Dr Mark Hamilton: 'After spending a few years working in a hospital, I felt like a bit of a change'

HE says he doesn't want to become the next Hilary Jones, but Bolton's very own celebrity doctor is proving to be just the tonic for radio listeners throughout the country.

Royal Bolton Hospital accident and emergency doctor Mark Hamilton has become a big hit on the airwaves since he joined Radio 1 as medical expert on the Sunday Surgery show last year.

He has also recently started a stint on digital TV channel Granada Breeze where he provides advice on every health matter under the sun.

And in between his spotlight stints the 29-year-old father-of-one still manages to fit in the odd shift tending to the sick and injured in the Bolton casualty department.

Mark, who lives in Withington, near Manchester, first started his celebrity career back in the early 1990s when he was a medical student in Manchester taking part in one of the first fly-on-the-wall shows, The Living Soap.

But after university he settled into his career and soon got a job at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

It was not until last year, however, that Mark spotted an advert in the British Medical Journal for a medical expert to work on a phone-in show on Radio 1.

He decided to go for it and managed to beat more than 300 applicants for the job.

Mark first started on the Sunday Surgery with Sara Cox, but has since been working with DJ Emma B since the Bolton lass moved to the breakfast slot.

He said: "I absolutely love it. I'm not too good at the technical side of things but, after spending a few years working in a hospital, I felt like a bit of a change.

"Doing this allows me to make the best of my medical qualifications, but also to have a dabble in the media which I am really enjoying.

Mark has also just started writing on a website for the BBC where more people can ask him question and answers on medical problems.

He added: "I'm not that bothered about becoming a household name like Hilary Jones, but it would be nice to have bit of fame. My main target is to keep having new challenges, having fun and getting away from what is traditionally expected of doctors, but helping at the same time."