Keeping fit should be positive, not painful, says Mr Motivator

Real name Derrick Errol Evans, he was born in Jamaica to a single mother, and as his new book reveals, he was given away at three months and had a very tough childhood.

Arriving in Leicester, he then had to stand up to school bullies, but being positive, Derrick reckons it all made him the guy he is, and he has used it all to become stronger.

“Your past makes you who you are,” says the 63-year-old, who shot to fame in the 1990s on breakfast show GMTV, known for his colourful bum bags, Spandex outfits and constant smile.

“Though you go through some difficult times, they are still happy times. Most of us saw our fathers go off to the factory back in my day, but folk still stopped to chat and had lots of reasons to laugh, say a kindly word.

“The village or town you lived in looked after you, so life may have been tough, but people were far more respectful of one another in those days.

“I was given away at three months, so it was a new family I was with.

“They were struggling to make ends meet, and my adoptive father decided we should go to the UK.

“It was part of that whole rush to go to the mother country. It was tough, your parents wouldn’t think twice about giving you a good spanking if you were naughty. You were beaten, but after a while you learned.

“The rate at which you got beaten gradually reduced as you learned not to annoy anybody!”

Although Derrick would welcome an invite from TV for a Mr Motivator return, he has built a good business back home in Jamaica.

His successful eco-tourism resort — H’Evans Scent — along with PaintSplat, Jamaica’s first paintball operation, keeps him busy.

“If you go on Trip Advisor on the internet and look us up, you’ll see that we get their Certificate of Excellence every single year,” he enthuses proudly.

“That’s the standard our staff now understand.

“They were young people who couldn’t read or write, but I took them on because I wanted to give them a chance.

“It would be easy to employ people with all sorts of qualifications, but I don’t believe I’d get the level of loyalty I do by employing people who have many choices.

“You know the outdoor adventure company Go Ape, which has all the zip lines and stuff like that?

“What we have is like a smaller version of that, set in the grounds of our own home.

“We have areas for kids to play — there’s basketball, football — and it is also a place you can come to if you just want to get away from your problems.

“We find it’s become a bit of a haven for people who come back time and time again.

“I do say: ‘I’m Mr Motivator, welcome to H’Evans Scent’, so the younger people know who I am, too.

“Doing any television work has an impact. Initially, it was great to be anonymous, but the internet has made my TV work well-known there.

“Back in the 1990s, I just took it all in my stride. When people wanted to come and chat or get an autograph, it was fine.

“Nowadays, they don’t want your autograph, they just want a selfie!

“I do some events where I have 20,000 people in front of me, working out.

“I do all these festivals, all over, one in Austria, one on the Isle of Wight, and others. It’s Hell — but it is great fun!

“Thankfully, I don’t drink, or it could have been difficult to stay in shape,” adds Derrick.

“Funnily enough, though, my wife and I recently got introduced to Bailey’s in ice cream. Every two weeks, we have rationed ourselves to have a Bailey’s ice cream!

“I believe a little bit of what you fancy does you no harm, and it’s only when you go overboard and have too many that it becomes a problem.”

But he is sad to see the world’s obesity problems, which are going to cause havoc in years to come, and Derrick reckons we use excuses too easily.

“It’s such an easy excuse, that kids get obese because they are at computers all day,” he blasts.

“I sit at a computer, but you know you have to get up and walk around regularly, or you’ll get stiff.

“So don’t blame computers — blame our attitudes.

“Your emotions are the biggest thing, and you don’t just get your body in shape — get your finances controlled, and so on.

“There are some people who get by on a few hours’ sleep and look forward to each day so much, because their life is in shape.

“Getting the balance right in your life will give you that sense of wellbeing.

“But I also think when we go on about the negative side of fitness, the high intensity ‘burn’ and so on, it can put people off.

“Although I did eventually take it in my stride, I was blown asunder at how big it all became back then. I never realised I would get so popular, and I am so grateful for that.

“Here I am 20 years later, talking about it still, and people turn out, wherever I go. I would be up for it tomorrow, if someone wanted me to do it again.

“I worked with a load of people in their 70s the other day, and it was so rewarding, to see the smiles on their faces.

“The keep fit and health thing needs to be repackaged — and I know I can do it.”

The Story Behind The Lycra with Television’s Mr Motivator: The Warm Up by Derrick Evans, is out now, published by Filament. ISBN No. 978-1-910819-57-9

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