With his handsome physique and easy English charm, Extra correspondent Mark Wright has won over everyone from Mariah Carey to Jamie Foxx.
Now the the 31-year-old has opened up about the highlights of his first year at the high-profile celebrity news show, from twerking with Iggy Azalea to meeting the ‘humble’ Kardashians – and dealing with certain ‘difficult’ celebrities.
Famous back in Britain for his role on the scripted reality show, The Only Way Is Essex, the 31-year-old TV presenter was a relative unknown when he touched down in Los Angeles last May.
Celebrity life: Extra’s Mark Wright opens up about ‘humble’ Kim Kardashian as he talks about his job as a correspondent at Extra
Having relocated from the English countryside to take the role, he found himself interviewing his childhood heroes.
Mark told DailyMail.com the job was a dream come true. ‘It’s just nice to meet people you grow up watching on movies and people that you idolise. To interview them is amazing.’
Of all his interviews, a few stand out – not least meeting the Kardashians.
‘I enjoyed meeting the Kardashians. It was interesting to see how people at that level of fame were just so humble and so nice and friendly and approachable.’
While Kim was ‘nice’, Mark was struck by her sister.’Khloe was really funny,’ he recalls.
Career highlight? Mark is seen attempting to learn to twerk with Iggy Azalea, but admits he was ‘no good’ at her signature move
A onetime semi-professional footballer (he claims he will never adopt the American term, soccer) Mark remains fit and healthy. However even he struggled when Australian singer Iggy Azalea attempted to teach him to twerk.
‘I’m all up for laughing at myself and taking the mickey out of myself,’ he said.
‘We had got Iggy on set and she’s known for her twerking so I got her to show the fans how it’s done and she tried to teach me. But it didn’t work, because I was no good at it. Not one bit.’
Asked for his favorite interview, Mark mentions Denver Washington, Jamie Foxx and Mark Wahlberg as highlights.
But there are some celebrities who aren’t quite as approachable – although Mark isn’t naming names.
The Brit gang: Mark laughs with young actress Millie Bobby Brown on set
‘There’s been the odd one of two,’ he admits. ‘But it isn’t because they’re different to the others, just more quite or reserved.’
Helping Mark settle into his new life, is Extra’s presenter, Mario Lopez.
‘He’s a lad and kindof like the American version to me,’ explains Mark. ‘He loves sports, he loves boxing. He doesn’t love soccer, which he calls it.
‘We banter a lot about football and whether his American football or my normal football is better. Whether England is better than America to be honest.’
But while Mark has embraced his new California lifestyle, he has found himself missing home – and his wife of three years, Michelle Keegan.
‘I miss normality and I miss reality and I miss my friends and family,’ the 31-year-old explains.
Making friends? The charming English host was a clear hit with Nikki and Brie Bella, seen wrestling with him here
The talented pair split their time between three countries – their marital home in England’s Essex, Mark’s place in Los Angeles, and South Africa, where Michelle is busy filming the BBC drama Our Girl.
Luckily Michelle, 31, is able to join Mark in Los Angeles between filming series of her TV show. ‘She comes out and spends time in LA which she loves, so we just make it work,’ he said.
‘We’re young, we haven’t got kids yet, so it’s kindof easier to make it work. Obviously you’d rather be in the same place the whole time but you can’t have it all.’
And while they can’t always be together, they have plenty to be positive about.
Explains Mark: ‘We have fantastic lives. I get to live in Los Angeles and she gets to travel out to south Africa to film shows so you look at the pros.
‘Obviously there’s cons in that you can’t be with each other the whole time but on the flip side we’re luckier than others in so many ways too, we get to travel the world with each other.’
The English Mario: Mark has found a friend with co-host Mario Lopez, and says the two have plenty in common
For now Essex remains home for the pair – although Mark isn’t sure that’s where they will eventually settle down for good.
‘We just take every day as it comes to be honest. We’re married so wherever life takes us we’ll settle down.’
And while Michelle is currently tied up working on her TV show, there is plenty of opportunity for a young actress in Hollywood.
Mark said: ‘I think if you’re an actor you would work anywhere really if the job was right and there’s a lot of jobs that would be right in LA.
‘If you want to get to the top of your game and a job comes up or a movie comes up then of course. But Michelle’s so busy anyway that she’s not in a rush to do it, but if something came up then sure.’
Back home: Mark is currently visiting the UK, where he is seen with his wife of three years, Michelle Keegan, on Thursday night in London