JO SCOTT

CLASS OF 1990

BBC Presenter

Next year I will celebrate 25 years as a broadcaster with BBC NI and feel very proud to be part of such an amazing worldwide organisation. I am fortunate to have a fulfilling career that I love, working across news and current affairs. In such a dynamic and fast-paced environment the ability to keep calm under pressure and work to tight deadlines is key – life skills I undoubtedly gleaned from my time at Belfast High.

There have been many highlights over the years but co-hosting Children In Need many times is certainly up there. Aside from news, I have presented special interest programmes such as Home Ground – the BBC’s longest running rural affairs series – and BBC network programmes like Sunday Morning Live. None of this would have been possible without the foundation the years at BHS gave me. Without doubt English was always my favourite subject, closely followed by History, and my enthusiasm for both was nurtured and encouraged by the fabulous teachers I had in Ross Ewart and Eileen Miller.

I have fond memories of travelling the length and breadth of NI representing the school at various public speaking competitions and remember the buzz of taking part in school productions. I didn’t realise it at the time but this would invaluably shape my career.

I remember telling my friends at primary school I wanted to be a newsreader and watched the greats like Moira Stewart, Selena Scott and Anna Ford with a real interest. My degree in Edinburgh would take me down a different path for a while. I worked as a food buyer for M&S in London and whilst it was an amazing job with loads of travel and opportunity, I knew journalism and TV presenting was what I really wanted to get into. I did a postgrad in journalism and set about approaching as many news organisations as I could. I was fortunate enough to get a job as a newsreader with BBC Radio Ulster on a freelance basis, but when my dream job in TV news on BBC Newsline became available I jumped at it.

With two teenage children of my own now, I love hearing their stories when they come home from school. My advice to them is to keep an open mind, don’t fear change, try everything and remember the sky is the limit.

I have such fond memories of my years at BHS and will always be so grateful for the education, life skills and lifelong friendships I made there!