But that's more or less how it happened when the Diary was interviewed by Bob Green, ace presenter with the PBC.

That's as in Puppet Broadcasting Corporation.
Bob, all head, upper body and minder David Thornton's right arm, is a hit on YouTube for the city-based studio, Puppetechnics.

"Look him straight in the eye and don't call him a puppet. Bob doesn't know he is one," says David, who is sprawled on the floor, just out of camera shot, while his wife Jo holds the mike.

Bob, known affectionately as Todger to his friends, has a small but dedicated following on the net.

Among them is a TV producer who is is pitching with the BBC for Bob to have a slot on CBBC.

So he's going round his mates doing mini interviews for an audition tape with the Beeb.

"We wanted to take something like the Muppets, which are 25 years old, and give it a different, post-Simpsons edge," explains David, still on the floor.

There's a touch of Kermit to Bob although they're a different colour. They're made out of the same material, called Antron, specially imported from Georgia.

Bob was born out of desperation just under two years ago when David was doing the marketing for a West Country theme park.

A new attraction had been delayed so with only a few days to spare he made a puppet, rigged up a TV studio and interviewed the visitors, showing the results on a screen.

It was the first puppet he had made since he was a boy, putting on shows at pie and pea suppers at Crookes Congregational Church.

As well as working Bob, David also provides the voice. There's a touch of Terry Wogan in there.

"This is our version of the BBC's Hard Talk. We call it Hot Seat," says David as the camera begins to roll.

Bob subscribes to the Alan Partridge school of interviewing and it's a hoot but the Diary gets stitched up.

David and Jo have edited it so that the Diary is answering completely different questions.

And they promised, absolutely promised, not to use the bit where Mrs Diary rings up to say she can't free the handbrake on the car.

They say the camera doesn't lie but your humble scribe does bear an unfortunate resemblance to Barry Humphrey's alter ego, Sir Les Patterson.

That can't be right, can it?

Watch the video on YouTube: http://uk.youtube.com/puppetechnics