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Legendary children's TV presenter Dave Benson Phillips is stepping into the squared circle tomorrow after taking up WRESTLING .

The 53-year-old is famous for hosting the hit '90s series Get Your Own Back, where kids competed to gunge parents, teachers or other annoying adults in their lives.

But now the CBBC great will team with Ireland's party queen 'Session Moth' Martina to take on the villainous duo Anti Fun Police at Riptide Wrestling in Brighton.

The Irish star is one of the most entertaining grapplers around, with her love of Eurodance, Stella Artois and leopard print, but Chief Deputy Dunne and Los Federales Santos Jr won't take kindly to her drunken shenanigans.

Fortunately Benson, who hosted Get Your Own Back until 2004, is actually no stranger to the ring, having worked as a referee at Pontins holiday camps and in Germany.

Yet that was 30 years ago and speaking exclusively to Mirror Sport's Tony Quant, the king of gunge revealed the thinking behind his extraordinary change in career.

(Image: Riptide Wrestling)

So Dave, tell us about how this came about and why you compete for Riptide Wrestling on Friday, August 3?

It's a really interesting thing. I was taking part in Funday Sunday at Horsham and amongst many of my duties included being MC for the day. I was approached by a very lovely guy who I spoke to about a year before from KAPOW Wrestling, asked me if I could go in the ring for a few minutes. I used to wrestle back in the day and so I got in the ring and chucked somebody about for a while. So you can only imagine my surprise when there was a phone call to my agent from Riptide Wrestling, asking if I was up for a bout against the Anti Fun Police. I can’t believe that I have been asked to do such a thing but I am looking forward to it!

Did you expect the reception you have received on social media since Riptide make the announcement?

It’s an interesting one, young wrestling fans are quite shocked. For adults it's quite an interesting thing to read as a lot of them probably watched me on television when they were younger. Some fans have been good about it because I have seen some stuff come up on my Twitter page. One of my good friends Tim Griffiths is a big wrestling fan and he is really thrown by it all, I need to get him tickets for the show. I have really been quite amazed by the speed of social media and the reception I've received.

Tell us about your past in the wrestling business.

Well, I was a Pontins Blue Coat and amongst my duties I was asked to referee the wrestling. It was a huge amount of fun for the wrestlers because in those days I was the only black Blue Coat in Pontins.

It was something of great entertainment and amusement for everyone and then once that season had finished I had the chance to go on a wrestling trip in Germany.

I wasn’t wrestling out there and was usually the referee, but I was taught the rules and had to learn things pretty sharpish.

I was very inquisitive and I let them practise holds on me and then I would practise some on them. I was very grateful for my time at Pontins but had always wanted to be a singer and performer.

Prior to your involvement in wrestling, had you been a fan of it growing up?

Yes, I used to watch a lot of it. I wasn’t very good at watching sports on television, like some people get obsessed with watching sports but I never really did. Wrestling, however, appealed to me because it was very theatrical. I used to watch Big Daddy, Mick McManus... all of those guys and they were such entertaining sportsmen.

I am talking like back in the '70s and '80s and everyone used to sit in on a Saturday afternoon and watch World of Sport.

(Image: Jake Turney)

Talking of World of Sport, they have made a long awaited return to mainstream TV on ITV.

I could not believe it when I saw it, I had to do a double take. Wrestling has always been big, but more so in America. The British wrestling scene has always been relegated below that. But talking to the KAPOW bunch, they couldn’t be more excited about World of Sport coming back because it just helps to put British wrestling back on the map.

Do you actually have the chance to watch wrestling or attend any shows?

The last time I went to a show was in the Pavilion Theatre in Worthing, that was nice but I didn’t get to see much of it. I know that there is still wrestling going on at Butlins as well, but I don’t get a chance to see as much of it as I should do.

Do you know much about your tag team partner at Riptide, 'Session Moth Martina', or your opponents the Anti Fun Police?

My work on this has begun in earnest. I am going to have to find out as much as I can about Riptide Wrestling, 'Session Moth; Martina and the Anti Fun Police. I have also got to get fit as well, which isn’t as easy at 53-years-old!

So how will you get in shape for a wrestling match seeing as you haven’t been in the ring for such a long time?

I will try and arrange to see somebody and to get myself fit. As you can imagine the last time I wrestled professional I was about 25. That was when kids television started for me and I haven’t wrestled since. It will be interesting knocking off the ring rust. I will be slightly slower and a lot less agile than I was before and I'm hoping the damage will have already been done by Martina when I get tagged in to the ring!

(Image: Jake Turney)

Having been an entertainer for most of your life, you are very comfortable performing in front of large audiences. But does walking into a different environment such as a wrestling ring bring any nerves?

Do you know what, it all depends on the jobs, but you kinda hit nail on head. I have been hosting '80s events with Pat Sharp recently and that is like 10,000 people in a field and by rights I should be nervous. But it is a friendly thing because they are all there for music. Performing in live shows and playing or performing a piece, you have initial nerves but thankful I work on the nerves that I am having. I do need my nerves to a certain degree and once I get past the initial feeling it's pretty cool. The only thing is if i go in ill-prepared, then that's a problem.

A lot of fans remember you from your days on Get Your Own Back. Can we expect to see you bring along any gunge to the show?

If you have ever walked across a ring canvas it's great until you put any liquid on it. Then it's worse than ice. I might have to take some along in a bucket but if it hits canvas it will be wrestling on ice and probably not a good idea!

Dave Benson Phillips will team with 'Session Moth' Martina against the Anti Fun Police at Riptide Wrestling’s Brighton Needs a Champion show in Brighton on August 3. Tickets are available for the three-day event at riptidewrestling.com