Category: Interview

Fast becoming a household name, fabulous and feisty Afua Adom has earned her place as a respected and talented anchorperson, broadcast journalist and radio presenter. Afua is a passionate speaker and one of the leading voices on diversity in Britain, empowering and inspiring others across the country. 

Born and bred in Glasgow, encouraged by her parents who instilled in her a hard work ethic, Afua moved down London to study journalism at City University. She pursued a career in music publishing but followed her love of writing and became the Features Editor of Pride Magazine. After a year out having her gorgeous daughter, Naima, she turned to broadcast journalism and launched her own radio show. She now regularly appears on ITV’s This Morning, Good Morning Britain, and the Jeremy Vine show. 

Turning 40

Afua turns 40 later this year so I wanted to find out how she was feeling about it and what challenges she thinks might lie ahead. 

The word Afua used to describe turning 40 was……’Yikes!’

‘When I think of when my mum was 40,  40 back in 1980 feels a lot older than 40 now.’ 

But I bet my Mum would say the same thing about when my Nana was 40. I feel like I’m so much less mature than my Mum was when she was 40. When my mum was 40, she seemed like she was very together and she was this formidable woman and I feel like a giggly school girl. 40 is not old by any stretch of the imagination. That much we know but I feel like it’s younger than it was back then. 

In one sense of the word it feels old and in another sense, I spend a lot of time scrolling on the ASOS app looking for new things to wear that are wildly inappropriate. I’m “Yikes” because it feels older than I am and I feel like maybe I should start investing in stocks and shares!’

Enjoy the space you’re in

I asked Afua what advice she would give to her 20 year old self? She said, 

‘Enjoy your youth but know that it lasts longer than perhaps you think it does. Don’t worry about things like how you look or what job you’re going to do. I spent so much time worrying, am I thin enough?  Am I pretty enough? Just wasted energy on that. I wish I’d always known that I was always enough. I wish I hadn’t worried so much about where I would end up. About making my mum and dad proud of me. Because they were always proud, you know. I wish I hadn’t worried so much about where the next job was coming from and enjoy the present one. That even applies to now to be honest. Just chill out and enjoy the space that you’re in. Don’t rush to grow up and pay bills.

I asked Afua for her top tips for self preservation? 

‘Sometimes you have to believe your own hype.’ 

‘Remember the dance routines you used to make up in your bedroom when you were 10, remember how much you believed you could be the 2nd coming of Paula Abdul. Remember how that feels, bottle it and sometimes just sprinkle it over yourself. Believe your own hype.  Sometimes that’s the only way you can get up in the morning and keep going. Be the best version you can be.’

Dealing with racism

Afua recently shared a beautiful picture of her daughter on social media. She made a screenshot of a comment made by a troll using the N-word. 

I immediately got in touch to offer my support and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. She said it was supremely hurtful and unnecessary. ‘If you’re going to attack me, that’s one thing. If you’re going to attack my daughter, that’s another level of hate.’

Afua never really experienced racism until she moved to London. There’s now a large Ghanaian community in Scotland but when her parents first moved from Ghana in the 70s, they were subjected to sick racial abuse. Her parents have always reminded her who she is and where she’s from. It’s not hard to see where the fire in Afua’s belly came from and it’s promising to watch her presence grow.   

Having been on the receiving end of racial abuse, I asked Afua if her coping mechanisms had changed over the years?  

‘You become more resilient as you get older certainly. But things still do cut deep. What helps is support from friends. The support always helps there’s so many lovely voices out there to drown out the horrible voices. All you have to remember is that person has a massive problem which has nothing to do with me, nothing to do with my skin colour. It’s to do with the way S/he thinks. S/he isn’t wired correctly and you just keep on going.’ 

Racism. It’s a conversation that needs to happen over and over again until all humans are accepted in the same way. By highlighting it, talking about it, sharing our stories and creating awareness we, as the human race, will continue to seek a united respect for one another.

Catch up with the turning 40 interviews here with the fabulous Charlie Brooks and Rebecca Wilcox.

Comment below with your thoughts and follow us here on Instagram to keep the conversation going.

TV presenter and radio personality, Rebecca Wilcox is an inspirational and empowering role model. I wanted to find out how she was feeling and what expectations she has since turning 40 last year.

Rebecca Wilcox was a regular reporter on BBC1’s Watchdog and BBC Three’s Mischief series. As well as presenting, she’s been an undercover reporter and worked alongside Nicky Campbell on the prime time consumer series, Your Money Their Tricks.

Rebecca has hosted beauty segments on Channel 4‘s show How To Look Good Naked and was the consumer expert for ITV1’s This Morning. She got to drive a formula one racing car while presenting an one hour biography on F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton and after the experience she said, ‘I’m so tired and I’ve done nothing.’ Pretty much sums up how I feel these days!

Before becoming a presenter, Rebecca worked in television production on shows from Cops With Cameras to Hell’s Kitchen. In 2006 I had the absolute pleasure of working with her for 6 months on the Channel 5 series, Trust me I’m a Holiday Rep in Malia, Crete. The schedule was tough and intense but we made up for it with some very debauched nights out. I can specifically remember a rather raunchy dance off between Rebecca and I in a very empty, out of season, nightclub. I can’t tell you who won as I passed out drunk and pulled a muscle attempting to pole dance. Those are memories we both cherish forever although witnesses of that night can’t unsee what they saw. And we apologise for that.

‘It left me so starved I suffered blackouts.’

I imagine that with being in front of the camera comes a huge pressure to look your best at all times. After losing her father in 2000, Rebecca comfort ate her way through her grief and after going up a couple of dress sizes turned to the Tracy Anderson method which left her so hungry she suffered blackouts. Since then she attributes her health and happiness to a balanced diet and regular exercise.

‘The Queen of procrastination.’

Rebecca talked me through her typical day which includes a very early wake up call around 5.30am courtesy of her two lovely boys. After preparing breakfast for the family, she exercises and credits that for making her a nicer person. She spends an inordinate amount of time wiping kitchen surfaces having, like many of us, gotten obsessed with Mrs Hinch, even though she hates cleaning. Rebecca openly admits to being the Queen of procrastination. She writes and also preps her radio show but the fallout of lockdown made her realise how much she needs people and without them she’s anti productive. By 8pm, she’s in bed. 

I asked Rebecca what advice she’d give her 20 year old self. She would tell herself to stop giving a shit, eat the chocolate and take more naked pictures so we could look back and love ourselves more. Sweaty spanks were her wardrobe staple back then. These days, she doesn’t really care what she looks like as she’s more confident knowing she’s chosen to be there because she enjoys the work. She feels it freeing to say no to jobs. She says, ‘It’s got to be worth me not being with my kids.’

In her 40s she’s feeling fit, content and hopeful but anxious about what’s coming next. Likening it to being on a paddleboard, so easy to fall off but necessary just to maintain (a life) balance.  

Thoughts on self preservation

Rebecca’s top tips for self preservation are to get as much sleep as you can and to find clothes that fit you, not the fashion, buying fewer pieces that are better fits. 

We agree that finding clothes can be tricky as there just doesn’t seem to be consistent sizing across high street stores and you can often be left feeling really fat and bloated.

The most important belief Rebecca has is to ‘Be the person and the parent and the working Mum that you want to be and not letting other people’s opinions dictate anything you do.’ 

You can listen to Rebecca Wilcox and her Mum putting the world to rights on Sundays at 5pm on Boom radio.