‘The most famous person I worked with was Daniel Craig’

– where did you grow up?

I was born in Derby in the Midlands near Nottingham in the Birmingham area. My mum was Jamaican and was a very short, lovely lady. My son is very proud that he is taller than his grandmother.

My dad was a 6ft2 Scotsman and built like a brickhouse with ginger hair, which is where my son gets his hair colouring from. I am one of many children but the closest is my sister Jennifer, who is my twin. She is 10 minutes older than me and she lets me know about it. So I am Derby raised, Derby born and Derby bred.

Sometimes you hear that twins have a connection. Do you feel there is something unique about being a twin?

They do say that, don’t they, that there is a connection, some kind of sixth sense? When I hear things like that, I have no idea what they’re talking about. Jennifer and I have a great connection as a brother and sister, we rarely argued as children. We have a great relationship. She’s just cool, and louder than I am, which I know you are going to think is difficult to imagine. The best way I can describe my sister is when I was at college studying my A-levels, I remember having a very negative day and feeling low. I walked into the common room and sat down and then Jennifer walked in and her personality just lit up the whole common room and brought a smile to my face. I love her to bits; she is one of the most supportive individuals in my life. She thinks and hopes for the best for the people who know her.

Did you go straight into acting school or did you have another job in the meantime?

Good question. I became a member of the National Youth Theatre when I was 14. They do seasons during the six-week summer holidays and into the September period, although it has changed considerably since my time there. You would have around 3,000 kids audition, and they would choose a small number. I was one of the lucky ones. Each summer I went to London to train and perform with assistance from professionals in the industry. I got involved in the National Youth Theatre from school with the intention that when I finished school I would go to drama school. Though I had secured a place at a drama school in London, I decided that I would take a year out and do some travelling and work for my local church. The artistic director of the National Youth Theatre asked me to reconsider, but I had made up my mind.

Tell us about your time acting in plays and who you worked with. Are there any names we would recognise from your time in acting?

I guess the most famous person I worked with was Daniel Craig, Mr James Bond himself. We did a couple of shows together in London. The first was ‘Murder in the Cathedral’ in Spitalfields Cathedral. He played a bad guy; I played a priest. After that the artistic director asked if I could stay and do Romeo and Juliet and asked Daniel to do the same. I actually said that I couldn’t afford to do it and needed to go back home to Derby. The director, out of the kindness of his heart, paid for me to stay in the National Youth Theatre for another four weeks out of his own pocket, didn’t ask me for anything just said that he believed in me and what I was capable of and wanted me in this production. We did Romeo and Juliet in London then took it up to Newcastle. I played the Prince and Daniel played Paris. It was a great experience.

You have been involved with theatre locally. What can you tell us about that?

The Guernsey Youth Theatre, great bunch of people. I have done quite a bit of work with them and loved it.

The same with Gadoc. There is great talent here in Guernsey. I have worked with people in Guernsey who could stand on the stage at the National Youth Theatre and be just as good as anyone else there. The National Youth Theatre is a great place and one that I would recommend. The organisation is about encouraging and inspiring young men and women. They do great work.

Do you think you will get involved more with local theatre and perhaps further afield?

My passion is theatre. Yes definitely. Watch this space. What I can say is that I am working on a local project with some fantastic Guernsey actors. I can’t say anything more quite yet!

Tell us about your time on BBC Radio Guernsey. How did you get involved in radio?

I blame Colin Le Ray! Colin was the presenter and producer for the Sunday Breakfast Programme for about 20 years. Colin and I went to the same church and I think he’d heard I had been involved in drama productions. During a service at church, Colin asked if I wanted to come into the radio station and help out with the radio programme.

About a year later I am sat in studio 1 presenting the Sunday Breakfast Programme. It was a real baptism of fire. I loved it! I particularly enjoyed talking to people about their lives, beliefs and hopes. It is great to talk to people about things that really matter to them.

How many years were you working at Radio Guernsey?

A total of 10 years; and that went fast!

It was a great job. Not easy at times as the subject matters explored were often topical, emotive and for some very personal.

Have any funny moments happened in the studio?

Plenty. Forgetting that your mic is live; your studio power cutting off; guests sharing funny stories.

The really funny moments are often experienced with guests that you have a natural connection with. One of my highlights was interviewing a guest who had translated the Christian New Testament into Jamaican patois. We ended up speaking Jamaican to one another live on air.

It was fantastic.

What do you do in a situation where someone was supposed to be on the other end of the phone and instead you are met with silence?

Plan B! You should always have a Plan B. That can simply be to press another button that will start playing a track. Or you can always have a local story ready that you can immediately go to, something that is related to the topic at hand.

Is there any advice that you would give to budding radio presenters?

The most important thing is to enjoy it. Listeners don’t have the opportunity to be able to see your body language, to see your eyes, facial expressions or physicality, which probably contributes to 98% of a human’s ability to communicate. It is all about what you see with the human eye so all they have is your voice and your voice can give an expression of what you are feeling.

Always do your research and never cut corners. Listen to your guests. Let them speak; don’t put words in their mouths. Be kind. And tell your mum you are on the radio so then at least you will have one person listening!

Will we see you locally in anything new this year?

Yes! Keep your eyes out for a Shakespeare play in November…