INTERVIEW: Former BBC Radio Newcastle presenter Alfie Joey on tackling the creative industry

As part of Bdaily’s latest feature, Entrepreneurship Week, we sat down for a chat with Alfie Joey, host of the podcast, ‘Speaker’s Corner with Alfie Joey’, former BBC Radio Newcastle presenter, communications coach, and a prolific writer, comic, actor, impressionist, singer, presenter, and artist.

As a man of many talents, our conversation with Alife spanned a plethora of subjects and disciplines, as we charted a course through his varied and fascinating career. Read on to find out more…

1. Can you talk us through your career journey from training to become a priest to the huge variety of things you do now?

I did train to be a priest and joined a religious order (15 years all together) but it was so long ago it is like looking back on someone else’s life. Every time I changed direction, from monk to comedian, to actor, to BBC radio presenter… All experiences helped serve future roles in unexpected ways.

I did a TedX Talk called Changing Lanes which explains how tricky but necessary it can be to move on from a job when it is exciting and before it gets stale or boring.

2. As a person who wears so many different hats, how do you strike a balance between all of your different creative and educational pursuits?

I have to say it can be quite chaotic wearing lots of hats but I crave variety and I’m stuck with it. I would like a little bit more balance where I can do more of the work I enjoy and less of the work that pays the bigger bills. I usually try to stick to a rule which is say YES to everything until you are busy enough to say NO.

3. If you could sit down for dinner with any influential figure from history who would it be and why?

I would say Frank Sinatra is the singer I love most (Saw him in concert in 1990) but I would be too intimidated to ever have dinner with him. I love the actor, comedian, musician Steve Martin, he is an influential artist on several platforms and I would love to ask him all about his career.

4. What advice would you give to an entrepreneur trying to break into the creative industry?

I am the last person to give entrepreneurial advice but I would say I know quite a bit about the creative industry and this is my firm belief: talent is only a tiny part of success in the arts and is worth NOTHING without dedication, hard work and relentless determination.

5. Could you pick a single highlight from your wide-ranging career?

I think presenting the breakfast radio show during covid was something I will long remember. As a team we felt like we were in an underground bunker taking endless calls and arranging interviews to help save businesses, care homes, food banks.

Local radio really serves people best when times are tough and can directly serve communities, in a way national radio can’t, during a time of crisis.

6. What can you share with our readers about some of your upcoming projects?

1 ) I enjoy coaching people to speak better in public but a new angle has recently made this even more exciting.

This is the age of the podcast and the panel appearance in business and lots of companies are investing in the right microphones and finest studios and classiest conference rooms but invest NOTHING into being trained as a host or a presenter.

Hey Presto! I am available to help you hone those all important skills. I have interviewed Olympians, Oscar winners, popstars, politicians and many business champions. I’d be delighted to help you find your voice, take your interviewing/hosting to another level and make any appearance you make on a podcast or a panel more impactful.

2 ) For variety, I am currently working on set and costume designs for pantomime at The Customs House in South Shields. I’m in Aladdin too, as the Emperor! Oh yes I am!

3 ) And I just recently handed in my illustrations for a new children’s book, out in September. It’s called ‘Never Stop Drawing’.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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