A Career in Journalism – Ep8 S3

Journalism is a difficult profession to break into, but not so for Alex, who stumbled into it by chance and somehow built a career he still does alongside comedy.   In this episode, Siobhan speaks to Alex about his 18 years of journalism and editorial experience, starting out at a local paper aged 23 with no training or experience, learning on the job in a rural setting under a brutal editor. He recalls some of the articles he wrote, from the trivial about a pigeon to a big national story, as well as attending three or four parish council meetings every month.  Lasting just over a year in the role and burnt out, he decided to quit and move to London to pursue comedy, but ended up working regular shifts for a national publication for a couple of years. So, how does Noel Edmonds fit into this?  In Sh*t or Miss, Siobhan uses her growing reporter skills to extract another tale. The story involves someone on a coach trip in India with a weakened stomach, saved by a stop in a rural village and the urgent hunt for a toilet.  Music is by Rich Shillitoe.