TV PRESENTER Debbie Thrower has achieved much success serving the public as a journalist.

Now she is also turning her work to serving God in the villages around Alresford.

She has recently been licensed as a Reader in the Church of England at a ceremony in Winchester Cathedral.

The Meridian Tonight anchorwoman, 48, has completed three years' training to attain the post, which allows her to preach, teach and conduct most worship. It could be a step to becoming a full-time priest, but she told the Daily Echo that she is happy to combine her full-time job with the church.

"I really enjoyed doing the study. I had to fit it around work. At the moment I'm happy trying to combine the two. I enjoy my work at Meridian but one can never be certain.

"Preaching is very nerve-racking, every bit as being on live TV. The art of preaching is very new. I would compare it in a way to being an artist putting on a private view. It feels that personal.

"You are giving a long period of thought to something and then giving it to other people."

The job of newsreader and priest has obvious similarities of communication. But Debbie said: "It is different. The job of a priest points away from oneself to God.

"You are a channel for the message and not trying to draw attention to yourself."

For the last year she has been preaching at churches in the Upper Itchen benefice at Cheriton, Bramdean, Beauworth, Hinton Ampner, Kilmeston and Tichborne.

She said: "I have felt nothing but support from people. It was a wonderful service in the cathedral. It must be a surprise for people to see me in the robes. It is certainly a surprise to me when I look in the mirror."

Debbie is to conduct evensong at Tichborne on Sunday.

The office of reader is one of the oldest ministries in the Church of England and there are more than 10,000 men and women nationwide performing the role.