Jake is one of three 'Sports Personality of the Year' hosts

Students at Sheffield Springs Academy were amongst six schools given the chance to interview BBC Sport TV presenter Jake Humphrey on November.

Jake, who is the face of the BBC's Formula 1 coverage, is hosting the Sports Personality of the Year event in Sheffield on 13 December alongside Sue Barker and Gary Lineker.

School Reporters Cameron, Jade, Jamie, Natasha, and Gemma have been working with the BBC to produce some news stories about the event.

I ended up changing high schools because I was bullied, so it was quite hard. I wasn't very academic. Jake Humphrey

The day started with the students working with a BBC Sheffield producer to write some questions for the interview. They carried out some detailed research into Jake's career and talked about what they would really like to ask him.

Preparation

Then it was off to the studios to meet BBC Sheffield presenter Gareth Evans who was going to interview Jake alongside the students. They had a few minutes to get used to the studio and to practise asking their questions, which they would put "down the line" to Jake who would be sitting in another studio in London. Meanwhile Gareth sorted out the technical details of the interview, which was pre-recorded and will be broadcast the week leading up to the Sports Personality awards evening.

Jade and Natasha listen to Jake's answers

Once Jake was ready, Gareth started the interview with some questions of his own about Sheffield being the host city of Sports Personality 2009 and next year's Formula 1 season. Then it was over to the students.

Cameron started by asking Jake how he felt about presenting Sports Personality from Sheffield. He said: "I think Sheffield, as a sporting city, deserves to host the biggest Sports Personality event ever. Sheffield needs to be prepared for this. Your city is going to have the greatest stars in the world of sport descending on it."

Jamie asked Jake about his experience at the UEFA European Football Championship in 2008. He said: "It was really strange that England weren't there. I was really down that England weren't going to be there. But when the Euro's began, it turned into the most incredible tournament. I got rammed in the fan park - to be rained on - while Gary Lineker was in the nice, warm studio."

Bullied

"I am rubbish at sport," admitted Jake to Jade who asked him about his own sporting experience at school. "I even had a go at racing a car this year for the F1 coverage and came last. In my head, I am Jenson Button, Paul Gascoigne and Tiger Woods all rolled into one, and when I actually get out there and have a go, I'm useless."

Jade, Natasha, Cameron and Ms Westland with presenter Gareth Evans

Gemma asked Jake about his school experience. He said: "I ended up changing high schools because I was bullied, so it was quite hard. I wasn't very academic. The year before my GCSE's my Mum and Dad thought that my report was so bad that they gave me a notepad to take to the teachers at school and wrote on the front of it: 'We are thoroughly disgusted with the effort which Jacob has put in at school over the past 12 months, therefore please give him some extra work to do over the summer holidays,' which the teachers did!" This worked, as Jake passed his GSCE's with flying colours.

Natasha wanted to know what he thought he was going to do career-wise, when he was 15. He said: "I knew that I wanted to work in the media. I remember that when I was doing my GCSE's, I wrote a piece for my local paper about the stresses and strains of doing exams." He offered this piece of advice to the students: "If you already know what you want to do as a career at this age, there is nothing to stop you attacking. The earlier you start, the better. Someone has to be the new Gary Lineker or Dale Winton, so if you chase your dreams it might just happen."

Nervous

The students asked Jake who he looked up to when he was younger and he replied: "Des Lynam and Johnny Vaughan."

Jake told the students that he doesn't get too nervous interviewing people but that there are two people who do make him nervous: David Beckham, who he said has the presence of real greatness, and Lewis Hamilton. "I can chat to Michael Schumacher or Jenson Button," he said "But Lewis has real star quality that does make me slightly nervous."

Jamie, Gemma, Cameron, Natasha and Jade in the studio

Time was running out, but Natasha squeezed the last question: "If you could win an Olympic Gold medal, what would you like to win it in? He replied: "Decathlon, because I used to love Dean Macey, and to do it in that discipline shows that you are the complete sportsman. Or the 100m, because if I could run quicker than Usain Bolt I would make some serious money."

Once the interview was over, the students had their photos taken in the studios and went back to school to tell the rest of their class about the experience.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year will be live on BBC1 between 7pm and 9pm on Sunday 13 December. Jake Humphrey joins Sue Barker and Gary Lineker as hosts of this year's event at Sheffield Arena.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version