Queen of Clean Kim Woodburn is determined to keep Hotel GB spotless, as a staff of celebrities moves in for a week. Here Kim tells TV Choice why everyone needs to get down on their hands and knees and look down a hotel toilet!

What’s the premise of Hotel GB?
Famous faces from Channel 4 are taking over the running of a functioning hotel in central London, with two teams – boys against girls – competing to make the most money for unemployment charities. And we will also be taking on unemployed youngsters as trainees. Gordon Ramsay and Mary Portas are co-general managers and team leaders.

What’s your role?
I’m Head of Housekeeping, and it’s my job to make sure the rooms are spotless, along with the reception and corridors. Anyone can clean, so if somebody isn’t doing their job properly, I will be very firm with them.

Are you really as clean at home as you seemed in How Clean Is Your House?
Before the TV work started I was a professional cleaner and I truly am spotlessly clean. I do it all myself, and I’m tidy, too. My husband’s shirts are all hung up in a colour-coordinated way, and food tins in the cupboard have their labels facing the front.

Are you very fussy when you check into a hotel room?
I look at everything. Even in the poshest hotels, I run my hand around the inside of the bath and find scum. And why don’t they put some pipe cleaner down the sink once a week to get rid of the awful pong? Have you ever looked down a hotel toilet? Can you tell me why there’s a dark area past the water level? It’s not being cleaned! Somebody needs to get down on their hands and knees and get stuck in. It’s only poo and pee and you’ve got your gloves on. I don’t create murder but I do ring down to reception and ask them to clean things properly.

When you walk into a hotel do you notice a look of fear in the receptionist’s eyes?
Oh yeah, and I play up to it, of course. I walk into a hotel and see people whispering, ‘Oh, Jesus Christ.’ I booked into a hotel last night, and a woman there said, ‘I know who you are,’ and I replied, ‘I hope you’ve got a clean room, love.’ It’s just a bit of fun.

Do you want to encourage young people to be cleaners on Hotel GB?
The idea of being a cleaner isn’t a glamorous one, is it? It’s Nora Batty with crinkled stockings and hair curlers. But glamorous people do clean. Why shouldn’t I have long fingernails and make-up? I hate the expression, ‘She’s only a cleaner.’ Even if you can’t get the job you want but there’s a cleaning job available, do it. It beats sitting on the dole. Cleaning work will always stand you in good stead when you are married and, in the meantime, you are making money. I got on TV because of cleaning and I now have a big house and no mortgage. That will do for me.

Channel 4, Monday to Friday

Jim Maloney