Miriam Cates speaks on her first week at GB News: 'It was a privilege to be part of the team!'
Ben Leo and Miriam Cates presented Britain’s Newsroom from Monday to Thursday together
GB News
Over the last five years I’ve had plenty of opportunities to be on TV. As an MP until earlier this month, I was frequently asked to do interviews on a wide range of topics from immigration to online safety.
Doing media is nerve-wracking when you first start, but, just like with anything else in life it gets easier with practice.
However, as I was to discover this week, answering a few questions about politics is a walk in the park compared to being on the other side of the news desk.
I am a huge admirer of GB News so I was delighted to be asked to stand in for Bev Turner this week, presenting Britain’s Newsroom from Monday to Thursday alongside Ben Leo.
Last Thursday I came into the studio to watch the programme live from behind the scenes, observing how the producers and technicians and directors communicate with the presenters to ensure the smooth running of the show.
It was fascinating to see the process in action and reassuring to witness such a professional but friendly team.
When you’re watching Bev or Andrew or any of the other presenters, they seem relaxed and in control, deftly moving from one story to the next, or announcing the weather or some breaking news.
But in the moments before the countdown to Monday morning’s show, I felt anything but calm.
As we were about to go live on air, all the things that could go wrong flashed before my mind – would I mess up the autocue? Start speaking at the wrong moment? Introduce the news when we were actually going to a commercial break?
But once the cameras started rolling I gradually started to relax.
Miriam Cates said "politics is a walk in the park compared to being on the other side of the news desk"
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Although there is a lot to think about – how many minutes are left until the next break, what’s on the autocue, how to pronounce the name of the next guest – Ben Leo did a brilliant job of leading the show, helping me find my feet and taking charge of the difficult transitions.
And, though I had worried that having the producers speaking in my ear would be distracting, it was actually very reassuring and provided vital feedback and advance notice of what was coming next.
As the week went on, I began to enjoy the experience more and more. And as I became increasingly familiar with the technical side of the show, I was able to think more about what questions to ask our guests and to respond to some of the comments from viewers.
It was an exhausting week but a wonderful one, and a privilege to be part of such a warm and welcoming GB News team.