It’s slightly clichéd but I’ve always wanted to be a journalist.
I’d like to say it’s because of my raw desire to find out the facts but it’s actually just because I am incredibly nosey and a bit of a busy body.
I like the fast-paced nature of the job. I love working under pressure, whether that’s finding a last-minute guest to go on air or grabbing a camera and heading out the door to a breaking story.
My story with the BBC so far
I’ve worked on various BBC programmes and on different outputs over the past seven years (gulp), including shifts at Radio 1 and 1Xtra, but on the whole, I’ve stayed with BBC South.
I have been a mid-morning reporter on BBC Radio Solent, the producer of the Faith Programme, as well as a general reporter for BBC South Today. But for the last few years, I’ve worked on BBC Sunday Politics South, which l love.
Read more: How I got my first journalism job
Politics can be fun!
People often think politics is a little dry, but it depends on which way you approach it. It can involve anything from bins to pollution, and health to the arts. It’s great fun translating some of the drier topics into human-interest stories that make people want to engage.
Since I’ve joined the team we’ve had two general elections, a referendum, European elections, a handful of local elections, police and crime commissioner elections and a partridge in a pear tree.
It has been… a little busy.
What the job involves
I co-ordinate the programme’s content which during busy periods is live. I find guests and I also do some of the reporting. And I’m second in command for producing the programme which can be a bit nerve-wracking when you have the overriding say in the programme’s content.
My all-time favourite part of the job is when we put together our large-scale debates, which we try and do a few of each year. Think Question Time but on a smaller scale. We’ve also done a few trips to Strasbourg and Brussels to see how the European Parliament works and that’s always great fun.
Although I do fear I’ve become a bit of a politics nerd – being in Parliament for PMQs and having the Prime Minister walk past you is thrilling… As is playing political bingo and seeing how many of the big players you can see when you’re up there.
How I got my foot in the door at the BBC
I started off at a local paper and then got my foot in the door at the local BBC radio station. I found out the name of the editor and then turned up at reception saying we had a meeting booked (we hadn’t). He then came out and I came clean and he saw me anyway.
I was prepared with my folder of all my top stories from the paper and didn’t really take no for an answer. He gave me a few freelancer shifts, probably to keep me quiet, but they never got rid of me.
For anyone wanting to work in TV or for the BBC I would say you have got to know your stuff, be persistent and hope for a fair wind.
The BBC offers a number of internships and apprenticeships. You can find more information here.