A fashion historian who used to scour charity shops in Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth for hidden gems is set to make her television presenting debut.

Amber Butchart, who grew up in Kessingland, will front A Stitch in Time, a six-part series which delves into the lives of historical figures by examining their clothing and airs for the first time on Wednesday, January 3 at 8.30pm.

A former student at Sir John Leman High School in Beccles, Ms Butchart studied English at King's College in London. It was in the capital that her pre-existing interest in clothing began to flourish.

'I'd always been really interested in old clothes and spent hours scouring the charity shops in Lowestoft and Yarmouth she said.

'I wasn't necessarily into fashion, but instead I was more concerned with the stories associated with the old clothing.

'Whilst in London I got a job at my favourite shop, Beyond Retro, and then became head buyer - that's when I started to develop a more scholarly approach with clothing.'

Ms Butchart gained a Masters in history and culture of dashion from the London College of Fashion and has since flexed her fashion muscles as an expert on numerous television programmes and produced documentaries for BBC Radio 4.

However, the upcoming six-parter will be her first time as a fully-fledged presenter.

'Each episode looks at a piece of artwork and explains the history of those portrayed through their clothing ,' added Ms Butchart. 'We even worked with a historical tailor to recreate some of the clothing using traditional methods.

'Going to Paris was one of the best parts of making the show. Filming at Versailles was a dream come true.'

Having taken the trip into the television voyage of the unknown, Ms Butchart is hopeful that her new series will signal the start of things to come.

'The thought of a programme that I'm presenting going on air is a bit daunting as well as really exciting, there's obviously the potential for criticism but that's all part and parcel of the business.

'Hopefully some more work in broadcasting will come my way because the whole process was so enjoyable.'

A Stitch in Time will air every Wednesday on BBC Four for six weeks, starting on January 3.