It's not often you turn up at a pub and recognise the face at the bar from daytime television.

But that's exactly what happened at popular rural pub the Greyhound in Sydling St Nicholas.

Former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips and her husband Martin Frizell took over the village pub in March 2011.

They bought the 18th century pub for a reported £900,000.

The journalist couple met while working together on GMTV and then married in Las Vegas

They took over the Greyhound after it's previous owners chose to retire.

Dorset Echo:

Fiona pulling pints at the Greyhound

Martin said Fiona and their two sons ‘loved the place’.

He said back in 2011: “If you can tell me of a prettier village in Dorset, I’d like to know – it’s beautiful.

“We have always been frustrated with not finding a pub that we like and when this one came on the market we thought it would be a shame if it fell into large pub company hands so we wanted to buy it and preserve it.”

Dorset Echo:

The couple presenting GMTV together

Martin added that it was an ‘instantaneous’ choice to buy the pub.

He said: “It had an absolutely charismatic feel as soon as we walked through the door which is the most important thing in a pub.”

Dorset Echo:

Fiona Phillips at a book signing in Bridport

Sadly, in 2014 Fiona and Martin called time on their Dorset village pub dream.

The Greyhound was passed on to new owners Rod and Janette Lamont who aimed to create a‘destination dining pub’ that also played an important part in the community.

The pub has now re-opened for the easing of lockdown with a reduced capacity and asks customers to book ahead.