MARY PORTAS TO TAKE ON CHARITY SHOPS IN NEW SERIES

MARY PORTAS TO TAKE ON CHARITY SHOPS IN NEW SERIES

Fashion guru Mary Portas, dubbed the Queen of Shops in her BBC2 series, is to take on the nation's charity shops in a new programme.

Mary, Queen Of Charity Shops will see Portas taking on the image and public perception of charity shops in order to turn them into must-stop high street shops.

Having transformed the fortunes of boutiques across the country with her no-nonsense advice, Portas will aim to remove the stigma of charity shop visits in order to promote the outlets in question as a key part of ethical shopping.

"I want to turn these hardworking and dedicated volunteers into clued-up retail experts, their jumble sale stock into must-have collections," she explained.

"At the same time, I intend to radically change consumer shopping habits, and prove a trip to a local charity outlet can be a fun and rewarding experience."

Elaine Bedell, the BBC's controller of entertainment commissioning, said Mary, Queen of Charity Shops promises to be "exciting, must-watch television with real purpose at its heart".

"It will be fascinating to see whether Mary can carry out the transformation she hopes to make or whether this time she has bitten off more than she can chew."