Presenter Profile: Ben Prater

Bristol boy Ben can see most of the city from his bedroom window at 'Totterdown Towers'.

"It's nice to wake up, open the window and stare out at the place you love and get paid to talk about.

"Temple Meads, the Suspension Bridge, the Harbourside and Cabot Tower, they're all there."

Ben made his broadcasting debut aged just six when a BBC Radio Bristol reporter came to his school in Sea Mills for the Christmas Carol Concert.

"A reporter asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said a 'rerrmote controoooled carrr' in my broadest Bristolian.

"My dad still blackmails me with the tape."

Now he's just the wrong side of 30 and a dad himself.

"Charlie certainly keeps me busy. When we're not watching Bob the Builder, we're in Victoria Park with the rugby ball.

"Just like me, he's got a lovely left foot on him."

Ben started off at BBC Radio Bristol working on the Sounding Off programme and was the radio car reporter before presenting Breakfast with Nigel Dando for a couple of years.

"That was great fun, Nigel was the old Labrador and I was the bounding young slobbery pup."

Now presenter of Drive, Ben says he loves his slot and the extra sleep is nice.

Ben has swum with dolphins and skydived in New Zealand, watched football at Rio's Maracana stadium and drunk with the All Blacks at the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.

But he's still got one huge ambition… to get a big hairy dog.

"My wife Sally has banned it until we get a garden, but one day… one day."

Listen to Ben's latest programme here