TELEVISION presenter Melinda Messenger has seen her whole world turn upside down since the arrival of her baby son Morgan yet she couldn't be happier about the situation.

The Swindon-born former model, who now lives in Aldbourne, is back on screen with a new Channel Five series of Fort Boyard.

She looks a picture of health and says her six-month-old son has changed the lives of herself and husband Wayne for the better.

"Everything changes when you have a baby," she said with a wide smile. "Your priorities change and your life does alter for the better in terms of the rewards you get from just having a child with you.

"You end up sounding like one of those classic parents who is always saying 'I can't believe how much we love him' and 'what did we do without him?' But that's just how you honestly feel.

"It's difficult to imagine what life was like before Morgan arrived. When I was pregnant I remember having all these nightmares that I was going to come downstairs and forget I had a baby or leave him in the dog's bed in the kitchen by mistake.

"Fortunately that's not happened," she laughed, but then the 29-year-old presenter makes a confession.

"I did forget that I had him once. I left him in a shop. It was very early days and I just automatically picked up my bags and left the shop. Then I thought something is missing 'Oh my god, it's my child'.

"I rushed back into the shop and Morgan was none the wiser, but it was in Mothercare, so he was in good hands."

Melinda admits that she thought she had motherhood worked out but the reality proved to be quite a bit different to her expectations.

"Until it's happened you can never really be prepared," she says with hindsight. "I thought I know what it's all about, but I was wrong.

"You cannot be prepared for what is involved in taking care of somebody round the clock. At first we thought what have we done? Morgan doesn't take a day off and nothing can prepare you for that.

"He is the number one priority for both of us. I turned up for filming today without any make up and normally that would have been the first thing in the bag. Now it's dummies, wipes, clean nappies and my things are an afterthought.

"You just come second and that little baby is first but I wouldn't have it any other way.

"It's amazing watching all the changes in him. Just small things which somebody else might think is nothing you think, 'Isn't he a wonder child? My little miracle'."

Messenger's husband Wayne, 25, looks after Morgan while she is filming and although they have been married for just two years they have known each other well before fame came knocking at her door.

She believes having a relationship with somebody she knew before she was famous is a bonus.

"I often think I'd hate to have to start a relationship now. I don't think I could go out with another famous person, you would never know if that person was interested in you because of you or because you were famous.

"It's wonderful that we have got a good rock solid relationship, touch wood," she said. "That will last, but you can never tell. I hope it will."

Her new son is also helping to heal the rift between Melinda and her mother Avis. The couple fell out because her mother disapproved of her daughter's topless modelling.

"I'm not going to talk about it because I think that is the best policy," she said firmly. "But let's just say so far, so good," she added.

Although Morgan was only born in April, the entire family uprooted themselves a few months later and moved to France from Aldbourne home for the filming of the endurance game show.

"We filmed Fort Boyard just eight weeks after Morgan arrived so it was very hard work but really exciting," said Melinda.

"We stayed in a hotel quite close to the Fort when we were filming and got a boat over each morning. That's a great way to go to work. Every morning I would think this beats getting the bus or tube.

"Morgan, Wayne and my sister-in-law, who was acting as nanny, came along too. Morgan was so young and Wayne wasn't sure how he would cope, it was like having reinforcements.

"It's surprising as I thought this series would be the hardest, physically and emotionally for me but it turned out to be the easiest. Perhaps that was because they were both there and I knew I had them to go home to."

So does Melinda think there will be a little brother or sister for Morgan in the near future?

"I want loads of kids, I like being a mum. Wayne is saying maybe we could wait another year or so and I'm like 'No, now!'"