XCEL STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2008
Interview with Konnie Huq
After a decade of sticky back plastic and bring-and-buy sales, Konnie Huq left children’s series and national institution, Blue Peter in January this year – and she hasn’t looked back! Konnie has made many celebrity guest appearances on prime time TV shows and has presented the BBC’s ‘Your News’, Five’s ‘Zoo Days’, BBC Three’s ‘When Beauty Goes Wrong’ and of course, the Xcel Student of the Year Awards 2008! Xcel’s Emily Crane caught up with Konnie to discover how she made it onto TV and learn a bit more about one of the UK’s most talented presenters.
I’m not sure whether I really
ever had a defining moment of thinking I’m going to be a TV presenter for sure. What I do know is that to me it always looked like a fun and appealing profession.
Thank you for presenting the Xcel Student of the Year Awards. Did you enjoy the event?
I really enjoyed presenting the awards. It’s great to see people excelling against the odds and achieving so much. Education can be a really fantastic way for people to better their lives and make something of themselves which is why events like this are so important and worthwhile.
Do you think the award winners are an inspiration to young ethnic minority students?
Definitely. Ethnic minority students often have parents who brought them over here at much expense and hardship to try and give them a better education and quality of life, one that they probably would not have had if they had stayed in their home countries. The winners show younger students what they can be achieving and that it is possible and within their reach.
As a student yourself, who or what inspired you to go on to study at Cambridge University?
My parents came to the UK to give me a good education and in a way I wanted to fulfill that. My sister went to Cambridge University before me and I visited her there as a school student and really enjoyed it and so it inspired me to try and do the same. This is why it’s great to have people that set positive examples, it really can make others follow.
Your first interview was with the Labour Party leader, Neil Kinnock when you were 16. Was this the moment you decided you wanted to be a presenter?
I’m not sure whether I really ever had a defining moment of thinking I’m going to be a TV presenter for sure. What I do know is that to me it always looked like a fun and appealing profession. I do remember watching Philip Schofield in the Broom Cupboard and thinking that would be a great job, I’d love to do that.
Blue Peter is an institution in children’s TV. As their longest serving female presenter, do you feel you’ve been a role model to young Asian people?
I hope that I have been a positive influence in that the more it is normality to have people of all different ethnic backgrounds in different jobs, the less the barriers become. This is why it is so great that Barrack Obama has become President Elect in the USA, it shows people that jobs and positions in society should transcend race and colour.
How did you get into presenting? Was it something you fell into or persevered with?
I actually went to open auditions advertised in Time Out magazine for a programme on cable and satellite TV. I ended up getting a great job presenting on a music, film and TV show while I was still in 6th form at school. However, after that I finished my education and after university, used it as a show reel to get other presenting jobs and eventually Blue Peter.
Over the decade you spent with Blue Peter, what was your most memorable moment?
It’s hard to find one moment that is more memorable above others. I guess getting the job in the first place will always stick out in my memory as it has led to so much for me. The job has such a massive variety of memories, the travel, the experiences, the people...
Of all the people you have interviewed in your career, who stands out and why?
I guess Tony Blair sticks out as I interviewed him twice and met him in between and really did feel we got on well and that he was a genuinely nice guy.
You played a slave on the BBC ONE series, ‘Robin Hood’. Was that fun and do you plan to do more acting?
I really enjoyed Robin Hood and I really love acting but I don’t know what the future holds! I guess never say never!
From what we see on TV, presenting looks like a fun job. What is it really like behind the scenes? What can aspiring presenters expect?
It really is a fun job, the best, especially on a show like Blue Peter. That job in particular is very full on with long hours and a lot of travel, and not to the most glamorous of places most of the time! You definitely need stamina and to be able to act bubbly and be switched on all the time! Live shows also mean you have to have your wits about you!
What qualities do you need to succeed as a presenter and how can you get a foot in the door?
You need to be confident and especially if you are doing live TV you must be able to think on your feet. The best way to get a foot in the door is to make a show reel with a video camera and then to send it out to potential jobs or to an agent who can help you to get a job.
Interview by: Emily Crane
