Samantha Johnson has established herself as one of the UK’s most inspiring TV Presenters, with a career that spans international broadcasting and hosting some of the world’s biggest sporting events.
Samantha Johnson
From presenting at the 2022 World Cup Draws to fronting coverage for Sky, BeIN Sports and Chelsea TV, she has become a trusted voice in global sports media.
Breaking into a male-dominated industry as a working-class, Black woman, Samantha’s journey is one of resilience and determination.
She has built her success through persistence, strong mentorship, and an unwavering belief in the importance of diverse voices in sports journalism.
In this exclusive interview with The BAME Speakers Agency, Samantha shares her insights on career growth, effective communication and why true inclusivity is vital for the future of sports broadcasting.
Q1. What challenges did you face breaking into a male-dominated industry, and what advice would you give to women wanting to do the same?
Samantha Johnson: “It’s very challenging to be an outsider looking in. At the time I thought the odds were stacked against me. I’m working class, I’m black, I’m a female, and I want to work in the sports industry. Bearing in mind I didn’t have any direct contacts in the sports world because it’s very clicky.
“So I had to actually go the other way around and take another route and go into the track industry, and that started when I was about 16 years old. It’s amazing what can happen when you just stay persistent, and you make your own contacts and you make good relationships as well. I got in that way. Every bit was challenging, but I’ve enjoyed myself and I’ve enjoyed meeting a lot of people and learning along the way.
“Sometimes, when you are going into an industry that is white, male and middle class, you do feel like an outsider. I felt that for a very long time. I would say I only shook that uncomfortable feeling of being the only one probably five or six years ago.
“I haven’t felt like that since coming to Turkey. It’s very visible, very obvious that I’m different, but I’ve been accepted here and respected for my work, and I haven’t had any problems. In the UK it was slightly different for me, but I still managed to make my way.
“If I had to give any advice to anybody coming into this industry, it is to stay persistent and positive. I do think it’s changed a lot. I don’t think it’s going to be as bad for the next generation because of social media. It’s made things a lot easier for people to get in contact with someone.
“You just go on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and slide into the DMs to ask for work experience. Or, if you’re a content creator, you do your own thing and then the broadcasters look at your product and invite you in. It’s a lot different today.
“Is it easy? It’s more accessible today, whereas when I was coming in… I don’t want to give away my age so much, but when I was trying to get in, I had to knock down doors, hand in my CV, carry on with calls. I called every week: “Have you read my CV?” “No, Samantha, but we will do.” Okay, call the next week and do it again until they let me in. And then I stayed there.”
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Q2. Looking back on your journey, what do you believe has been the biggest factor in your career growth?
Samantha Johnson: “The secret I would say is persistence. It’s not allowing my ego to take over, because at some point in your career you’re going to get humbled. You may walk into somewhere and think, “Hey, I know all this, it’s all right, you don’t have to tell me anything,” but you will get humbled very quickly. It’s about how you bounce back as well.
“What’s helped me is persistence, keeping my ego in check, being able to listen to other people. You’ve got to listen to others. You’ve got to have great mentors as well. I’ve always had great mentors to help me along the way. I think those are the main components.”
Q3. As a broadcaster and journalist, what do you see as the secret to truly effective communication?
Samantha Johnson: “The key to effective communication — and we touched on it earlier — is actually listening. It’s amazing what happens when you actually listen to other people. You can respond in the right way.
“I would say emotional intelligence as well. That goes a very long way, especially when you work on a huge team. You have to understand that you can’t treat everybody the same way. You can’t talk to everybody in the same manner.
“It’s knowing more about that person, tuning in, and thinking: “Okay, I can’t say harsh words or be blunt with this person, so I’ll do it another way. With this person I can just say, ‘Okay, this is XYZ,’ and then they get it.” That’s a really important and key way of communication.
“I just hope more people actually tune into that. In this day and age, emotional intelligence is key. It’s very important, because we are in a tough environment and you don’t know how people are dealing with it behind closed doors. Those are very important.”
Q4. What do diversity and inclusion mean to you personally, and why do you believe they are so important in today’s workplace?
Samantha Johnson: “Diversity and inclusion means everything to me. If it didn’t, I wouldn’t be where I am today. It’s impossible for any organisation to thrive if you don’t have a diverse company.
“I work for an international news station. It’s kind of impossible not to have a diverse newsroom. Imagine all the stories and the experience you get from people from different backgrounds.
“If you just have a newsroom or a room full of the same people, you’re not going to grow, you’re not going to learn anything. How are you supposed to move forward, how are you supposed to get creative, how are you supposed to get other ideas if everybody thinks the same? It’s not going to happen.
“This is why we need more diversity and inclusion, and it has to come from a very genuine place. Because of what happened in 2020 with the Black Lives Matter movement, there are companies speaking up today saying, “Yeah, we believe in diversity.” That’s great, but what are you going to do about it? I said last year, “Okay, let’s see where we are in a year’s time to see if you’re backing your chat.”
“If you believe in diversity and inclusion, then it has to be genuine. You can’t fake it.”
This exclusive interview with Samantha Johnson was conducted by Megan Lupton of The Champions Speakers Agency.
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