Derrick Evans, AKA Mr Motivator blasted into the health and wellness scene in the 1990s, bringing his lycra-clad workouts to our TV screens.

His fitness DVDs sold millions worldwide and he was awarded an MBE for his services to health and wellbeing in the UK.

He is still working in the industry and has turned his attention to "the forgotten groups".

Mr Evans said he markets his fitness programme as being a bit of fun rather than serious exercise, and wears his eye-catching outfits as no one will remember an instructor wearing plain black shorts.

"I maintain that if you have a sunny disposition, if you smile at the world, they're going to smile back at you," he told Alive and Kicking with Clare McKenna.

"I have always made myself accessible to everybody because I believe that we must say a kind word to people because you don't know what internal battles they may be fighting."

He added that wearing a mask during the pandemic has allowed him to be more inconspicuous in public, but that his voice always gives him away.

"Every time I speak, people go, 'Oh, Mr Motivator!" he said.

His "lightbulb moment" about entering the fitness world happened in 1982 when he saw dozens of women exercising to music in a leisure centre.

He was "transfixed" and subsequently set up his own classes.

"People were travelling 20 miles to come to my classes, I was having classes where you had 150 people turning up," he said.

His next step was trying to get into television, a goal that took ten years to achieve.

Mr Evans said the same success can be achieved now by instructors who run classes from home.

He operates three free classes a week where he asks people to pay by donating to homeless charities.

His classes offer low-impact alternatives to people who may not be as mobile to do the exercises fully.

"We have regularly anything from 150 to 200 people on there," he explained.

"Like on Wednesday evening, we had a massive group join us all from the Down Syndrome Association because exercise should be all-inclusive.

"I have a gentleman who has Parkinson's, I have people in wheelchairs, my wife sits in front of the screen and does all of the alternatives.

"That way, everybody can take part and I think there are lessons to every instructor out there to make it fun, make it safe, make it effective, but most importantly, make it inclusive so that you don't exclude anybody, no matter their age, we should all be able to exercise together."

He urged people to think about improving their health, not only through exercise but also their mental wellbeing.

"Everyone has learned this year that's there are only four things that matter in our lives, not the new car, not the new t-shirt," Mr Evans said.

"What matters is do you have a roof over your head, do you have food in your fridge? Those things are important to me, those are blessings if you have them.

"The other thing is, do you have your health? How important has our health been this year?

Mr Motivator, pictured in 2016 as he encourages residents of a sheltered housing scheme in north London to get fit as part of a campaign which aims to get older people to take advantage of technology provided by Centra that can help them stay active in and out of the home. Credit: Matt Crossick/PA Archive/PA Image

"The fourth thing is that love is so important because if you have someone you love or loves you, you can keep going.

"You don't have to have someone loving you right at the moment, you can learn to love yourself because when you start loving yourself everyone else is going to love you."

Mr Motivator said he maintains his own motivation through the joy he gets from people when he meets them.

"I say to everyone right now, you need to give yourself the opportunity to get into being active because that's the greatest gift you can give yourself," he added.

You can find more information about his online classes here.

Main image: File photo of Mr Motivator. Credit: Ian West/PA Wire/PA Images