HE was once the most energetic man on breakfast TV.
With his colourful Lycra and contagious enthusiasm, Mr Motivator was the go-to guy for fitness in the Nineties.
Now, with a wellness industry packed with reality stars and Instagram influencers, he is making a comeback to “get us moving” and “save us from obesity”.
And at 66 years of age, Mr Motivator — real name Derrick Evans — says he in the best shape of his life.
He tells The Sun: “My message is more important now than it has ever been.
“Over 75 per cent of the population does no exercise, isn’t that crazy?
“We all sit down too much. In theory, you don’t have to leave your room to do anything now.
“You can order food to your door, send emails from bed in your pants, get a hairdresser to your home.
“It won’t be long before we’re all getting bed pans so we literally don’t even have to venture to the bathroom.
“I want people to realise fitness can be as accessible as ordering your food online — with one click you can get a free workout online.
“You don’t need to join the gym or spends hundreds on fancy sports kit.
“Decades ago the Green Cross Code Man was always on TV drumming into us that when crossing a road you should look left, right, left again, and then cross.
“After a while, that was so drummed into you, you did it every time.
“That’s what I want to do with fitness. Every time you go to the fridge, think, ‘Do I really need a slice of cake or would a piece of fruit be just as good?’.
“Every time you approach an escalator, automatically walk rather than stand. It can be this simple.”
Mr M, who has three children and lives in Jamaica with his wife, flies to a specialist warehouse in Miami once a year to choose new prints for his three-piece workout outfit of body suit, bumbag and hat.
And he starts every day with an exercise routine and motivational speech.
He says: “Before I leave home each day, I stand and look in the mirror, naked, and say, ‘Wow I’m great — today is going to be a great day, no matter what.’
“I encourage everyone to do this. Start with a cup full of happiness so when you go out into the world and something knocks you and you spill a bit out, you’ll still have happiness left because you started full.
“This attitude is critical for wellbeing, it’s just as much Mr Motivator’s message as the workouts.”
One big change since Mr Motivator’s heyday is the emergence of social media — and it is something he is still getting used to.
He says: “I joined Instagram three weeks ago.
“I’m hoping it will mean lots of different people will be able to follow my message and get motivated by my videos.
“I think there are good and bad points to fitness in-fluencer types.
“People like Joe Wicks — he has been satisfying the needs of the time. People wanted quick workouts they could get on their phones.
“But then you get these models who don’t share positive messages.
“There are so many fads. It’s always great to have new ideas to get people moving, but if it doesn’t engage with the 75 per cent who do no exercise, then it’s clearly not working.
“I’m all about getting your Joe Bloggs off the sofa and doing exercise.
“It makes me laugh when I read about a new ‘drumstick workout’ where you pretend to beat a drum while doing squats.
“What does it actually do? I’m into things that encourage long-term fitness.
“Stick on your favourite album and dance as energetically as you can around your living room — that’s sure to get your heart rate up.”
In his time away from TV, Mr Motivator has been running an eco-friendly resort in Jamaica as well as holding motivational talks for companies.
But now he wants to focus his attention back on fitness.
He says: “Years ago, PE was compulsory, play time after school was outside, parents worked in jobs on their feet all day and cycled to work, then played football for their work league. We need to reset our minds to moving more. I have a Fitbit and set it every 40 minutes to tell me to move. I get up and do press-ups or squats to keep the blood pumping.
“I do 66 push-ups before bed — one for each wonderful year of life, and tell my wife I love her every day.
“I’m all about bright colour and laughter and feeling good. It’s got to be fun.
“Mr Motivator will always be just that — there hasn’t been anyone like me and there won’t ever be.”
