ONE of Countryfile’s big names said she didn’t want people in Oxfordshire to regard the event as a nuisance.

Presenter Ellie Harrison said she wanted the communities of towns and villages surrounding the Blenheim Palace event to come out and enjoy it – rather than seeing it as a harbinger of hassle.

The 39-year-old was speaking primarily with reference to the traffic woes of the event last year– which saw roads near Woodstock heavily congested throughout the four days.

She said: “I hope people from Oxfordshire come out. It’s important that they don’t feel like we’ve just landed and clogged up the roads. I want them to come and get a piece of what’s going on.”

Despite the immense popularity of the BBC programme and the live show, Mrs Harrison said she still found the Countryfile Live experience a little nerve-wracking.

She said: “I would say on some level it is still daunting.

“I’m used to heading out with four or five people to film somewhere that’s pretty remote – so it feels pretty daunting to be in the company of so many people that have watched me work.”

Despite nerves, she said the response from the public had been incredible.