Rob's route to the Special Features team has been convoluted.

With a degree in mechanical engineering from the Nottingham University he went to work at Rolls Royce in Derby.

After a couple of years of staring at turbine blades he went back to University, this time to learn how to teach maths.

However he never made it into the classroom to enjoy the thrills of trigonometry and integration.

Having enjoyed presenting on the university's radio station, he was lucky enough to get some work at BBC Radio Nottingham.

He reported and presented on various programmes, and was around the office on the day the television were screen testing for a new weather presenter... and at the start of 1995 he got the job.

For the next two years presented the weather for BBC East Midlands Today.

Every Friday he had his own slot 'Go With Glass' where he got to try his hand at everything from hedge-laying to helicopter flying.

At the start of 1997 Channel 5 was preparing for its launch, and they were on the lookout for a weather presenter of their own.

It was too big an opportunity to refuse, and he became the face of Channel 5 weather.

For half a decade he stood on the roof of the Channel 5 news building forecasting his way through sun, rain, wind and snow.

He was encouraged to try all sorts of different antics, but to be fair getting a full size pig onto the roof to demonstrate the benefits of sun-tan cream was probably a mistake!

After seven seasons of pointing at weather maps, Rob was ready for a new challenge.

Happily the opportunity to join the Special Features team arose back at his old stamping ground BBC East Midlands Today.

He says he's never been happier as every day is different: where else would you get the chance to dig up buried treasure in Lincolnshire, play ice hockey with the Nottingham Panthers, strut his stuff with the cast of Saturday Night Fever or take on a world champion toe wrestler?