"Sorry I missed your call, I've had back to back interviews all afternoon and the other journalist went over his time," a friendly and polite voice apologises.

"I've been training all morning at Elm Street studios and now I'm off to present the National Lottery this evening.

"It's only a 10-minute slot but as it's live at 10 o'clock it's going to be a late one," the tv presenter explains.

Rushing from one job to the next is something that Tim Vincent is used to.

Since he shot to fameon the tv show Children's Ward at the age of 15, Tim has been able to manage his time perfectly – a skill which will come in handy from Sunday when he takes on his new role as a spinning, twirling ice dancer in ITV's third series of Dancing on Ice.

The 35-year-old, from Wrexham, who has Russian ice dancer Victoria Borzenkova as his partner, is one of 12 celebrities to take part in the show.

He has had to juggle his training for the show between flights from New York, where he currently lives and presents Phenomenon, a five-part prime time series on NBC in America, to find the next big psychic magician.

"I was supposed to start training in October but I had to do the show for NBC so I didn't start until December.

"I had a few lessons in New York and LA so now the training is pretty intense.

"I'm not a natural ice skater, put it that way. When they first asked me I thought it couldn't be that difficult.

"I've been skating before. But then it's like 'okay now try doing that backwards'. Then it's 'try doing that while you lift someone'."

The novice skater said that despite being used to live shows,
performing on ice live on national television was a bit more intimidating.

"I was speaking to Steve Backley the other day and we were saying that we could do a routine 10 times and it would come off ok and then on the 11th time you can fall over or be spectacularly bad.

"It is a sport and it is dangerous because you're doing everything on two very sharp blades so have to be very careful.

"I have fallen over a few times but there have been no bad injuries and I haven't knocked myself out. Not yet anyway."

For Tim, the show will be the first time he has appeared on UK tv for such a long period.

Having moved to the United States three years ago, the Overton-born tv personality has carved out a successful and busy career across the pond.

As the presenter of Access Hollywood on NBC since January 2005, Tim Vincent has been interviewing A-list Hollywood names for the entertainment prime time show, six nights a week.

During his time in America, Tim has been the first Brit to host Who Wants to be a Millionaire for ABC, presented the 2006 and 2007 Miss World international pageants, the LA Baftas for ITV3 and the ITV2 coverage of ITV's 50th anniversary celebrations, Avenue of the Stars, and he also hosted the infamous reality game show Something about Miriam for Sky One in 2004, which aired on the Fox Channel in the US recently. "It's been an amazing three years," he says proudly. "I've done so many shows. One of them went out six nights a week on a major tv channel and I got to speak to all the stars.

"The Americans think if you do a good job on one show then they give you a chance to do more.

"They have been great jobs. Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I look at my cv," he adds, bemused at all his success.

Born in the Wrexham Maelor Hospital on November 4, 1972, Tim was brought up in Overton and lived in the area until he became a Blue Peter presenter at the youthful age of 21.

He began his acting career when he was 13-years-old, appearing in various productions at what was then Theatr Clwyd. At the age of 15, he got his break when he won the part of alcoholic teen Billy Ryan in Children's Ward, and he commuted from home to the set in Manchester.

The former Penley Maelor pupil still holds fond memories of his home town and often returns for some much needed rest and relaxation in between his busy schedule.

"I was home for a week at Christmas. My gran still lives here and I have lots of godchildren and friends here.

"I was brought up in Overton and we would always be out on our bikes. The countryside is beautiful around Wrexham and there are lots of outdoor things to do, which is fantastic.

"We would be out all day on our bikes and I wouldn't see my parents until the evening."

The jet-setting star has a place in New York but says his former home is where he can truly relax.

"New York is a great city, a 24 hour city. There is always something to do and it is truly international.

"There is always a party to go to, or a function, or a new show to see. You can go to the cinema at 3.30 in the morning and have popcorn.

"The flip side is that you are constantly on the go and you never have the chance to relax.

"In Wrexham the pace of life is really different. When I come here it's really relaxed and I can go for long walks and go to the pubs and catch up with friends.

"It's not rushed and I have the luxury of being able to stay for a few days and don't have to fit it all in to just two days."

The Wrexham lad said he hoped people would get behind him on the show and added that he would be back to visit at some point.

"I could be out on Sunday but I could be out in 10 weeks but I will definitely be back at some point. We will just have to wait and see."

But he added he was probably more nervous about being seen in his costumes.

"Because I have been in the States I hadn't seen the show but I was aware of what it was and was worried that the costumes would be quite elaborate, which I wasn't keen on.

"Apparently all the blokes say that absolutely every year and they start off with a couple of sequins and end up looking like Dame Edna Everage."

But he insists that he won't be appearing in anything pink and sparkly.

"I'm waiting with interest to see if that happens but I've seen my first costume and it's very conservative in the world of ice skating. We will have to wait and see."