Could you, honestly, give up telly? I'd sooner give up booze, fags, cake... even tea.

My name is Liz Nicholls, I’m 33, live in Cutteslowe and I am a tellyholic.

I am a mother, until recently a single mother at that, and I am fairly convinced that television is the one device that entertains the sad/bored/ normal from the cradle to the grave.

As a new mum at home on those lonesome dark nights, a baby strapped to a boob and not knowing which way was up, my sanity was saved by endless repeats of Come Dine With Me and a borderline obsession with Six Feet Under.

Imagine how much money the state saves with telly: company for the elderly, LOLs for the lonely and drama for the disturbed. And how else are harassed parents supposed to produce extra siblings (or sneak outside for a smoke) except by plonking a toddler in front of Iggle Piggle and friends for a vital 20 minutes?

Yes, a trip to the theatre might be more edifying but a) I doubt it b) it’s just not realistic, is it? and c) I would have missed that episode when Ruth took ecstasy by mistake and had a visit from her dead husband... MINDBLOWING!

Some people get snotty about telly, dubbing it the “idiot box”. And as for the people who “don't watch television”... I just don’t get it. What are they, masochists? Why would anyone deny themselves such easy delights?

My boyfriend hates my addiction. Not the habit so much, but my lack of quality control. He would rather zone in to some David Attenborough doco or some ludicrous sport that goes on and on. Whereas I will happily fill any small void of downtime (and there aren’t many as a working mum) with the buzz of some high-energy, low-nutrition trash. Because I’m not fussy. I will lap it all up, from sciencey Brian Cox distilling all of humanity into a diamond or endless, mindless home makeover shows (“It's like watching paint dry!” my boyfriend wails, as another Beeny comes on the box).

What harm is there in indulging in bit of post-work melodrama? Soaps mop up misery and daytime telly is, of course, the Mecca of the idle. Some of my best student memories are framed by the Neighbours theme tune, twice a day.

Forget the haters, TV is better than ever. So much choice, so many epic shows coming up. You can soon feel better about yourself with some guilt-free judging by seeing which pillock will win The Apprentice. The third series of Luther splashed on BBC1 this week – the hot cop with both a bad side and brains. And those epic US dramas that hook you – such as the deliriously dark and funny Breaking Bad (series six screens in August – time enough to catch up on all you’ve missed).

Yes, it’s great to scoff them all, in one big boxfest. But there is something quaint about the drip-feed of TV drama, an episode at a time. Each is a nugget you can discuss with your fellow junkies at work the next day. I hope you tune in to join me on my TV journey. And the best, BEST thing about writing this television column for the Oxford Mail is that the remote control is officially mine, now. Mwahhahaha (= evil laugh).