Georgina the Giraffe, star of 64 Zoo Lane, has taken a break from her busy schedule of singing, dancing and doing clever tricks with her long neck, to answer a few questions from her adoring fans.

Why do all the 64 Zoo Lane stories feature animals?
My creator, An Vrombaut, has always liked animals. As a child, she had lots of pets. But between you and me, I think the real reason is this: she's much better at drawing animals than at drawing people. She once confided in me that she came bottom of her life drawing class at art school! But don't tell anyone ...

Does Lucy exist?
No, An invented Lucy, but the zoo is inspired by a real zoo: Antwerp Zoo in Belgium.

How did you get your name?
Well, a long long time ago, before I was famous and when I was just a paper maché model, An's niece wanted to call me George. Because I'm a girl, An decided I should be called Georgina.

And what about the other 40 animal characters in 64 Zoo Lane?
An uses a babynames book; it's great for finding unusual names. She also invented some names, like 'Snowbert the Polar Bear'. Names are very important, because they have to fit the personality of the characters. The trickiest animal to name was the big nasty crocodile. An Vrombaut finally settled on 'Victor the Crocodile'.

How many people worked on the TV series?
More than 200 very talented people! It was an international effort, with artists working in England, Scotland, France, Ukraine and Romania. In total, 52 episodes of 11 minutes were produced.

What came first: The 64 Zoo Lane books or the TV series?
The TV series was made first, but right from the start An planned to write and illustrate Zoo Lane books too. By the time the TV series was completed, her first book, Tiger!, was published by Hodder. So she'd had some practice! An's written and illustrated more than 12 picture books now.

Is it true that you once tied your neck in knot?
I'd rather not talk about that, it's a bit embarrassing... But yes, it happened once.

Who are your favourite animal friends?
Well, I love to gossip with Audrey the Ostrich, Molly the Hippo and Nathalie the Antelope. Giggles and Tickles just make me laugh. I'm also rather fond of Herbert the Warthog. And dear old Ronald and his Tic-tic Bird!

What's your favourite food?
That's easy: Bumbleberries and Juicyfruit!

Where can I watch 64 Zoo lane?
In the UK, 64 Zoo Lane is shown on Cbeebies during the bedtime hour and on Playhouse Disney. In the US it's on Noggin.