still in therapy over it.

I'M delighted to say that I will be performing at the first ever Lola Commons Ladies Lunch in aid of the SiMBA (Simpsons Memory Box Appeal) charity on Sunday September 15 at Glasgow's Grand Central Hotel, hosted by Capital Radio's Des and Jenny.

I have had the honour of working with this fantastic charity before so it is a real pleasure to be involved again and it is set to be a fantastic day.

For more information just log onto www.simbacharity.org.uk