Below, I will take you back in time, reliving some of the key moments in my life so far, that have helped shape me into the person I am today.
October 2015 - Sky Studios on Sky Campus, Osterley
From a boy to a man…
In year 10 at school we were tasked to find a two week work placement. I knew I wanted to be a presenter from a young age, so I made it my mission to get any form of broadcasting/journalism experience somewhere.
After emailing local newspapers, radio stations and even the biggest broadcasting companies with some fortune, I managed to secure myself a work placement with the Sky Entertainment team. Although it wasn’t anything sport related, I knew it was a big foot in the door at one of the biggest broadcasters in the world.
A two-week work placement, turned into periodical work experience that lasted across three years. Every school and college half-term I would contact Celine Chaplin (Head of entertainment creative production) who was my main point of contact, She would allow me to get more and more experience to help me in the future.
To working in and around the Sky Sports News HQ studio, to working with the Sports HR team, working directly alongside the likes of Thierry Henry, Jamie Redknapp, Jamie Carragher, David Jones and more. These were just the few examples of the amazing experiences during my time at Sky.
Lastly, I met so many amazing people who gave me some great advice, They all mentioned that being willing to learn and being multi-talented will make me a strong candidate for any job in the future. This advice I really hold close to me today, this is why I named this first section ‘from a boy to a man’ because being at Sky at such a young age matured me and taught me all the professionalisms I needed, moving forward.
October 2022 - First Class Honours Graduate in Sports Broadcasting at UCFB Wembley
A Sports Broadcasting Graduate
I finished my two year broadcast media BTEC diploma at college, with a double distinction*. In life I was told their would be hurdles in the way and I quickly realised this, after my successful spell at Sky, I was told to apply for Sky Sports News HQ Journalism apprenticeship scheme, I went through a four month application process in which I made it down to the last stage of eight candidates. I sadly fell at the very last hurdle and was unsuccessful.
One of my best qualities is my motivation and determination to be successful within the industry, i dusted myself off and decided that a university degree was my next road to take. I was recommended UCFB Wembley Stadium by a family member and I can honestly say it was the best decision I have made so far in my short career. UCFB are renowned for producing high quality graduates who successfully get a job with the best companies in the industry.
I learnt so much during my three years at university, although I had tons of experience under my belt coming into the degree, I knew I had lots to learn. From media law, operating professional cameras, practising press conferences and presenting, UCFB has helped define who I am. To this day I am always ‘putting my hand up’ for every opportunity that is offered to me. During my three years I worked closely with professional football clubs, sport affiliated organisations and many more. `(QPR Mens/Women’s team, Borehamwood, Billericay Town, Girls United)
I graduated university in October 2022 with a first class honours, I was absolutely delighted with this because I knew the hard work had finally paid off. As expected, it really was not easy, I spent a year in the depths of a global pandemic, which affected the whole third year of my degree.
May 2022 - FWA Footballer of the Year Awards - Landmark Hotel, London
Living the Dream
Post-graduation can be the hardest step for people. For me, I was determined to get straight into work. It was challenging at first with the demand for jobs being as high as ever, due to the ongoing global pandemic. From all my work experience I had collected over the years, I knew this would boost my chances of securing a brilliant post-graduation job. This is where my journey at HaytersTV began.
In August 2021, I was offered a video journalist freelanced role with HaytersTV who for over 60 years, have been covering top level sport with high quality journalism, producing engaging content for print, TV and digital. The role consists of being the admin for the HaytersTV TikTok channel, which has seen a growth of 100k followers since the start 2022, with some of the biggest viral videos racking up over 3M views. I also help across all the Hayters social media platforms, which has a huge audience of over 700,000. During my time with the team, I also go to training grounds, matches in the press boxes around the country, filming press conferences and creating behind the scenes content.
Being a fully accredited video journalist on the iPBS system, means I have experienced incredible games and events from the start of August 2021; Both FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley, UFC Fight Night at O2 London, FWA FOTY Awards and so much more; it has felt like a dream but one that I knew eventually, I would be living.
