Paul Ballard (born March 9 1982 in Essex, England) is an English television presenter and stage actor best known by his nickname 'Des' as the co-presenter, along with Fearne Cotton, of the Saturday morning children's television programme Diggit from 1998 until 2002.
After playing a trick or treater who beat up Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson in the 'Terror' episode of Bottom, Des was next seen as co-presenter of the Disney Club in the mid 1990s. After a change in the show's format, he presented a new Sunday morning slot called Roadhog where he would take a Volkswagen Camper Van, decorated with ears and orange spots, on the road to viewers homes and schools.
He appeared on a one off Daz washing powder TV advertisement, with his big sister. It featured him winning something out of a toy grabbing machine, and his mother criticising him for wasting money.
He also continued his association with the Disney Club which too had changed format and was now presented by Craig Doyle, the twins, Sam and Matt and Reggie Yates (known as Robbie on Disney Club) between 1995-1998.
In April 1998, Ballard and Fearne Cotton launched a new interactive Disney slot as part of GMTV called Diggit
He continued with the show through until 2002 with a number of co-presenters including Jack Stratton, winner of a second nationwide search for a new presenter in December 1998, and Laura Jaye & Victoria Hickson who replaced Fearne Cotton in 2001.
Ballard also starred as Smee in a stage production of Peter Pan at the Central Theatre in Kent in 2001.
He left Diggit in 2002 shortly before its relaunch into Diggin' It
