Working in the media industry, whether in film, on
television or in print journalism, is a dream career for many young people. Therefore
when the Sixth Form Society announced their latest guest speaker, talkSport
star Georgie Bingham, there was great excitement amongst our senior pupils.
Georgie began working as a sports anchor for a regional television
company until 2004 when she landed a job at Sky, presenting regularly on their popular
mainstream and sports news channels. Thrust into the limelight, Georgie
excelled in the role and has since become one of the nation’s
leading female sport anchors.
Having spent three years working in America for ESPN, Georgie
returned to the UK to try her hand in a different medium; radio. She managed
the transition seamlessly, hosting a successful weekend sports breakfast show
on talkSport, alongside former Newcastle United striker Micky Quinn.
Away from work, Georgie is an ambassador for the
Football Foundation and regularly supports the Help for Heroes charity, while her
ongoing following of Ipswich Town Football Club allows her to empathise with
the relentless trials and tribulations faced by all sports fans.
Georgie spoke to an attentive audience of around 70
Sixth Form students, many of whom harbour hopes to follow in her footsteps in
the near future. Georgie explained how patience, determination and resilience
are all essential in order to achieve success in what is a notoriously competitive
industry. In her younger years, she was discouraged from pursuing journalism,
but she did not want a straight forward life and continued to chase her dream.
Twenty years on, with a wealth of experience, she can enjoy a stable and
successful career. However, the vast majority do not make it that far. Sports journalism
is certainly not for the faint-hearted.
After fielding a range of generic questions, Georgie kindly
stuck around to talk in depth with Year 13 pupil Alex Exadactylos, who has his
heart set on a career in football. We hope Georgie’s
story and advice will inspire all those in attendance to decide upon a career
which interests them and use their passion as motivation towards success.