Nikki Fox: One of the loveliest ladies on TV!

Last month, we caught up with Nikki Fox - BBC News Disability Correspondent – to hear her thoughts on the BBC’s new diversity targets.

There has been some noticeable change recently in the diversity we are seeing onscreen. The Black Lives Matter movement and the LGBTQ community have made significant progress in bringing attention to the barriers they face every day, but recently, the voice of disabled people and those with additional needs has been quieter.

Nikki and her Watchdog co-presenter, Matt Allwright, have visited our TV studio a number of times, so we nabbed Nikki for a chat about working in TV with a disability and how things are changing.

When did you know that you wanted to work in television? Not until I was in my twenties! I never liked having my picture taken or being on video. I’d always struggled academically, but my primary school offered free music lessons and, because of that, I found something I was good at. I studied music at uni and working in TV was not on the agenda at all!

Were you aware of the obstacles you might face at work because of your disability? I have Muscular Dystrophy which is a progressive disease and comes on slowly.

We just overcame any obstacles by sorting things out ourselves. I remember when I got my first radio job on a breakfast show, my mum used to get up with me at 2.30am to help me get ready and, on the first day, my Dad, who was a builder, came to fit some ramps and a grab rail. I know the BBC would have helped, but we just sorted it. I was lucky to have them.

What have been the biggest obstacles for you? The days when I was freelancing were difficult. The work was sporadic and I never knew what I’d be doing next, so getting support was hard. At one job, I didn’t want to say that I couldn’t access the bathroom, so I would ‘hold on’ from 6.30am until I got home at 8pm. Looking back, I don’t really know why. I suppose I was so grateful to be there, I didn’t want to be a pain. I would never do that now and would never advise it. It pays to be open.

What, or who, has been the biggest help in your career? I was presented with a mobility scooter – a leaving gift of sorts! – when I was made redundant from Sainsbury’s, my student job. What a gift! Without it, I would have been stuffed, so that was a big, big help. The Channel 4 Disability Researcher Training Scheme really was my springboard.

A lady called Angela Chan, who worked in BBC Diversity, was a key person in my career. She took an interest in me and got me in front of the right people. She has been so significant and is still in my life now.

What would you say has been your most enjoyable job? I can’t really pick one! I love working on Watchdog. Matt Allwright and I really are best friends. I also love working on The One Show and confess that I am slightly in love with Alex Jones. But working on How to Look Good Naked was brilliant, too! Gok Wan is one of the loveliest people you could meet.

And the worst bits? I’ve taken a few embarrassing dives. When I was a guest on Would I Lie to You, I was sat on a chair and forgot it didn’t have arms (my scooter has arms), so I went to lean and ended up head first in Lee Mack’s lap!

From your experience, how do you think things have improved for disabled people over the last ten years? The BBC is making a lot of in-roads into having a much more diverse workforce which makes me really proud to work for them. June Sarpong, Director of Creative Diversity, is so smart and is as knowledgeable about disability and other minority groups, as she is about ethnic minority issues. She’s all over it. They have a brilliant scheme called BBC Extend, and Channel 4 run the Disability Researcher Training Programme. Most of the other channels have a similar scheme now, too, which is great.

What advice would you give to a young person wanting to work in television? I get lots of emails from young disabled people asking for advice about working in TV. I always say to check out these schemes that the channels run. They are attracting some unbelievably talented journalists who are young and exciting and really want to give a voice to minority groups.

Once in the industry, I’d always advise disabled people to speak up about the help that they need because they will get it. It’s important that we keep pushing.

What does the future hold for you? I love my role as Disability Correspondent, but I also love the presenting work that I’ve been doing. I’d really like to do some documentarymaking. I am full of ideas!

Nikki’s story is an inspirational one. It seems that things are starting to change for the young disabled journalists following in her footsteps and not before time! I’m sure we can expect to see a lot more of Nikki on our screens in the months and years to come.