Beth Rigby on interviewing Boris Johnson and people “from all different walks of life” on her new show

Virgin Radio

10 Mar 2022, 11:51

Journalist and political editor Beth Rigby joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to talk about interviewing the Prime Minister, what we can expect from her new show, and why she might need some energy drinks before it airs live tonight.

Beth Rigby Interviews… starts this evening (10th March) and will air weekly on Thursdays at 9pm on Sky News. Beth told Chris: “We’ve got this new interview show, but it’s not just about politics, so I’m going to get to interview lots of people, from all different walks of life.”

However, whilst there is going to be a broad spectrum of guests on the show, the fist episode sees Beth on familiar ground with a political interview, and it’s a massive one. “Tonight, it is quite political actually, because we’ve got the PM on!” she said.

Speaking more about interviewing Boris Johnson, the political news editor of Sky News said: “Because of everything that’s going on in Ukraine, it’s a really good get, because there’s so many questions to ask him, isn’t there, about what’s going on in the UK response?

“I’ve got to hotfoot it up north. I can’t say where, but I’ve got to go from here, get on a train, go and interview him, come back, and then we’re going to do the show live at 9pm tonight on Sky News.”

When Chris asked how long she would get to speak with the PM, Beth said: “Hopefully I’ll get about 20 to 25 minutes with him. That would be ideal. I just have to keep saying ‘and one final question!’”

Chris asked the journalist how she deals with politicians who don’t answer her questions, to which she replied: “I’m quite simple about it. And just keep asking the question and then just eventually give up! I’m not very clever about it. I’m a bit of a blunt instrument when it comes to that.”

Whilst the show has a fairly heavy political theme tonight, there will be many guests from the non-political world throughout the series. Beth explains: “John Riley who runs Sky News, came to me with the idea late last year, and he said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to have a place on the channel where we can sit big interviews, not just politics, but from all walks of life, so be it people in entertainment, footballers and sports stars, authors, businessmen, people that run public bodies like the NHS or Ofsted, which inspects schools. People from all walks of life that are interesting to the public, and put them in one show, once a week, and have a sort of appointment to view.’ 

“And he said, ‘What do you think? Do you like it and would you do it?’ and I said, ‘I would absolutely love to do that.’ But I am starting off with two political guests, so I’m not sure I’ve exactly fitted his brief tonight! But, you know, he and I can talk about that afterwards, if he tells me off! He’ll be alright, I’ve got the PM for him. He’ll be okay!”

Beth has come a long way from her debut appearance on Sky News, which she described as “absolutely hopeless”. She said: “It’s not so bad now, but when I first started, because I get so nervous, I used to just get red. So it would start in my neck, and the flush would go all  up my face. So I just looked like a barely speaking red-faced uncomfortable person on television. So, we’ve come a bit of a way since then!”

She continued: “I really hate watching myself back on telly. If I think about it, that you’re performing and everybody’s watching you, it sort of freaks me out, so I try not to think about that, and what I actually try and think about is, I think about my dad watching me and I’m talking to my dad.”

Speaking of her dad, the presenter told Chris: “When I first went on telly, my Dad phoned me up and he said, ‘Ah yeah, you were really good’. And he said, ‘You look much better on telly than in real life,’ which I absolutely loved. I was like ‘Dad, is that a compliment?’ Then he realised what he’d said.”

When talking about the new show, which will go out live, she said: “If you see that I’m completely bright red, you’ll know that I’m feeling a bit stressed!"

She added: “To be honest, I’m more thinking, ‘I’m going to be knackered’. I’m more thinking, ‘I hope I don’t look tired!’ Because I’ve got to get to the north I can’t say where. I’ve got to come back, and then we’ve got to do the show at nine. 

“So, I’ll have to get some Red Bulls down me or something, won’t I?” 

Beth Rigby Interviews... airs weekly on Thursdays at 9pm on Sky News. 

For more great interviews listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky, weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio, or catch up on-demand here.