GMTV newsreader and presenter Penny Smith is set to be the latest celebrity guest of Birmingham Press Club next month.

Early riser Penny will be appearing at a lunch time event at Blue Mango to the Gallery Restaurant, Selfridges, Bullring, on September 29.

Penny has been appearing on breakfast TV since 1993, despite her claim that she has been getting up at 4am for "105 years".

She began her career at the Peterborough Evening Telegraph, and after a four-year stint at the newspaper left to backpack her way around South America for 12 months.

Penny said: "I couldn't bear to come home, so flew to Hong Kong with 50 pence and got a job on Radio Hong Kong, presenting and reporting on a current affairs programme."

On returning home, Penny worked briefly in radio before moving into TV, a spell at Border TV being followed by Thames News, where she copresented with Andrew Gardner.

A year later she joined newly-launched Sky News, and, after four years at Sky, Penny moved to GMTV.

* Tickets for the Penny Smith event can be obtained from Press Club events director Kay Cadman on 0121 643 8151.