A DOG walker took centre stage at the world’s most famous dog competition over the weekend, but not how you might expect.

While proud owners strutted their stuff around Birmingham’s NEC arena for Crufts, Roni Adams, 51, owner of Basildon-based home boarding and dog walking company Happy Wagz, appeared on a segment testing out a range of pooper scoopers.

Picking up dog mess on national TV may not be a dream come true for most people, but for Roni, it marked a successful first nine months since kick-starting her business last July.

Crufts film crews filmed her in One Tree Hill, off Dry Street, Basildon, when the Beast from the East hit.

Comedian and Channel Four star Alan Carr was due to join in with the session, but heavy snow sadly meant he couldn’t attend.

Roni, who lives in Basildon, has been keeping her eyes glued to the TV all weekend waiting for her moment.

She said: “I have been watching all weekend waiting for the segment to pop up, because they never said when it would air.

“Every time they went to a clip, I got butterflies thinking my face was about to pop up.

“They had been doing a little bit with a company called Pooch Palace, and asked the owner, Tracey, if she knew any dog walkers so she put them in contact with me.

“I’ve never really be on camera, but we went down to One Tree Hill with a few of the dogs and tested out all these pooper scoopers.

“A few of them were quite technical, I didn’t realise how complicated they could be.

“I was using one, the Poopsta, it was quite a contraption, you didn’t have to actually touch the bag at all. You clamped down on the mess and it had an elastic band attached that then tied the bag up.

“For anyone who doesn’t enjoy picking it up, or for girls who are always breaking the bags with their nails, it is a great device.”

When Roni lost her office job several years ago, she grew concerned about paying the bills and how to continue her working life.

After worker at Billericay Doggy Day Centre, a fellow colleague convinced her to launch her own business after she became known as the leader of the pack.

Roni said: “If anyone told me a year ago, I would have my own business and be on Crufts, well I never would have believed them.

“I really do see it as a massive achievement and one I am really proud of.

“I really didn’t know what to do when I lost that job, but I haven’t looked back joining the day centre, and now I work seven days a week, with the animals I love every day, I own my own van, thinks really are looking good.

“I am a single mum, I raised two girls, and it goes to show any woman out there who may be struggling, follow your dreams, volunteer for work, do what you enjoy and see where it takes you.”

Roni’s segment appeared on Crufts yesterday evening.