Tayside track star Eilish McColgan has revealed the cheeky secret behind her television debut two decades ago.
The middle-distance athlete is looking forward to a family festive season before firmly turning her training and attention to another Commonwealth Games appearance on Queensland’s Gold Coast next April.
While 27-year-old McColgan has become a familiar face to TV sports fans through her performances at Olympics in London and Rio, Hawkhill Harrier Eilish has treated Twitter followers to the glimpse from the small screen career which stretches back to the days when her mother, Liz, was hitting the heights as one of Scotland’s greatest-ever athletes.
Liz, who has coached her daughter to success in events ranging from the 1,500 metres to the 5,000 and the 3,000m steeplechase, was already a multiple medallist when cereal company Shredded Wheat signed her up for a television advert that was released in 1985.
With Commonwealth and World Championship gold medals under her spikes, Liz was chosen by the breakfast firm to promote their cereal as the ideal fuel to start the day.
She told viewers: “Start the day the best possible way and you’ll be ready for anything – even one of these “, as a five-year-old Eilish jumped into her arms.
More than two decades on, Eilish has let the cat out of the bag by telling her 24,000 Twitter followers she was no fan of Shredded Wheat, preferring another, less healthy, big name brand instead.
Eilish said: “Funny story: They asked me to eat cereal but I hated everything other than Frosties… so they had to give me a bowl of cheesy wotzit crisps instead, with a spoon, to get me to comply.”
My TV advert debut, aged 5, for @ShreddedWheatUK with @Lizmccolgan.
Funny story: They asked me to eat cereal but I hated everything other than Frosties.. so they had to give me a bowl of cheesy wotzit crisps instead, with a spoon, to get me to comply. ?
— Eilish Mccolgan (@EilishMccolgan) December 19, 2017
Fans have responded well to the post, declaring Eilish a “little rascal” as well as praising both mother and daughter.
Eilish is excited to be part of a strong Team Scotland athletics squad heading Down Under for the Commonwealth Games, but has also recently enjoyed a spell back home, posting a video blog of some of her training runs around old routes.
