KELLY BROWN Help! I've been totally floored by a bout of Olympic fever

London 2012 seems to have totally taken over my evenings at home this week with Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, Jake Humphrey and the team on my telly to oversee an amazing dose of proper reality TV.

Even my husband – who announced a couple of weeks to me he had no interest whatsoever in the Olympics – has looked up from his laptop a couple of times to comment on proceedings.

I really didn’t plan to watch the opening ceremony live, but instead record it and watch it in the (early!) morning.

But before I knew it I was totally sucked in by Mr Bean, James Bond and dancing nurses and joined the millions who stayed up far too late to watch it, and play a game of ‘how many countries do you really know?’

I also didn’t really plan to watch many of the events as they happened, 
but instead do a quick catchup on the results at random times during the day.

But the Olympics have quietly taken hold and I have suddenly become totally obsessed with the swimming.

Every night I have been cheering on Becky, Gemma, Hannah, Michael and co and shared the excitement and the history – seeing Phelps become the greatest ever Olympian.

And because I’m on maternity leave I’ve been lucky enough to be able to watch the daytime events too, including the disappointment of the diving, and the joy of the gymnastics and rowing.

Even my kids have taken a bit of an interest with my oldest – who has a mini Olympics at nursery next week –loving watching the cycling and asking me lots of questions, and my baby girl mesmerised by the horses.

No, honey, you can’t have one!

It’s getting me all excited about the athletics – which I had planned to watch – and I’ve found myself checking the times of the key events so I don’t miss them if I am at home.

Maybe television scheduling has conspired against me and I’m only watching all the events because there is nothing else on. (Well there are 24 BBC Olympic channels!)

Or maybe the excitement of a home Games has put a strange, unexpected spell on me which I just can’t break.

* I’m on a mission – to find the best picnic spot in the Chichester area.

Supermarket Waitrose has set me the challenge so it will be sandwiches and grapes at the ready with my little ones over the rest of the summer – I just hope the weather holds out.

Let me know your suggestions at [email protected] or via Twitter @KellyBrownMTW