Frunning makes you 'giggle and wiggle'

Radio 1 DJ and TV presenter Gemma Cairney wakes up her early breakfast show listeners with a show full of music, fashion and showbiz gossip.

Former Brit School Theatre student Gemma Cairney is soon to move to present Radio 1's Surgery on Wednesday nights. She is a double Sony award winner for her work on radio documentaries and has covered Glastonbury on BBC Two and BBC Three for the past five years.

And when she's not busy presenting, Gemma finds lots of ways to get creative, including 'frunning' with her best friend. We asked her to tell us what it's all about.

How do you get creative?

I like to keep creativity ticking along in all kinds of ways. Without feeling like I could express myself or consume creativity I think I would be very miserable. I take it quite seriously. I went to drama school and studied theatre, so I’ve pretty much always been this way. So whether it’s going to see a play, performance art or dressing up in sequins to go out dancing with drag queens, I try to fit in as much as possible.

Something newish that springs to mind is, my longtime and wonderful friend performer Brigitte Aphrodite has invented a new type of ‘creative sport’. It’s called frunning. Fun-Running. It’s a quarter dancing, a quarter jumping about and half running. We head to Hackney Downs in sweatbands - our version of suitable exercise wear (Bri once turned up with Super Man pants over her leggings) - put music on our phones in bum bags and go for it. When I say go for it.. Jog, stop to jump on a bench and lunge, star jump, wiggle, sit ups: whatever we fancy!

How does it make you feel?

It’s mostly hilarious, we giggle as well as wiggle hard.

Why would you encourage other people to get creative?

Mostly because it’s fun, but also because it feeds your heart and mind. It kinda makes you less afraid about life.