THURROCK-born dancer Jenny Jones has landed a role on a children’s programme on Sky TV.

Jenny, 22, has been chosen, from hundreds of auditionees, as a presenter on Hi-5, a show aimed at two to six-year-olds.

Jenny, originally from Grays, started dancing, aged just two-and-a-half, at the Angela Allport Performing Arts School in the town and has also studied at the Central School of Ballet in London.

She said: “This job consists of everything – singing, dancing, acting and presenting. It’s perfect for me. I get to be a kid everyday!”

Hi-5 is based on a successful Australian kids’ TV show, adapted to give it a more British feel.

Jenny, who always appears dressed in pink on the show, said: “In the Australian version, some songs mentioned animals such as dingo but we sing squirrel instead".

“The show has a different theme each week, but we all wear different colours, so the really young children can recognise us.”

Five presenters front the show, with Jenny, a former pupil of Woodside School, Grays, St John's School, Billericay and Seevic College, Thundersley, presenting the Body Moves section.

In this, she encourages youngsters to get off the sofa and join in the activities at home.

Before landing the TV job, Jenny has performed a number of roles, including appearing as Wendy in Peter Pan alongside comic Russ Abbott at the Cliffs Pavilion in 2004 and many of the pantomimes at the Thameside Theatre in Grays including the Fairy in Babes of the Wood.

She has also travelled around the world while performing on a P&O Cruise ship.

She says she began dancing because she constantly walked on tiptoes from an early age.

She explained: “When I was really tiny, I used to walk around on my tiptoes. Someone told my mum I should go to ballet classes and that was the beginning of it all for me.”

Jenny has also taught at the Angela Allport school, Bradleigh Avenue, Grays and is delighted young students now have the chance to see her on television.

She added: “It’s really inspiring to know children are watching and want to be like you.”

Hi-5 is screened on Sky channel 619 at 8am, 11am and 3pm, Monday to Friday.