‘Leaving London was my best-ever decision’

TV presenter and radio broadcaster Edith Bowman, 47, lives in Gloucestershire with her musician husband Tom Smith and children Rudy, 12, and Spike, eight

You’ve interviewed some huge movie names for your

podcast [talking about music in film]. Who did you particularly fall in love with? I was genuinely in awe of Thelma Schoonmaker, Martin Scorsese’s editor. She’s in her 80s and is an example of how great female film talent can be. I felt like I was sitting in a room with my nana. The stories she told! She was so generous and warm – a phenomenal lady.

What’s your earliest memory of public broadcast? My dad’s got an amazing bit of cine camera footage from when I was six or seven. We were on holiday and Mum went parasailing. While Dad’s filming Mum, I’ve got the microphone. I sing the theme tune then I say, ‘Today, there’s a lady up on a parachute. I think she’s enjoying herself.’ Then when Mum came down, I walked towards her and interviewed her. It’s hilarious!

What’s at the top of your bucket list? To write a short film about my late grandad, Alec. I know who’s going to play him. I know where and how I’m going to shoot it. I’ve got footage of my grandad that I filmed a couple of years before he died. When I went home to Scotland, I sat him down in what was my old bedroom and got him to talk about his earliest memory, right up to that day. That footage is now 17 years old and I can’t bring myself to watch it. There’s still an element of grief there for him.

It’s a physical hurdle I need to cross.

What’s the biggest personal hurdle you’ve had to overcome in life?

At the start of my career it was my [Scottish] accent. During work experience, I had a meeting with a programme controller who asked me what my dream was. When I told him I’d love to be on air and have my own show, he said he could never put somebody with an accent like mine on the radio. I could feel tears building up behind my eyes but wouldn’t let him see he had upset me. I swallowed back the hurt, anger and disappointment, and from that point thought, ‘I’m going to prove you wrong.’ I’m so glad that we’ve broken down those boundaries and people with accents are celebrated.

Does anything scare you? Anything happening to my kids. Becoming a parent unlocks an emotional door. For a long time I couldn’t watch the news because of the constant barrage of bad things happening to kids. It has a physical effect on you.

Best decision you ever made? Moving out of London. I love London and I miss so much of it but it was right for us as a family. We moved to Gloucestershire just before Christmas 2019. It meant I could separate work and home life a bit more, which I needed to do.

Worst decision you ever made? Not getting a dog sooner. It’s been amazing to see what joy River, our Portuguese water dog, gives the kids. My 12-year-old comes down in the morning and his face is beaming when River bounds towards him, tail wagging.

What’s the best thing about marriage? Teamwork. Lockdown cemented that for us. We’ve got each other’s backs.

It’s about being there for each other.

What’s your most special possession? A necklace my mum got me. The back is engraved to say ‘With you always’, and inside are my grandad’s ashes. I find myself holding it between my thumb and first finger, and rubbing it. I can definitely feel a connection.

✢ Soundtracking with Edith Bowman is available on all podcast providers.