MY FIRST BROADCAST
IT’S been a long time since I started a new job and the fact that this posting was in a different country only added to the pressure. The Virgin bosses surrounded me with brilliant colleagues who gently reassured me when necessary but the truth is that once the red light goes on, there’s nowhere to run!
I woke very early on that Tuesday morning and tuned in to Chris Evans, who was generously trumpeting my arrival to the station with the gusto of a seasoned pro. This made matters worse! Now I was even more nervous. I didn’t want to let Chris down, I didn’t want to disappoint the team, I wanted my family to be reassured that everything was going to be okay and I wanted the listeners to know that they had a new friend on UK radio and that the Irish listeners might enjoy the return of an old pal. No pressure then! And yet, as soon as that light turned red and I started talking, I had a very good feeling that, once I settled down and relaxed into it, all would be well.
The show went well, which was greatly helped by Russell Crowe who very decently agreed to take a call despite the fact he was hosting a dinner party for 30 people. He involved them in the call by asking them to make animal noises so that I could hear what the bush might sound like!! It was quite trippy but Russell is a mischief maker as well as being a loyal friend and I was truly grateful to him for making the time.
Now, two weeks in, I bounce into work with a spring in my step. I’ve made new friends, found a new more relaxed side to myself and I am loving this new chapter. I’m already looking forward to work tomorrow!