A student has contributed to ‘Profile, a leading BBC Radio 4 programme which gives an insight into the character of an influential figure making news headlines. George Whyatt, a Year 10 student at Richmond School and Sixth Form College, was invited to talk to the BBC about a podcast he, and fellow student George Harris, recorded with Rishi Sunak , MP for Richmond (Yorks), who was recently appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Broadcast on Radio 4, Mark Coles, presenter of ‘Profile’, spoke to a select group of contributors who shared their experiences and knowledge of Rishi Sunak. George Whyatt was discovered by the producers of ‘Profile’, who contacted Richmond School after coming across a Podcast that George and George Harris had created, when they did a 25-minute interview with Rishi in October.
George was honoured to be interviewed for ‘Profile’ alongside Chris Lloyd (Chief Features Writer at the Northern Echo), as well as other contributors including Katy Balls (Deputy Political Editor at The Spectator), George Parker (Political Editor at the Financial Times) and Neil Parish (Conservative MP). Rishi’s Profile comes hot on the heels of another programme with Baroness Hale, an alumna of Richmond School. Other recent shows have included Michael Morpurgo, Eddie Jones, John Bercow, Stormzy and Maggie Smith.
George said: “I had seen Rishi’s appointment was breaking news but I was not expecting the BBC to come to me! I feel privileged to have been approached.”
The two Georges have an avid interest in journalism and the media and when interviewing Rishi for their own podcast they were delighted when Rishi told them that they had a great set of questions which they put to him with commendable assurance. Rishi went on to say: ” Only last week I did a podcast with BBC Politics’ Nick Robinson and these questions were just as challenging.” The students had found out about Rishi’s love for Star Wars and were thrilled when Mark Coles opened the Profile programme with the words “Out goes Star Trek fan Sajid Javid and in comes another sci- fi geek, Star Wars obsessive Rishi Sunak.”
Jenna Potter, Headteacher at Richmond School and Sixth Form College, said: “Little did the students know that when they were interviewing Rishi in October, he was someone who, only four months later, would become one of the most influential and powerful people in the country. This is something the two Georges will never forget.”
To listen to the Profile programme, which is available for one year, visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000fdyg and to hear the George Podcast with Rishi Sunak head to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOaATA2Juk4&feature=emb_title