First published on 05/08/25

With a love for all things radio, people and politics, Emma Barnett is one of the UK’s best interviewers and speech presenters working in broadcast journalism. And speaking to her, and hearing about her amazing success in the industry, it's also proof of the fact that you don’t have to train in London to enjoy a sparkling career in the industry and be a great journalist.

I interviewed Emma in the summer of 2024, and was hugely inspired by her dynamic, passionate approach to journalism, and how her journey has partially been shaped by the various cities and places she has found herself in.

Speaking on her career so far, she said: “It was quite interesting having already been to a university and been to Nottingham, which I also adored. Because Cardiff is a capital city, and the Welsh have their own language I really felt like I was experiencing a different part of the UK. It was very friendly and compared to then-London, I found Cardiff extremely friendly. A bit like Manchester, where I’m from. I loved trying laverbread, I had Welsh cakes in a local café in Cathays. "I love walking Caerphilly cheese, and loved walking down chip alley, although I know not everybody calls it that, I loved visiting different the different castles we went to and went to Hay Festival while I was there. “Also loved that in Cardiff, some of the best restaurants that I discovered weren’t in the bay or city centre. They were in the suburbs because it had this rich life around it."

“I felt that the university was a really, special and engaging place that cares so much about journalism and taught me so much, and it took me to its heart. The only thing was, I thought I could handle rain being from the north, but it was an extraordinary level of water.

“I walked everywhere because you can. It’s Cardiff and you should. But I did have to get rid of most shoes every two or three months and just be in wellingtons.

“Having been a city girl all my life, I thought that was a new level, and that’s not me complaining but it was like, ok. It does genuinely rain here more than normal but I loved that you could go all around the city and there was just this really strong identity and I love that I had that experience now especially with what I do. It was more important than I realised.”

Read this piece here.