If you thought George Clooney was the only man who could get you to take your kit off and pose naked in front of a camera, you've clearly been living on another planet. Enter Gok Wan...

In the past year, a face-to-face with the man himself has become as prized as two front row seats at Paris Fashion Week. After all, Gok Wan is the undisputable master of makeovers and the nation's top style guru. It's little wonder women up and down the country virtually purr in his company when he tells us it's OK not to be a size zero, and his motto for womankind is: you're gorgeous as you are. What's not to love?

Having secured my date, I'm feeling a little edgy. This is man who also says: 'You can teach people to sew, set up a fashion shoot, send emails, deal with the media, but what you can't teach is a sense of style. You've either got it or you haven't, it's as simple as that.' I get dressed for our meeting in true 'real woman with curves' style and throw on a wrap dress to create that all-important hourglass shape synonymous with Gok's styling philosophy. (Note to self: knee-to-bra, spandex magic knickers are a godsend!)

As it turned out, I must have done something right. 'Hello gorgeous!' beamed the man I hoped would become my best friend for the next few hours. Up close he is much taller than you might expect. (Maybe that's because I'm only 5ft 3in.) He's also got extremely smooth skin and smells divine. 'I think aftershave is a daily must-wear for all men,' he says. Can't say I disagree with that.

We met outside a London studio where he'd just finished 'the day job'. 'Everyone assumes I only do TV shows and nothing else. But I'm still a working stylist, it's just that half my work is on camera.'

As we set off in a cab through town, he explained he'd had a really busy week, 'that's why I look so tired'.

I reminded him it was nearly the weekend and he could look forward to some time off. 'There's no chance of that. I'm doing T4 On The Beach on Sunday but I know it'll be loads of fun even though it's work.'

Ever since his steady climb up the celebrity ladder, Gok's been wowing woman all over the UK with his non-judgmental, unique fashion advice. In fact, he has women of all shapes and sizes dropping their dressing gowns quicker than they can say How to Look Good Naked. And Gok lovers aren't confined to us mere mortals. He's worked with loads of celebs (he won't divulge his celebrity CV claiming client/stylist confidentiality) but what's fascinating is the number of celebrity admirers who are 'women of a certain age'. In particular, grand Dames Judi Dench, Victoria Wood and Joan Collins are huge fans.

'I felt like I was about to meet royalty when Joan was signed up to appear on episode two of my latest show, [Fashion Fix],' reveals Gok. Apparently, Joan told him off for wearing more make-up than she was.

Has he always had this effect on women? 'To be honest, I do work well with women. I've always had an amazing connection - a real love of them and I feel like I can communicate on a good level with the public, too. I suppose I see myself as ambassador for the fashion industry to the real person'.

And that's the beauty of Gok. He keeps it real. He is charming, open, honest and and down-to-earth. You can't blame his fans for adoring him. He has a cheery warmth that sets him apart from the stereotypical 'bitchy' fashion stylist. 'People have a preconceived idea that all stylists are hard-nosed cows but we're not. We're talented creatives who know a thing or two about styling. I've done my apprenticeship and training and I know what I'm doing.'

Gok's career path has been well-documented but for those of you who've been living under a rock here's what you've been missing.

He shot to fame after the success of How to Look Good Naked (the next series is currently in production). This popular show is singlehandedly credited for boosting the self-confidence of not only the women who take part, but everyone who is watching, too. To Gok, a size-16 woman represents 'great bangers' (that's breasts to you and me) and a size-10 woman is lean, but totally sexy.

'Naked has become a great vehicle and platform for women wanting to discuss body image issues,' he says. Now, you might assume women who can't bear getting undressed in front of their partners, yet end up posing in the altogether on camera, will have been forcefully encouraged to strip off. Such a shift in their mindset seems impossible without some coercion. But, not so. Gok isn't into humiliation, nor does he tell his Gokettes to lose weight or have surgery. 'It's simply about giving people back their lost self-esteem,' he explains. But can he really make anyone look good naked? 'Yes, absolutely. And there's not an ounce of lighting trickery involved. It's all about changing people's attitudes. I don't just tell women they're gorgeous. I convince them they are. There's always lots of tears and group hugs on the show. Naked is a moving experience for everyone involved.'

By now, we've moved on to a busy coffee shop in Vauxhall. And the reaction is unlike anything I've witnessed before in the company of a trendy celeb. Clusters of women stopped to tell him how much they love his show. They gathered round and said hello, waved, from a distance or called their friends on their mobile phones to announce who they'd just spotted. One daring female admirer even handed him her business card and promised he wouldn't be sorry. Gok took it all in his stride. 'I wouldn't really be where I am without the fans.'

His most recent show, Fashion Fix was very different from Naked. This time, the women were dressed. 'Fashion Fix was a celebration of designer and high street clothes. It was an insight into exactly what I do for a job. There's a lot of dictatorship in fashion and that's not been part of my philosophy. Mine is slightly different - I treat fashion very much as costume. Fashion is usually trend-led, a genre in itself. I think costume is a bigger picture. It's everything from your identity to image and includes fashion. And those are all the aspects I incorporate in my own styling work. Fashion Fix demonstrated that.'

Right. So fashion is more about drama and having fun? 'Oh my God. Massively. Styling is about being positive, not about telling people they're too big to fit into a sample size. If I'm honest, Fashion Fix allowed me to do my job - and there's obviously something nice about being perceived well and being liked for what you do. Both of my shows indulge different parts of my personality. It's almost like being an actor I suppose, different characters allow you to explore different parts of yourself.

'I love Naked for the psychological element and it pushed me further than I ever thought I could go, but I also love Fashion Fix because it allows me to show off.  It's interesting to discover how much involvement Gok has in constructing the format of his TV shows.

'I wouldn't work on them if I didn't have a say in the concept. It's not my bag. I never wanted to do a show where I told people what not to wear, or where they transformed themselves by changing the shape or size of a certain part of their bodies.'

Talking of What Not To Wear, now seemed as good a time as any to broach the subject of Trinny and Susannah.

'I don't know why people would compare us. I am still a working stylist - it's just that I'm on television doing the same thing as I do for a day job. So, in terms of what we do for a living, my work is completely different. I love dressing people up - not down.'

In fact, Gok has always loved to dress up. As a young child he would change his outfits more than a couple of times a day. His own personal style can be described as 'an eclectic mix'. 'One minute I can be suited and booted in a beautifully cut designer number and the next, I'm your average skater boy.' Today he is dressed in black jeans, red check shirt (unbuttoned just far enough to reveal a smooth chest) and a funky leather jacket A la rock star style. His face is perfectly framed by a pair of his stylish glasses.

'My best fashion buy is this jacket I'm wearing. I got it from a charity shop in Scotland for £3.50 and it tells a real story.' Proof that Gok really can dance the 'budget mixed with designer' tango.

How does he rate UK trends against hip cities like New York, Milan and Paris? 'Without a doubt London is the best place for individual style. I think we have the most dynamic shops on any high street in the world. I'm a big Topshop fan because it moves with the times, is irreverent and unique, plus it has lots of great concessions which makes my job easy. I love Zara for the tailoring and Principles has come on loads as an on-trend brand.'

Gok is also salivating over this season's key looks. 'There are a few big trends to watch out for. Gothic Rock has had a rebirth, then there's the Grecian Goddess look - which is all chiffon and floaty and incredibly feminine. Heritage has made a comeback and is best defined as old English, almost middle-class country styling, through to Highland, which combines all the tartan mixes.

Indeed, having viewed the autumn/winter collections, I can confirm women with thighs, tummies and more wobbly bits are in for a real treat.

Gok was also keen to elaborate on how everyone should - and can - establish a personal identity without breaking the bank or getting scorched by the credit crunch. 'The trick is to take one or two key trends each season and work it into your wardrobe and personality to get your individual mode.'

Should we try and emulate a particularly hot-to-trot celebrity this season? 'To be honest, I'd steer clear of all that. Society is so hung up on the celeb world. You have to remember that people in the public eye have teams behind the scenes to make them look fab. Most of the people I see in the street when I'm walking around London have loads better style than some celebs - their originality is evident. In fact, I've been known to get wardrobe envy many a time!'

It's pretty clear the reason we love Gok is because he's the only man in the fashion world who openly and proudly admits how much he adores normal, lumpy, bumpy, neurotic women with emotional hang-ups. Every female is gorgeous where he's concerned and he never fails to shower 'his girls' with genuine affection, lovingly putting them in life-changing frocks and body-enhancing lingerie. And confidence starts with great underwear. 'It really is the foundation for everything. The end outfit can be the most expensive dress in the shop but it will look all wrong without the right underwear. It still amazes me just how many women are not wearing the right size bras.'

As our chat draws to an end, it seems Britain's most-loved philogynist is still hot property and 2009 is set to be a bumper year. He's got a book launch, a brand new show, and Naked is back on our screens early next year. So where exactly does he see himself in five years' time? 'I'm already doing a job I love but a part of me fancies a crack at musical theatre. It's what I trained in. The drama would be fab. And the women would be gorgeous in costume!'

As we say goodbye, I can't help feeling positively euphoric about being a curvy female - it was a Gok 'n' roll feeling.

Pic: PA Photos
First Published in At Home with Gok Wan, October 2008