Don't let the papers determine who you should look up to

Jeff Stelling, Carol Vorderman, Sir Michael Parkinson

The game "Name three people, dead-or-alive, you would love to have in your ideal dinner party?" is one that many are familiar with. You may have played in your own dinner party - well, in my experience anyway. I think it's a great game as it allows you to be imaginative. It is also a superb way to know yourself and the people who you're with better. If the three people you want in your ideal dinner party are those you are attracted to, this could mean you have a desire to have that special someone in your life. Maybe all your three choices are no longer with us - this could indicate your wish to communicate with someone in your past, but can't. Some people even choose their family members as their three guests - that could either mean that you haven't allowed your imagination to run wild, or perhaps, you really don't want to get sucked into the celebrity culture and therefore, do not want to think about a household name as your ideal dinner guest.

My three choices are pictured above. All three have been on my television screen constantly since I was very young. When I first had Sky Sports, I instantly fell in love with Gillette Soccer Saturday. I loved, and still love the terrific banter Jeff Stelling and his four panellists have on a weekly basis. Stelling has a great sense of humour and he seems like the type of person I could relate to. When I read his book "Jelleyman's Thrown a Wobbly", I became even more fascinated with him and his life. He wasn't born privileged by a long shot, and he made his way up the career ladder through determination and focus. I look up to him.

Like Gillette Soccer Saturday, I had always watched Countdown as a child. After school five days a week, I'd go home and watch Carol Vorderman with Richard Whiteley, until Mr Whiteley's tragic passing in 2005. They both had a great bond which I thought made great television and even today, the show can really help enhance people's written and numerical skills. If only Countdown was at its original timeslot of after school rather than 3.10pm. Who watches television at that time?

Back to Carol, even after her life at Countdown (she left in 2008), she keeps herself active in the media spotlight. Loose Women aside, she's done terrific to inspire young children improve their maths publishing excellent exercise books. Not to mention her role as one of the main ambassadors of "Pride of Britain" awards, a night that recognises ordinary people doing extraordinary things. She takes life at her stride, even if she was bitter leaving Countdown - but wouldn't you if you found out your wage was to be deducted by 90%?

The third person chosen as my ideal dinner guest is Sir Michael Parkinson. He is someone I genuinely look up to. Like Stelling and even Carol Vorderman, Parky wasn't raised by millionaires. Even if my three choices weren't living in poverty as children, they weren't given their prestigious roles today because they had famous parents. Parkinson did things his way and he is still receiving the respect he deserves, even after his retirement from TV. There aren't many people who dislike him and if they do, they won't admit it. I had watched his talkshow when I was young and loved the concept. Every Saturday evening, he would interview incredible people who perhaps he would have liked to be his dinner guests. His show attracted news headlines a lot of the time and that's what got me interested in journalism. Michael Parkinson inspired me to work in the media industry.

I am always interested in other people's choices so I researched which celebrities most of the general public chose. According to one recent poll, the five most popular personalities in this situation are comedians Stephen Fry, Billy Connolly and Dawn French, TV legend Sir David Attenborough and former Prime Minister Winston Churchill. This doesn't surprise me because these people are who we ultimately look up to. We want to hear their incredible stories, we want to be under the same roof as well-known people only the very few have had the honour in meeting.

TIME Magazine offers a more serious outlook on who inspire people with their annual list of influential people which include current world leaders and successful business people. Nothing wrong with that - in fact, it's great to recognise the powerful. It motivates people to fulfil their potential. But should the media tell us who we look up to?

The past week, we remembered the troops who had fallen in conflicts of the First and Second World War and beyond. Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day are great days to reflect those who have sacrificed their life for our country - or at least that's what the media wants us to believe.

UK political leaders past and present (Image: metro.co.uk)

Don't get me wrong, the army do an incredible job. For example, as we speak, many of them are heading to the Philippines and help those in need after a devastating typhoon ruined the lives of millions. In addition, the army have great peace envoys across the world representing UK in the global stage as a nation who cares. That is clear and they deserve recognition. However, it can be argued that politicians and the media give the army too much respect. It is now compulsory to wear a poppy during the period of Remembrance Sunday on television or you'll deem to have lacked respect for those heroes who 'sacrifice their lives for British freedoms'. I may be short-sighted, but do they? The media emphasises the British intervention in Afghanistan as an example of this but to me, they aren't doing anything to help, or worsen British freedom. And there is little proof that they have done greater good to the people of Afghanistan with al-Qaeda still making many lives a misery.

If they were fighting for our freedom, why are we being judged if we didn't don a poppy for Armistice Day? That is our freedom. The army won't judge us if we didn't wear one. The conflict in Afghanistan is the politicians' poor excuse for keeping our troops in dangerous battlegrounds rather than heading them home safely with their loved ones and actually helping British people who are in need.

Our troops in Afghanistan are wasting away which is horrific to see and I cannot imagine how their family and friends are feeling every day and night. These troops could be in the UK helping out in hospitals, overcoming the problem that emergency services are having, i.e. ease their short-staff crisis. If they were in British hospitals, would the NHS receive the stick they're undeservedly getting at present? The army could be joining forces with the police and fire personnel, reducing crime rate further and saving lives during crisis. But instead, we have politicians who insist the army can transform a highly dictated nation like Afghanistan which is littered with evil (al-Qaeda). It's a nice thought but over £1 trillion later, and the loss of hundreds of lives, alarm bells should be ringing, saying this conflict isn't worth it. They are heroic because they media tell us they are.

Let's put it this way, only one of the five top dinner guests mentioned earlier had any significant link to the army. The army must be respected, but don't let the media take advantage of your beliefs. Would you have an army cadet in your dinner party, or George Clooney/ Angelina Jolie? And if you chose Prince William or Harry, would it be because they're royalty, they're eye-candy, or because of their roles with the military? I'm not saying our troops aren't heroes, however, do we believe they are heroic because the BBC make a sob story out of them? We'll see one member of the force in the news then we'd forgotten about them the next instance. I feel sorry for our military that they're being used as PR dirt. If they don't talk about our troops, would we?

People underestimate the media. You're probably thinking it doesn't affect your life so much but honestly, it does. If the Daily Mail is passionate about something, then there is a chance you will be too. The media is highly influential but we should learn to take what the papers say in moderation. Our freedom is that we think for ourselves, even if it's as small as a 'fantasy dinner guest game'. Make up your own mind.