Will Londonderry dog groomer be best on TV show?

Michael Shiels, who runs Bark N Beauty Spa and School of Grooming in Londonderry and also teaches dog grooming, features in the latest episode of the show,

which is presented by actress Sheridan Smith and her fluffy co-host Stanley as they go on a mission to find the UK’s top dog groomer.

Michael said the show was ‘one of the scariest things’ he has ever done in his life, but it was also “amazing”.

“It was unknown - you were going there thinking, am I going to show myself up on TV.

“But it was an amazing opportunity and an amazing experience. I really thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Michael added that host Sheridan Smith is “one of the nicest people” he has ever met in his life.

“She is down-to-earth. She is brilliant craic. She made us feel so welcome.

“She is very sincere, very genuine and I couldn’t have asked for anyone nicer to be standing on stage with and talking to.”

On this week’s episode Michael can be seen grooming a poodle and a Pomeranian.

“Normally when you are a dog groomer you know the dogs, you’ve met them, you’ve been working with them.

“I hadn’t met these dogs before, but they were good wee dogs, they were no problem at all, they were well handled and well looked after.”

So far the series, which was filmed during August, has featured two other Northern Ireland groomers, Thomas McDonald and Tanya Salas, who sadly haven’t made it through to the next stage.

Michael, who has nine dogs of his own and describes himself as a “crazy dog man”, took up dog grooming around 15 years ago.

He had previously ‘done a bit of barbering’ and wanted to spruce up his own pets.

He was so good at it, he began to tend to the dogs of family and friends.

He then began seeing huge success in competitions and in 2015, left his part-time job as a nursing auxiliary in the psychiatric field to take up dog grooming and teaching full-time.

*Pooch Perfect is on BBC1 on Thursday, January 28 at 8pm.