Showbiz

This Morning’s Sian Welby reveals her accent has held her career back – and how she lost out on jobs to reality stars before landing ITV break

This Morning’s Sian Welby reveals her accent has held her career back – and how she lost out on jobs to reality stars before landing ITV break

Having made her name as a weather presenter, it’s fitting Sian Welby has such a sunny disposition.

And that chirpy ‘girl next door’ appeal has gone down a storm with This Morning bosses who handed her a job in the midst of the ITV show’s scandal-driven overhaul.

Sitting on the famous sofa grilling guests as part of the roster of presenters is a dream job for the Nottingham-born star and speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Sian has revealed exactly how she finally bagged the highly sought-after gig following years of hard work.

It hasn’t been an easy ride for the Capital UK radio host, 38, who explained her biggest compeтιтion over the years has come from ‘reality stars’ and she was forced to wait for her turn in the spotlight.

She said: ‘I have always wanted to be on This Morning, it was a big mission of mine.

‘In my career, I’ve had reality stars overtake me, and you lose out on opportunities because they’re H๏τ right now, or they weren’t looking for someone like me with my accent or whatever the thing was, but I had to wait my turn.’

Presenter Sian Welby has revealed how she bagged her highly sought-after job on This Morning following years of being overlooked for TV gigs

Presenter Sian Welby has revealed how she bagged her highly sought-after job on This Morning following years of being overlooked for TV gigs

The former weather girl has spoken exclusively to MailOnline about landing the role of her dreams after she idolised Cat Deeley growing up in a small Nottingham village

The former weather girl has spoken exclusively to MailOnline about landing the role of her dreams after she idolised Cat Deeley growing up in a small Nottingham village

Sian explained how she was often beaten to opportunities by reality stars and that her accent wasn¿t the right fit as she worked her way up the ranks in Showbiz and TV

Sian explained how she was often beaten to opportunities by reality stars and that her accent wasn’t the right fit as she worked her way up the ranks in Showbiz and TV

Sian continued: ‘I told two female producers on the show that I would do anything.

‘I said, send me to Bognor Regis beach at 2am or get me dressed up as a Smurf in the middle of Skegness, I will do it. I just really wanted to work on the show. So, I did everything for them.

‘I did live shows in the middle of Warwick, I was doing compeтιтions and stuff online, a Showbiz segment and a bit like everything in life, I stepped in one day for Lisa Snowdon and it proved to them I could do live TV.

‘And eventually the big pinch me moment came when they asked me if I would like to cover with Dermot O’Leary.’

After shining alongside Dermot in January last year, she’s now very much part of the This Morning set-up alongside Alison Hammond, Rochelle Humes, Craig Doyle, plus main hosts Ben Shephard and her idol growing up, Cat Deeley.

But chasing her dream job was an uphill battle for Sian, as she had just recently given birth to her first baby, Ruby, who’s now seven months, with fiancé Jake Beckett, a producer on the Capital breakfast show she still co-hosts alongside Jordan North and Chris Stark.

Indeed, she admitted her work ethic combined with motherhood has put herself on verge of an ‘exhaustion breakdown.’ 

She explained: ‘Some days it is overwhelming and hard. I am not a quitter, I’m very motivated and I don’t like anyone telling me that I can’t do something and yet I have to admit to myself some days that I can’t physically do everything.

She convinced ITV bosses to give her a chance, promising to do anything they wanted like report from a 'Bognor Regis beach at 2am' or 'dress as a Smurf in the middle of Skegness'

She convinced ITV bosses to give her a chance, promising to do anything they wanted like report from a ‘Bognor Regis beach at 2am’ or ‘dress as a Smurf in the middle of Skegness’ 

After shining alongside Dermot in January last year, she's now very much part of the This Morning set-up alongside Alison Hammond, Rochelle Humes, Craig Doyle

After shining alongside Dermot in January last year, she’s now very much part of the This Morning set-up alongside Alison Hammond, Rochelle Humes, Craig Doyle

‘There aren’t enough hours in the day. It’s got to the point where I have to diary in a wee because I haven’t factored in a two-minute moment.

‘There are days when I have a 4am alarm, go into Capital, run across London to This Morning, then sometimes a junket and then home to do teatime and bath time.

‘I want to spend time with Ruby and when she’s been ill, I’m up in the night. There are times I have been sucking snot out of her nose at 1am and getting up a 4am for the radio and still having to do my hair and makeup.’

But Sian says while she has struggled since Ruby’s birth last June, she believes women can have it all with some adjustments and in her case, the support of a loving partner. 

She added: ‘This is a cool job and I’m very, very lucky but there are moments where I can’t help but feel like yes, the last thing I want to do is put my makeup on and do my hair and be chirpy. 

‘I am lucky right now that my other half is off work and is almost doing the shared maternity leave. He’s been with Ruby so I know she’s with her dad so it’s a bit easier but it is still really, really hard and you are on the verge of an exhaustion breakdown. 

‘For a woman and it’s hard to admit and I have recently spoken about this but it isn’t equal in life because a man really can carry on and go back to work whereas it takes a lot more working it out as a woman. But you can.’ 

Sian got her first break in TV after being snapped up by Channel 5 when she was still working at high street fashion store, New Look.

She climbed the ranks with the broadcaster, presenting cycling and Formula E coverage, before becoming lead weather presenter in 2010, a role she performed for six years.

Sian, who trained as an actress and still has aspirations of writing her own comedy sitcom, joined Heart in 2019 and also co-hosted CBBC morning series Saturday Mash-Up in 2021, a year after she joined Roman Kemp’s breakfast show, where she remains with Jordan now at helm. 

The Capital radio host admits her worth ethic coupled with motherhood has put herself on verge of an ¿exhaustion breakdown¿ following the birth of her first baby last June

The Capital radio host admits her worth ethic coupled with motherhood has put herself on verge of an ‘exhaustion breakdown’ following the birth of her first baby last June

She explained most days her alarm goes off at 4am ahead of her hosting gig on the Capital breakfast show but then she goes onto This Morning, as well as afternoon movie junkets

She explained most days her alarm goes off at 4am ahead of her hosting gig on the Capital breakfast show but then she goes onto This Morning, as well as afternoon movie junkets

Sian says while she has struggled since Ruby's birth last June, she believes women can have it all with some adjustments and in her case, the support of a loving partner.

Sian says while she has struggled since Ruby’s birth last June, she believes women can have it all with some adjustments and in her case, the support of a loving partner.

She shares seven-month-old daughter Ruby with fiancé Jake Beckett, a producer on the Capital breakfast show she still co-hosts alongside Jordan North and Chris Stark

She shares seven-month-old daughter Ruby with fiancé Jake Beckett, a producer on the Capital breakfast show she still co-hosts alongside Jordan North and Chris Stark 

But since This Morning came calling, her profile has sH๏τ up. 

Last year, she interviewed Hollywood A-listers Margot Robbie and Tom Cruise and was even tipped to replace Holly Willoughby as main host before Cat got the job. 

With her blonde hair and big smile, the comparisons with Holly are obvious, which Sian takes as a huge compliment, but she admitted attempting to fill the hole left by the former host was nerve-wracking. 

She said: ‘You know how big the audience is with This Morning and people have their favourites and people don’t like change. 

‘I definitely felt a lot of pressure. You know the viewers have opinions and I was always really nervous about how I would go down.

‘I was coming into cover as a fairly unknown person. I know for most people I was a nobody, and I was expecting backlash with people saying, who on earth is this girl?

‘I was so shocked and overwhelmed with just how nice everyone was. I wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea and maybe I’ve just not seen it, but I’ve had such a supportive reaction from women and mums. I was just praying people would give me a chance.’

Her career transformation has been summed up by her role at Saturday night’s BRIT Awards in which she will be hosting the BRITs 2025: Live From The Red Carpet.

Ten years ago, she attended the music bash as a friend’s plus one and wasn’t even allowed to walk on the red carpet, instead entering the ceremony via a side door.

But all that will change this year, as she’ll be posing up alongside music’s biggest names.

She explained: ‘It’s been such a journey for me this job. I remember just being desperate to be invited to the BRITs. I came as someone’s plus one back in 2015 and I remember I didn’t really have anything to wear, and I didn’t get a pH๏τo because I wasn’t allowed on the red carpet, and I went through a side door.

Sian was highly tipped to replace Holly Willoughby on This Morning when she stepped down last year following months of scandal that hit the show

Sian was highly tipped to replace Holly Willoughby on This Morning when she stepped down last year following months of scandal that hit the show

And Sian¿s ambitions don¿t stop at This Morning as she hopes to become one of the faces of Saturday night TV, as she urges bosses to keep giving her the chance to prove herself

And Sian’s ambitions don’t stop at This Morning as she hopes to become one of the faces of Saturday night TV, as she urges bosses to keep giving her the chance to prove herself

Sian's experience has seen her interview Hollywood A-list stars including Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, Margot Robbie and Tom Cruise

Sian’s experience has seen her interview Hollywood A-list stars including Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, Margot Robbie and Tom Cruise

‘But that was my first experience of being able to go and I was so buzzing because being a kid from a small village I remember watching the ceremony and seeing the Spice Girls, the Geri dress, so for me it was so cool to even be there.

‘Fast-forward to last year with Capital doing the red carpet and this year actually working for the BRITs and being fully glammed and access all areas, it’s amazing.’

And for her big red carpet moment Sian has planned to wear a show stopping outfit so тιԍнт that she’ll be unable to use the toilet for hours.

She added: ‘I have taken the brief so literally and I am going as a BRIT Award and I’m not even kidding. I’ll be wearing a metallic silver structured piece of armour with built-in boobs, so it’s like a boob corset thingy with chainmail skirt and I have just tried it all on and because of how it is. 

‘I’ll be sown into it and that will be that. I’ll be trapped in it all night. I can’t sit down in it because it’s too rigid and I can’t go to the loo.’

So, what’s next for Sian? Do her ambitions stretch even higher than This Morning?

‘I would love to get to a point where I am one of the faces of TV.  I want to do a Saturday night show and be in that world,’ she said. 

‘I am so close to feeling that energy. I have the breakfast show, we treat it like that, there are big stunts and prizes and everyday people and funny stories.

‘I have a taste of it with This Morning and it moving at 100 miles an hour so I really do feel ready to be given the chance on a big TV show and for them to trust to have a new face on there.’

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