GMTV's Fiona Phillips 'was offered a job as a Government adviser'

Gordon Brown wanted GMTV's Fiona Phillips to take on an advisory role in his Government, it emerged yesterday.

The PM held informal talks with the television presenter about becoming involved in a high profile campaign on an issue such as child poverty or public health.

The approach, soon after Mr Brown became Premier, was part of his campaign to create a "Government of all the talents".

But sources last night dismissed reports that the Prime Minister went as far as offering her a job as a health minister and a seat in the House of Lords.

The GMTV presenter has been to dinner at Chequers with the former PM Tony Blair, but has since become a close confident of his successor Mr Brown.

The Prime Minister is understood to have been impressed by Miss Phillips' "communication" skills and believes she would be an ideal choice to front up a Government PR campaign.

Mr Brown is also understood to have had a similar conversation with fellow TV presenter Lorraine Kelly. But sources say that neither of the informal discussions have come to anything.

Miss Phillips, who earns £400,000, has previously expressed an interest in becoming involved with politics.

In an interview last year, she said: "I'd like to change people's perception of politics. Politics is what we live in. We vote politicians in to run the country for us.

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"How people can say they're not interested and don't like politics is always a bit beyond me. I'd love to do a big PR bit for the Government.

"A lot of politicians do it for altruistic reasons — they want to make the country a better place."

Mr Brown has already recruited a number of high profile figures into his "Government of all the talents".

These include TV's Apprentice star and business tycoon Sir Alan Sugar, who sits on his new Business Leaders Council.

The PM has also signed up ex-naval chief Lord West as his security minister, a job he had also offered to former Met Police chief Lord Stevens.

Ex-UN diplomat Lord Malloch-Brown was fast tracked into a similar senior job in the Foreign Office.