Sum up what you do at Times Radio?

I get up exceptionally early (3:10am), present Early Breakfast to get you briefed on the morning’s news, business and sport headlines. I also pop up across the rest of the schedule if other people are taking holidays. One time I presented four programmes in two days. Sorry, listeners.

What’s the best thing about working on Times Radio?

Presenting news radio programmes has been my dream since I was 11 years old. So living the dream is definitely up there as an answer to this. I also think it can’t be overstated how fun it is to get to sit and chat about the news with well informed, analytical, insightful guests. I can’t believe someone designed this as an actual career. It’s awesome.

Tell us about your Early Breakfast Club and how to get involved…

The Early Breakfast Club is The Times’ most exclusive members club. Wine, sure. Crosswords, I hear you. But getting up at 5am? That’s commitment. The Early Breakfast Club is a loyalty scheme for our listeners.

Tuning in at 5am every day is no mean feat – and it deserves rewards. So, the more you listen and text or email in, the more loyalty points you stack up (I have a spreadsheet).

Recently, we were able to dish out hundreds of face masks to our most loyal members – just doing our bit to maintain PPE supplies across the nation, and around the world in fact. To get involved, you need to listen to Early Breakfast and get in touch – either live or on-demand.

You can text in live, or email anytime: earlybreakfastclub@times.radio – you’ll get a membership number and that’s you in the door. It’s like Avios, but better.

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made?

One time I slept in and missed Early Breakfast. That was a sickening morning. Matt Chorley brought me, gently, to justice.

What’s the most interesting/challenging part of your job?

The most interesting is people. I love speaking to people. I always have. Hearing their stories, their views, their opinions and all about them is absolutely my thing. Whether that’s MPs, or people with lived experience, or Aasmah and Stig during the handover at 5:55am, speaking to people is my thing.

What career advice would you give your younger self?

Nothing everything happens when you want it to – and it never happens when you expect it to. I think in all areas of media work, it’s easy to get jealous of others and get frustrated. I certainly did. That is different to being ambitious and enthusiastic. All the best things that have happened in my career have come entirely out of the blue. Certainly, I’ve been working hard for them and aiming at them – but they always catch me by surprise. I think have patience, work hard, and it’ll happen when it happens.

Who is your role model? And why?

My dad. He’s a journalist and broadcaster, and he’s the best one I know. He’s had more exclusives than I’ve had school dinners. He has integrity, he’s made history, and I firmly believe his journalism has changed the world – locally where my family live, and throughout Scotland. He’s old school with a modern twist, and I think that’s inspiring.

What is your most treasured possession?

My phone. Lame, sorry, I know. But how can you not treasure the thing that connects you with your closest family and friends so easily? That and it lets me filter out my blemishes to entirely mislead the world on Instagram.

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Me, hopefully. I’m very open to that contract negotiation.

Describe a typical working day?

Assuming I don’t sleep through my alarm, I wake up at 3:10am. I get into work at 4am. I prep the programme. I go on air at 5am. I finish the programme at 6am. I’m back in bed by 6:45am and asleep by 7:30am.

I restart the day at about 10:30am. I’m writing this on Tuesday 13th July, and my new routine is that I then go to the gym. This is day two. Hang in there, folks.

Then I do a bit of producing for the next morning’s Early Breakfast programme – reading, finding guests, getting organised. Occasionally I live the showbiz dream and go for a boozy lunch – top tip: pace yourself, enforce a strict cut off for drinking at 6pm, and then hit the water – you’re welcome. Bed by 9:30pm, get ready to do it all again.

Tell us one secret trick of the trade?

Silence isn’t necessarily the enemy.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Listen better.

Tell us something not many people know about you…?

I play the accordion. I’m very rusty now but when I was young I played at ceilidh dances most weekends around Inverness where I grew up. There’s less demand in England so it’s been a quieter few years on the ceilidh front.

Who would be your three Fantasy Dinner Party guests? And why?