I have a 9 week old baby son, so good luck with the impending arrival. Do you know the new baby's sex yet? (off Rob)

First of all, congratulations on your new baby! I do know the sex of my growing bump... but I'm keeping it to myself for now!

Also I noticed that you support the Demelza House charity which is a children's hospice near me in north Kent. You probably get approached by hundreds of charities. What made you support this one in particular? (off Rob)

I visited Demelza House a few years ago, and was struck by how hard they had tried to make it a place of comfort and rest - like many other children's hospices that I have visited. I was asked to become involved and have happily done so, anything that helps ease the suffering of children, and also their families is worth supporting. I often get asked to get involved with charities, and I do a few little things, but Demelza House is the only charity I have put my name to.

Glad to see that you will be back in March, we can't be deprived of seeing our favourite weather girl for too long, have you any plans to post any new updates in the gallery section to help your fans through the winter? (off Brian)

It all depends on how compliant the 'bump' is when it arrives! I'm also going to be moving house during that time (I know, I must be mad), and next year I will be giving you all updates on how the move, and the chaos of building work that is going to follow!

Have you been watching Holly on the Celebrity Darts show on Challenge TV, and is there any possibility of you taking part next years in competition? (off Brian R)

I appeared on Bullseye earlier this year, and that was enough to prove that I really don't have the skills needed to take part in any kind of darts challenge!

A few years back you were the guest celebrity in Dictionary Corner on Countdown. Any chance you'd do it again? (off Frank)

If I was asked to I'd do it again... It was great fun to do. We actually played a little joke on the lovely Richard Whitely that day. He'd been joking with Carol for weeks that he was going to get me on to replace her (Obviously a joke as my math skills are TERRIBLE!), so the producers got me up to Leeds and in the studio without telling him, just to see his face when I walked in the door! It was a really fun day; he was a lovely man.

Just a quick email to say what an absolute treat it was to find that Andrea has posted a whole gallery of recent photos, and how great they are too. (off Brian)

Thank you Brian. I've been looking at the non photo-shoot ones I was  going to post on the site, but I think I look too enormous to share them with the rest of the world... 

Could you explain a typical day at GMTV (from your early wake up until you arrive back home), how long it takes to arrange maps & how many slots do you do on GMTV... (off Faye)

My alarm goes off at 4am, and I crawl out of bed at about quarter past, to be in work for 5am. I am briefed by The Met Office, then made up, then sort out my hair and clothes, in time to be on air at 6. I am on air every half hour, and in between I check up on the weather, answer mail and chat to Penny.

I noticed when reading the Q&A that quite a few people have commented on you and Penny being friends. So, to carry on the trend (lol), has there ever been a time you and Penny have fallen out and hated sharing a dressing room with each other because of it? (off Ollie)

No, never! We make each other laugh too much.

Andrea will you be returning to GMTV to read the weather after your baby, if so how long will you be away for, also do you have any other TV appearances lined up in the near future? (off Wayne)

I'll be leaving at the end of November and then I'll be back doing the weather at the start of March, so I'm not having too much time off. As far as other TV stuff goes, I have a few things lined up for next year, but you'll have to wait and see!

When is your baby due? (off Hilary)

That's a tricky one! I've been given a couple of dates, but it's around the end of November / start of December.

Have you been eating any strange foods or mix of foods during the pregnancy? (off Jo)

I've been quite good this time round; all I've really wanted is fruit and water, lots and lots of it. With the odd bit of chocolate thrown in...

What do you think is the best thing about being Pregnant? (off Sam)

The middle bit is lovely; when the bump starts to show and you feel well and 'blooming'. The first and last few months are pretty rough though, at the moment I feel heavy, fat and bloated and can't wait to have my body back to myself again!

On GMTV Penny Smith let slip you have a Tattoo. What is the Tattoo of? & Where is it? (off Jake)

Aha! That'd be telling!

Do you understand all about the Weather. Or do you only read the GMTV Autocue? (off Steve)

I first started doing the weather in 1996 for The Weather Channel, which was on SKY. I was trained for six weeks before even being allowed on air, in meteorology and presentation, so that by the time I went on air I knew what I was talking about and how to present it. I've not had any more training since then, but as I do it every day it has become second nature. And I don't use Autocue to do the weather! I'm briefed by the Met Office every morning, and do the reports in my own words along with the graphics, keeping to time.

Have you gone Ice Skating since leaving the "Dancing on Ice" shows? (off Ray)

I haven't put my skates on since the show ended, which is a shame. Obviously I'm in no fit state to be allowed near the ice now, so I hope I haven't lost everything I learned!

Do you keep in contact with Holly, Andy or any of the other cast on "Dancing on Ice"? (off Mark)

Yes, I keep in touch with a couple of people from the show; we mainly send each other silly texts when we see each other on the telly.

I was watching "Celebrity Place in the Sun" with Amanda Lamb & she was house hunting in France for Tara Palmer Tomkinson. In the credits it said "Stylist: Andrea McLean", was this you? (off Owen)

I wish it was!

Hi Andrea, I must say that your are looking absolutely stunning at the moment and I was wondering will you be doing any articles on GMTV, maybe on LK Today about your pregnancy, we need to see you on the sofa more often ! (off Brian)

Thanks so much Brian! I don't think there are any items planned for me on either GMTV or LK Today, so you'll have to make do with me standing in front of my map, blocking most of the UK! I've been off work for a couple of weeks, but I'll be back soon, for the rest of the run-up to the baby.

What's your favourite outfit when going out for a glamorous evening on the town? (off Martin R)

Crikey... two things that don't happen very often; one is going out on the town, and the other is fitting into a favourite outfit! At the moment when I do go out, I'm wearing some lovely things by a company called Mamas and Papas; I have a sparkly black top that people always comment on, and last week I went out (as it was my birthday, so I had a real excuse!) and I wore a lovely black dress, again by M&P. It made the most of the cleavage I've suddenly acquired!

What is it like sharing a dressing room with Penny Smith, do either of you have any habits that annoy the other one? And how often do you remind each other of your experiences on Dancing on Ice and Just The Two Of Us? (off Zoe)

Penny and I have shared a dressing room for almost 10 years, so we've become good friends. We take the mickey out of each other on a pretty regular basis; and not just about our lack of skating or singing abilities!

At what age did you leave school? As I am leaving as soon as I have finished my GCSE's. Also when Claire joined did you thing you might have competition for male fans? (Which could never happen cuz you are a lot more beautiful than Claire). Love ya loads!! (off Chris)

I left school at 18, after my A-Levels, then went on to study History, Politics and International Relations at Coventry Poly (now University). I loved my time there, and really enjoyed my degree, even though I only got a 2:2 in the end. Clare and I had known each other for years before she joined me at GMTV, and I was really pleased to have her become my weather partner. We look out for each other, and cover for each other if we ever need time off, and support each other when we're sent all round the country at a 
moments notice. And I must admit I didn't give it a thought whether we'd be competition for each other - we're mates!

Thank you for the great site. Has any magazine asked you to pose for a "Demi Moore" style photo shoot? Or have you considered it? Showing your new Bump (off Roger)

Actually, I WAS offered the chance by a magazine to 'do a Demi'.... but I said no. I don't think the world is quite ready for a bump my size! I think I'll wait until I get my figure back before doing any fancy photo 
shoots again.

I would like to know are you ticklish? And who is the most ticklish on GM:TV? (off Youri)

Am I ticklish? What a strange question! I suppose I'm no more ticklish than anyone else... I have no idea who the most ticklish presenter on GMTV would be. Maybe Lorraine as she's very smiley.

What do you do in your spare time (ie after GMTV or on your days off)? (off Harry)

I am very normal on my days off, just running around being a mum, and at the moment getting stuff ready for the new arrival! Some days I'm very busy with work things, having meetings, sorting things, or doing other jobs away from GMTV.

What is your greatest fear? (off Sally)

Anything bad happening to my son. I lie awake at night worrying about him, and sometimes have to get up and just look at him in the middle of the night to make myself feel better. I hate to think what I'll be like with two... there won't be enough hours in the day to fit the worrying in!

What 5x objects do you always carry with you? (off Sid)

Gosh, very normal things I guess... I've just had a look in my little bag, and I always have my house keys, car keys, purse, mobile phone and lip salve. I have hundreds of tubes of lip salve, just so there is always some with me!

Which word(s) or phrase(s) do you find yourself saying time & time again? (except "Hello & Good Morning" on GMTV lol) (off Lisa)

At home I spend a lot of time saying "What do you say? What's the magic  word?"!! I'm a stickler for please and thank you's so I'm like a stuck record as  far as that is concerned!

Other than the GMTV cast, what Celebrity friends do you hang out with  (ie ones that call to your home or go out for food together) (off Lee)

Most of my friends are very normal, and don't work in television - not that people who work in television aren't normal! Penny Smith and Clare Nasir from GMTV are friends of mine, we chat to each other out of work and make each other laugh a lot. Actually we're all a pretty close bunch at GMTV  and have all seen each other out of work at some point for wee drinkies. I have quite a few friends who are on TV, but as I'm such a ridiculous stay at home kind of person, we tend to chat on the phone and catch up on the few times I manage to make it out to events. I get invited to lots of things, but I just like being with my family, so I don't tend to go out that often. I'd rather cook a nice Sunday lunch for people at my house than go out!

Where is the most beautiful place you've visited in the UK & also world wide? (off Alison)

One of the great things about my job at GMTV is the fantastic places I've seen around the UK. We live in such a beautiful country, and you don't realise it until you get out there and explore. I love the highlands of Scotland, and the South Downs in the south of England. There are so many beautiful places in the world; I love the French countryside, the little coves in the Greek islands, and the white sand in Barbados!

What's car do you drive? Why did you pick that car? (off Wyn)

I drive a 4 x 4, which is just about big enough for my growing family!

What TV programs do you enjoy watching at the moment? (off Issac)

I don't really watch TV, but if I fancy sitting down in front of the telly I like make-over shows, whether it's sorting out houses, people's faces or badly behaved children! I'm half way through the first series of 24 on DVD, so I normally watch an episode of that if I have time to myself - it's fantastic.

What's your most favourite Film of all time & why? (off Aimee)

I don't have a favourite film of all time; I think it's impossible to narrow it down to just one! It depends what kind of mood I'm in. I love watching a good film, but quite often I'll wait til they come out on DVD so I can watch them when I've got time, rather than rushing out to the cinema when something new comes out. Apart from children's films - this summer I spent half my life at the cinema with Finlay watching the latest animated films! I like foreign films because they are so refreshing compared to the formula stuff we usually get at the cinema, but then I also love anything with Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller. I watched Zoolander again the other night, just because it makes me laugh and laugh, it's so ridiculous. I also watched the British film Confetti over the weekend and thought it was great, I cried at the end. 'Life Is Beautiful' is one of my favourite films of all time, as is  'The Pianist'.

What did you want to be when you were at school? (off Matthew Hooker)

When I was at school I really wanted to be a journalist. I started a school paper when I was 16 (it was terrible, and only had one edition, but that didn't stop me!), I wrote for free for the local paper, and I wrote my first (very bad) book when I was 17! It's buried in the loft somewhere, and there it will stay!

Hi Andrea, I was also raised in Trinidad and had a typically strict childhood including occasional spankings. I've read some of your work for BBC parenting magazine and was wondering as a young mum yourself if you think discipline these days is no longer strict enough, and were you smacked or believe in smacking today?  (off Jane Smith)

Smacking is a tricky one... What is it? A tap on the hand when a toddler has grabbed at a hot iron? A beating with a belt? Everything in between? My parents were very strict, and my sister and I were smacked, but what I can remember of it was the embarassment of a stinging slap on the leg. 

As a mum of a nearly five year-old who went through the worst terrible two's, and with another potential little horror on the way (!) I think that  discipline is very important, but that you don't have to resort to smacking to do it. I am very firm but fair, and Finlay always knows where he is with me,  and that no means no. He's growing into a wonderful boy, and accepts when I  tell him what he's done is not acceptable. He might rage and shout from the  naughty step, but once he calms down he gets it, and we carry on as before. I  think praising good behaviour and being firm, fair and consistant with bad is  a better way to go about it than smacking.

What was it like doing "Dancing on Ice" & would you do something like that again? (off Graeme)

I loved doing Dancing on Ice, but it was hard! I broke a rib, I concussed myself, and every night I could count new bruises! The hardest bit was being shouted at by my dancing partner for not getting things right, as I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to that kind of thing, but I kept at it. I really loved presenting Dancing on Ice Extra with Andi Peters; we had a great time doing that and I would love to do it again. I don't think I could do anything involving a jungle and eating bugs though - I'm scared of the dark so I  wouldn't win dinner for anyone!

After a long morning at GM:TV Studios & having to get to bed early for filming the next day, what do you do to relax in afternoons or nights? (off Rebecca)

Now that Finlay is at school I'm able to relax a bit more when I get home, so I normally go back to bed for a couple of hours so that I'm fresh and ready for him when he comes back home, and try and get any work done so that I can give him my full attention when he's here. I don't tend to go out very much, I'm quite a stay-at-home kind of girl, so normally I just play with Finlay in the afternoons, feed him and get him to bed, then just potter about for an hour or so afterwards, tidying up and making sure his things are ready for the next day. Nothing exciting at all, but I love it!

What kind of Music do you have on your I-Pod, or Hi-Fi Collection? (off Steve)

I have whatever my sister has put on it! I love my I-Pod, but I have no idea how to put things on it, so she sticks things on whenever she comes over to see us. I love David Gray, Jack Johnson, Coldplay... anything easy going. I'm not bothered at all about whether what I listen to is trendy, or current, I just like what I like! In fact, my parents were over to stay last weekend, and we sat up til the wee hours singing along to my dad's I-Pod which was full of Ray Charles, Charlie Rich, Chris Kristofferson and John Denver!