Are you the "shouty lady" re-starting hearts?

Ahem, yes Neville Longbottom, so behave!

I should make it clear hear that I'm probably the least "shouty lady" you're ever likely to meet.

But yes, I am the voice of a defibrillator.

I voiced the prompts some years ago. There were very strict instructions in the script when it came to tone, pace and pauses - with good reason!

When the information you're conveying has the potential to save lives, you can't mess about. It has to be clear and calm with a sense of urgency. Time is of the essence!

People are often scared of using defibrillators

There's no need to be, because this little bird's voice will tell you exactly what to do.

In fact, the device I provided the voice for was demonstrated on BBC Breakfast a couple of years ago, to help allay some of those fears. (I only found out because a friend messaged me to say "Erm.. is that you?" It was.). I wrote a little blog about it and some of the things that happened as a result.

How does it feel to have a cardiac arrest?

I realise that's probably a pretty weird question, but knowledge is so often power, isn't it? Well, my friend with whom I trained at the BBC 35 years ago Richard Hannaford , is the technical producer on the excellent podcast Illuminated-Rebirth on BBC Sounds, in which people recall their experiences. It's interspersed with snippets of instructions from the defibrillator. Yep, "the shouty lady" returns! Apparently he and Liz Hannaford prefer the usual voice of the not-so-shouty-lady who they hear on their tv, radio, on hold, etc. But for this one device? Being as it's a matter of life and death, I'm happy to be "the shouty lady".

Want to hear this little bird's usual calm, soothing not-at-all-shouty voice?

You'll find demos and more over on my website, where you can also subscribe to my quarterly newsletter just in time for the annual crackers Christmas audio card!

Thank you for reading, and may you never have to hear "the shouty lady" in real life!