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Natalie Jamieson – In Conversation

Entertainment now comes in unlimited forms and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with trends across the whole industry. Showbiz journalism has now become a vital staple of almost every news outlet and demands a team of highly respected and experienced individuals to bring us the latest updates on our favourite stars and shows in a way that caters to the right demographic. For over two decades, writer and broadcaster Natalie Jamieson has built an unprecedented reputation as one of the leading showbiz reporters in Britain and is at home on a film junket as she is on a podcast, Growing Up with a real thirst for entertainment, Natalie occupied her time frequenting her local cinema, watching Tv and listening to music which ultimately provided the perfect grounding for a career in journalism.

 

Despite Radio 1 being her lifelong trusted station, Natalie’s first entertainment position was for the platform Unique which supplied commercial radio with entertainment news. Working for her local Oxford radio station Fox FM, she was able to observe a requirement for a showbiz news programme which resulted in her presenting a half hour entertainment show which discussed the biggest celebrity gossip of the day.  For a local radio station to devote a full half hour to entertainment news on their daytime schedule was something groundbreaking for the period. Living in the area that had just spawned Radiohead, it seemed too much of a good opportunity to not attempt an interview. Sampling and showcasing local popular culture was something that she felt was an important purpose of the radio station and provided perfect grounding for her work. This further ignited Natalie’s passion for broadcasting and it was only a matter of time before she spread her entertainment wings.

 

Fulfilling a lifetime ambition to join BBC Radio 1 in the wake of Matthew Bannister’s high profile shakeup at the network, Natalie worked as a reporter for Newsbeat. As an ardent advocate for entertainment news coverage, she enjoyed peacefully fighting for an increase of journalism on the station and was able to understand those stories which the audience would be interested in. In doing this, Natalie and the team worked long hours to deliver this bespoke coverage and this was a valuable lesson in the world of journalism. In order to attain those stories and secure celebrity interviews, you need to work incredibly hard and cultivate a dedicated ethos to what you’re doing. This may go some way towards unlocking the secret to Natalie’s longevity in broadcasting.

 

While at Radio 1, Natalie became entertainment reporter for Jo Whiley’s Lunchtime Social which saw her working alongside the broadcasting heavyweight. As an avid fan of The Evening Session,, she struggled to believe that she was alongside one of her radio heroes. Despite being a similar age, Jo was a familiar voice in her everyday life and it was extraordinary that she was now sharing airtime with her. A renowned musical authority herself, it was a surreal experience when delivering music news to the figure who always had her finger firmly on the pulse when it came to live music. However, over the years, their on air chemistry evolved and became more like two friends talking in their living room and Natalie is now proud to call Jo a friend.

 

In 2011 Natalie followed Jo to the safe space of evenings on Radio 2 when she became host of the station’s Culture Club. Working on radio, it’s frequently easy to forget how many people are listening and her on air chemistry with Jo is so easy that it becomes like an intimate conversation. Of course, if Natalie stopped and thought about the millions of listeners who are being entertained by their friendly chat, it would make her tighten up and freeze. Yet on radio, she thankfully hasn’t got to think about any of that and instead just enjoys the dynamic with Jo and her lovely team. Over twenty years since Natalie’s debut on Jo Whiley’s Lunchtime Social, this successful dynamic still endures and it’s always nice to drop into Natalie and Jo’s chat on Wednesday nights on BBC Radio 2.

 

Beyond radio, Natalie is the driving force behind many popular podcasts and The Line Up hits brought her into contact with the writer and broadcaster Shaun Keaveny. This offered the opportunity for significant figures in entertainment create their perfect imaginary festival experience. With such a strong format, it was a revelation to hear how people handled this task and everyone from Joe Cornish to Groove Armada shared something unique. Taking a hiatus from July 2023, Natalie is hopeful that The Line Up will return before long simply because it’s an utter joy to work on.

 

If one podcast wasn’t enough, Natalie has two! In 2019 Natalie joined the successful series Killing It: the podcast in which Jordan Stephens and psychologist Petra Velzeboer chat to celebrities about struggling and surviving mental health struggles. As presenter, Jordan would introduce the guest and take care of administrative responsibilities before Petra interviewed the guest using her psychological background. This was a different platform to the entertainment podcasts which had began springing up in the years previously. Having a psychologist take care of the interview set Killing It apart from its contemporaries. For Natalie to witness this unique process was something very special and the range of figures who have appeared on the show was fascinating. In the era where mental health is hot topic on political agenda, Killing It hit the mark at a pivotal moment for Britain and remains one of her greatest achievements to date.

 

Today, Natalie thrives upon the ability to explore new platforms and spaces to harness and promote emerging popular culture at it’s very best and remains passionate about all areas of the arts. Whether it’s a glamorous award ceremony, a film junket or a promotional gig for an upcoming artist, it’s reassuring that her passionate, laid back tone shall forever guide us through the marvellous and enigmatic world of popular culture. It was a pleasure to welcome the accomplished Natalie Jamieson to Beyond The Title and wish her all the best for the rest of her fascinating career.