‘We’re delighted to be having a second child... and Clara is beyond excited to be a big sister’ WITH RACHEL DEAN
Rachel Dean talks to BBC NI news and weather presenter Linzi Lima (35), who lives in east Belfast with her husband, broadcaster Mark Lima, and their five-year-old daughter Clara. The couple are expecting their second child in October
Q Tell us about your childhood
A I grew up in east Belfast with my parents, my sister Samantha and my brothers, Elliott and Reece — I’m the eldest.
My mum, Beverley, did work when I was very small, but she stopped when I was about four to look after us. My dad, Bryan, worked full-time and my mum would always be there when we got home from school. My parents divorced when I was 14, and my mum has since remarried.
Most of my memories of being young involve being outside playing with my friends in our gardens or out riding our bikes. My sister and I played with friends in our street and neighbourhood and I don’t remember spending much time indoors.
Being a family of six meant summers in Northern Ireland, having day trips to the beach or occasionally venturing to Donegal and renting a place up there for a week or so. I would also have spent time with my grandparents and aunts, uncles and cousins.
Family was always a big part of my life and continues to be. The simple things like having all my family together or getting out into the air and being carefree are my favourite memories and they’re still my favourite things.
Q What are you most proud of?
A My daughter, Clara, who is five. I can’t take full credit for her as she is very much her own little person but I look at her at least once a day and can’t quite believe she is part of me. She is kind, thoughtful and inquisitive and I love seeing the world through her eyes.
Professionally, becoming a presenter for the BBC was a very proud moment for me.
I love being a journalist and having spent years working in community TV, writing for small local magazines and broadcasting for commercial radio, presenting for the BBC was up there at the top of my career aspirations.
I consider myself very lucky to be part of the BBC News NI team working as a presenter for both news and weather.
Q The one regret you wish you could amend?
A Not spending more time with my grandparents who are no longer here and specifically, spending more time listening to stories about when they were younger and the things they did with their lives.
Recently my mum found some old letters my Granda had written for my Nanny when they were ‘courting’ and I would love to ask them all about them now. I didn’t realise how precious those conversations were at the time.
Q What about phobias? Do you have any?
A No phobias (that I know of ) but as a presenter who regularly covers early news and weather shifts, I have an inbuilt fear of sleeping in. Needless to say, I set multiple alarms and check them about five times before going to bed.
Q The temptation you cannot resist?
A Good food and travel opportunities. Anyone who knows me knows I love my grub. I’m
Big day: Linzi and husband Mark celebrate daughter Clara’s birthday regularly planning my dinner at breakfast time and think food is one of life’s greatest pleasures. I love eating out but also love cooking at home and making recipes from scratch with fresh ingredients. I’m regularly tempted by food and rarely say no.
Likewise with travel, I love discovering new places and have been guilty of booking lots of trips even when it means putting it on a credit card to pay off later. It’s not something I’m going to look back on and regret.
Q Your number one prized possession?
A I can’t say that
I really prize possessions, I’m more of an experiences and memories type of person. That being said, when I got married my mum gave me my Nanny’s wedding ring.
It’s a simple gold band that probably isn’t worth very much but means a lot to me and is irreplaceable. I never take it off so I suppose it’s something I would be very upset to lose.
Q The book that’s most impacted your life?
A I don’t have one book that’s impacted my life, but many. I have loved reading since I was a child and the love affair continues.
I studied English Literature at A-level and books like Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird (below), Alice Walker’s The Colo r Purple, Marita Conlon-mckenna’s Under The Hawthorne Tree and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale all made an appearance.
Most are historical fiction which forced me out of my comfort zone and made me think deeply about the experiences of the characters. I love a book which changes a previous perception I’ve had and teaches me something at the same time. Q If you had the power or the authority, what would you do? A That’s a tricky one. I’m used to working in a field where we hold those in power to account. For me, the most important things are making sure that those who are vulnerable in our society are protected from harm and each is afforded the same treatment, resources and opportunities as everyone else.
The main reason these things don’t happen all the time is a lack of funding, so perhaps with all that power and authority I could make some moves to produce some money trees!
Q What makes your blood boil every time without fail?
A Bullying and nastiness. There’s just no excuse. Everyone has bad days and moments of anger or frustration but repeatedly making someone else feel bad and taking time to bring someone else down is not on.
That kind of behaviour definitely makes my blood boil and I can’t really understand it. Q Who has most influenced you in life?
A I’m not very easily led by others and have always followed my own path.
I often seek advice from others and there are plenty of people I admire, but I tend to make decisions based on my own thoughts and feelings than be influenced by anyone else.
Q Your top three dinner party guests, dead or alive, and why?
A There are so many but I reckon actor and writer Phoebe WallerBridge (right) would be down to earth and great company. Her screen writing is superb and I would love to hear about what she’s working on.
BBC Newsreader and journalist Reeta Chakrabarti is someone working in a similar field to me whom I admire and would love to talk to.
I would love some tips and advice and to hear her perspective on the wide range of humanitarian stories she’s covered across the globe in her career.
Finally, I would probably add
comedian Peter Kay (below) to the mix as you always need a bit of a laugh at a dinner party. With a mum from Northern Ireland, he’s sure to add a dash of local humour.
Q The best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A Be true to yourself and be guided by the things that make you happy. I remember trying to pick GCSE subjects and being so confused as to where each option could take you. My parents told me to pick the ones I really enjoyed, because that way you’ll actually want to go to the class and do the work. It was the right advice for me and I’ve applied
it to pretty much every decision I’ve taken ever since.
Q The unlikely interest or hobby that you love?
A Property restoration programmes are a bit of a guilty pleasure. We recently bought a house that needed a full renovation and took the best part of six months to complete.
We undertook a lot of the work ourselves in terms of painting kitchen cabinets and sanding and painting walls and floorboards but then we also hired a professional where they were needed.
The house has a lot of character and we wanted to preserve these interesting features but also build on them. I fitted a lot of work in around my newsroom shifts and being with my daughter. It was really enjoyable but I’m happy to watch others do it on TV and online for the moment (until the next one).
Q The poem that touches your heart? A It’s not very uplifting but Seamus Heaney’s Mid-term Break has left a lasting impression on me. It always leaves me with a lump in my throat. He had a powerful way with words. Q The happiest moment of your life? A The day my daughter was born is very hard to beat. The joy and pure love is like nothing I could properly put into words. Q And the saddest moment of your life?
A Losing people I have loved. I couldn’t pick one particular sad moment. Losing people never gets easier. Q What event changed your life? A Again, I would say having my daughter. It gave me a focus and clarity I never knew was missing before. As a working parent I work hard to set a good example for her and show her the value of having a career I enjoy. It also makes time off as a family more precious and the focus is on making plans in the long and short-term we’ll all enjoy.
We’re delighted to be expecting our second child in October. Clara is beyond excited to be a big sister and talks to the bump every day. She tells me that I’m not to worry and that if the baby cries, she’ll feed it some broccoli, which was a favourite of hers when she was younger, so that’s reassuring! I can’t wait for her to have a little sibling and if she’s anything like she is now, she’ll be a wonderful big sister.
Q What’s the ambition that keeps driving you onwards?
A I love broadcasting and the fact that every day is different.
This year has been so different and we’ve had to adapt to broadcasting in different ways — I never thought in a million years I would be six months pregnant, standing in my garden at 6am recording a weather report on my phone then heading in to provide live radio reports in my slippers from my spare room while my family slept!
The ambition that keeps me going is that I love what I do and I can’t wait to see where it takes me next. Q What’s the philosophy you live by? A Treat other people the way you would like to be treated. It goes a long way, no matter what you are doing. Q How do you want to be remembered? A Hopefully not as the person who said something ridiculous in an interview!