Ashleigh Whitfield
BA Media and Cultural Studies 2002
Ashleigh graduated from the University with a degree in Media and Cultural Studies in 2002 – and though you may not know her name you will almost certainly have heard her distinctive North-East accent as she introduces everything from EastEnders to Doctor Who.
She is a Continuity Announcer for BBC1 and BBC2 - scripting and introducing (live) whatever is on the schedule whether that's Top Gear, The BAFTA's or The Olympics. That's her full time job. Away from work, she is also a Radio Presenter (with 13 years of on air experience). At the moment she presents three weekend radio shows weekly for 103.4 Sun FM, while scripting and voicing daily showbiz packages for Simon Grundy at Breakfast. She is also the mid-morning presenter at Pattaya 105 in Thailand (5 shows a week), and a cover presenter for Heat Radio in London.
In addition, she is a regular voice over for Instore Radio Productions, Voxclever, Espresso Education, Mothercare, Maplin and Westfield to name but a few...
“As part of my degree I studied radio production, TV studio and journalism, which all gave me great experience for my future career. Radio in particular was very helpful, as the studio setup was similar to what I went on to use at many radio stations. Journalism also developed my writing skills, which has come in handy since my current job involves scripting and creative writing on a daily basis.
“As a Continuity Announcer for Red Bee Media, I’m one of the voices you will hear talking over the credits on one programme and then introducing the next. I announce on both BBC1 and BBC2, depending on what shift I’m on. I enjoy all of it. It’s hard not to enjoy watching TV for a living! The most challenging part of the job is coming up with engaging lines that will make the audience want to keep watching. It’s difficult writing for something like the final of The Apprentice because your lines have to sum up the excitement of a whole programme in just 10 seconds. On the other hand, it’s often harder to write for a programme over and over again, like Bargain Hunt or Cash in the Attic.
“I have many friends who graduated in the same year and also carved successful careers in a very tough industry, and obviously I’d recommend any of the media degrees at the University of Sunderland.”