Freelance football reporter and presenter Alison Bender joins Hamish in this week’s episode. With over 20 years in the business Alison has covered European Championships, World Cups, Champions League games and much more. Alison speaks openly and honestly about her career to date, including all the highs of working in her dream job, as well as the lows like the dark side of social media and the challenges women face in the football media.

Please follow Alison on social media @alibendertv and head over to her website www.alisonbender.com and sign up to receive alerts on her extremely exciting project, Talent Takes Time, where aspiring sports broadcasters can learn more about the industry!

Time Codes:-

1:00-3:00- Alison’s early life and her desire to work in Television.

3:00-7:00- The start to Alison’s career at CNBC, the variety of roles she performed and the lessons she learnt there.

7:00-14:00- Alison’s move into presenting/reporting, including a first interview with Keanu Reeves.

14:00-18:00- Alison’s move to Real Madrid TV and the meticulous research that followed…

18:00-22:00- Fun interviews and how to get the best out of your interviewee.

22:45-27:00- Alison’s experiences with social media abuse and how to deal with it.

27:00-31:30- The challenges Alison and other women face in football media.

31:30-34:30- Alison’s best bits of advice for aspiring sports broadcasters.

34:30-38:00- Alison Bender Quiz.