You just never know whose reading your blog. And so it was that a normal day ended with me taking a late afternoon call from BBC News 24 asking me to appear on TV within a couple of hours to talk about Jon Snow’s refusal to wear a poppy while reading the news.
I had been selected because of the forthright views expressed on my blog. The original idea was I would form part of a panel explaining why I felt
Jon Snow was wrong, only they couldn’t find anyone to defend him, so I was on my lonesome.
As readers of my blog will know, I have a fear of public speaking and I ummed and ahhed, worried that I would dry up – after all, this was live TV, there would be no second chances.
But I decided to go for it, having missed out previously, and a taxi soon arrived to take me to the BBC studio in Cambridge.
I was fitted with a mike and an earpiece and the camera was set up so I just stared into it and answered questions filtered through to me via the earpiece. It’s hard to remember all the questions, but it did sound like they were trying to trip me up all the time, and I hopefully avoided it.
At the end of the interview, I was really pleased with myself for having done it. What I find amazing is that I am suddenly asked to appear on TV simply because of my blog. The very nature of my work means I push others forward for media interviews, and now I am being sought for my views as a blogger.
And I was kicking myself for not sharing this news with my friends in blogsphere so they could have tuned in. It was my five minutes of fame – well more like three minutes, I think.
Well done Ellee, you were great!!
A very confident and professional performance…not bad for someone who used to have a fear of public speaking!!
Well done. Is there anywhere that I can catch it now?
Nice one Ellee, I saw the interview and thought that you put your points across very well. Well done.
Great stuff, Nice pic 😉
Well, you have been plugged by the new heavy weight blog on the block – 18 Doughty Street.
The traffic going through that site is not actually nothing to be sniffed at. It’s funny, I was going to post a little piece to defend Jon Snow in your comments section.
“What I find amazing is that I am suddenly asked to appear on TV simply because of my blog. The very nature of my work means I push others forward for media interviews, and now I am being sought for my views as a blogger.”
To be honest, I never had you down to be camera shy, I would have liked to have seen the performance. Don’t put yourself down, it’s quite a decent looking blog you’ve got here – it’s no wonder the Beeb picked up on it. Hope we can catch you again on the box because of your blog.
Oh Ellee, that’s absolutely wonderful! I wish I saw it (no chance of any reruns somewhere?) Congratulations!
It was a very thought provoking blog piece so I can see why they sought you out. I feel ever so pleased for you! Truly that must have been scary – live as well, phew.
hey I am very excited! As public speaker (auctioneer, mc and singer) I do not fear these things but understand why people do..
Ellee really.. well done for sure 110%!!
perhaps there is more to come!
Congratulations Ellee! I didn’t see it but sounds from others as if it went well. I’m in Cardiff at the moment.
As for the issue at stake, I think he has the right to choose. To be obliged to wear a poppy seems as bad as being forbidden to. It seems a pity that he made such a song and dance about it though.
Tim, I’m sorry I don’t think either of us can catch up on it, I have no taped version.
Simon, I can imagine you are a natural and would be in your element in front of a TV camera. I wish I could sing, it’s such a wonderful gift to have.
Courtney, It may be hard for you to believe, but I am quite shy. I did warm up after the first question and I always believe the only way over a fear is to face it, and that’s what I did.
Jim, Thanks for posting from Cardiff, I hope you are having a nice time, probably with Carwyn. If Jon Snow hadn’t written about this issue on his blog, it would never have blown up because wikipedia mentions his dislike of wearing poppies on TV, so the chances are this was not the first time. But with sensitivies over our increased terror threat, the fact that war and Iraq is in the news daily, the fact that Jon Snow wears a poppy off-screen, means there is no justified reason in my view for him not to wear a poppy on air.
Congratulations Ellee, i remember you telling me i was made off..sturdier stuff than you…But i dont think so its amazing what we can push ourselves to do when we want too….or get the chance too. Wish i had seen you on TV.
Ellee,
I’ll post something on my blog about this, but if you look at the top of the Jon Snow Wikipedia article, there’s a tab for “History” that shows you what changes have been made to authors.
The Poppy trivia was only added in the last few days.
Wikipedia gets updated extremely quickly.
Well Done Ellee. That said you should have plugged it first. Thats modesty for you I suppose.
My brother did a radio interview on the BBC local radio and managed to get an MP3, so you may be able to get one as well.
Well Done Ellee!
Good for you, Ellee! I wish I’d have known you were on.
well done!
I was kicking myself for not sharing this news with my friends in blogsphere so they could have tuned in. It was my five minutes of fame – well more like three minutes, I think.
What’s the problem? There are going to be so many more appearances for you. Everyone can see you on the next one.
Congratulations Elle… Very well done. You deserve that fame. I wish you many more such appearances.
Have a nice weekend.
Well done Ellee. Were you at all tempted to stick that fancy camera under your coat and walk off with it?
Daily Pundit, The thought never crossed my mind, I obviously don’t have a criminal mind!
I really don’t think for one moment that this will become a regular occurrance, it was most likely just a one-off.
Congratulations, Ellee. Sorry I couldn’t see it over here but it sounds as if you did just fine. Well done.
Didn’t see your appearence unfortunately. Will they replay or is it online?
Well done Ellee. Fun, isn’t it? I have some sympathy with Snow, but there were better ways he might have made his point rather than resorting to using the idiotic phrase ‘poppy fascism’.
Incidentally, the Telegraph diary notes that he was quite happy to wear a white ‘make poverty history’ wristband on camera, so he is assuredly inconsistent, not to say downright hypocritical.
Well done Ellee! I knew you could do it and so glad i was able to watch.
Trudy, Thanks for taping it, I would really like to see a copy. You called just as I was deliberating about what to do and you encouraged me to go for it, thank you for that. Besides yourself, only my family knew, I was so afraid of drying up.
Ellee, well done it must have been so scary. Where can i see a re-run??
I understand the fear you have and it is such a courageous thing to have done.
Love Liz
Well done Ellee! As a fellow toastmaster it is wonderful to see you taking the next step, from talking in front of a friendly audience (at toastmasters) to talking in a more hostile and scary setting! I know that even very accomplished speakers would find that situation nerve-wracking. Very proud that you took the plunge and went for it.
An interview with Paxman next?
This is great news, Ellee. I wish I had known earlier, I would have tuned in to cheer you on 🙂
I also told my blogging mentor Geoff, of course, without whom none of this would have been possible. And he knows how gratefl I am. I called him straight away afterwards, but he missed me my appearance, he was at the Rugby Club instead.
Hi Ellee, if you have a taped copy of it maybe we can put it up on youtube. I’m so pleased for you, my star prodigy 🙂
Fantastic Ellee! I knew it would be just
a matter of time. You looked very current and
composed – and I’m sure that was matched by your eloquence! Looking forward to picking up on a re-run as I sadly missed your moment. You’re a marked woman now, so we’ll be seeing lots more of you I’m sure!
Well done Ellee! The media… trying to trip you up? They are swines. No seriously – I’m sure you were absolutely brilliant and got all your points across really well!!
Hope we get chance to se it on your site!
Ellee,
So proud of you! That’s absolutley fantastic. Wish I’d caught it.
Have to agree with you. To choose wearing poppies as an issue to make a stand on is disrespectful to those amazing men ans women who gave their lives defending our country and our freedom.
Well done you.
Mark
Cityunslickr, It felt like Paxman!
What a great chance for you – do let me know if Geoff can put it on somewhere for us to see. Well done you deserve it with all the hard work you put into your Blogging.
That’s fantastic, really pleased for you. I would be absolutely terrified.
Well done Ellee! I know (because you’ve told me, not because it’s evident) that you dread public speaking so this was a huge achievement – good for you!
I forgot to mention that I came on TV straight after John Humphreys, the Radio 4 presenter, who was saying the same as me. He must have wondered who I was.
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