How I went on the radio for the BBC & was featured in Germany’s biggest Sunday newspaper!

OMG!

Last week was just fabulous!

As you know, I was invited to take part in a radio programme. At the BBC!

It was so exciting.

More about that below!

But just before we go into it, remember when I told you that there was a call going around, for British people living locally. And that  I was featured in the national Sunday paper, and that the feature had to be axed in order to make room for the passing away of the well-respected and most honoured, former Chancellor of Germany – Herr Helmut Kohl.

Well, guess what?

It wasn’t actually axed!!!

Obviously, it was greatly reduced. GREATLY REDUCED!!

But who cares? Right!

BILD AM SONNTAG – GERMANY’S BIGGEST NATIONAL SUNDAY NEWSPAPER!

The feature was for a national Sunday paper called Bild am Sonntag, which is the largest-selling German national Sunday newspaper!

The LARGEST-SELLING German national Sunday newspaper!

It was a great opportunity, and, as I told you last week, I was a little nervous as it’s a tabloid paper, similar to Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World!

They wanted to write a feature on Britain and British people living in Germany, because of Article 50 and the question of EU Citizens’ Rights in the UK.

The feature was called – Exit vom Brexit – Wir sind die neuen Germans! Or “Exit from Brexit. We are the new Germans!” It was a description about how many British people were living in Germany, our successes, and if, due to the horror of Brexit, we had thought about changing nationalities, and what it was like if we had!

After much contemplation, and a promise that I would get final approval of everything we discussed, I went ahead.

The journalist who contacted me was as good as her word.

And as you know. I thought the piece wouldn’t be published, so I sent the journalist a message to say how pleased I was nevertheless, only to hear that the feature had been published after all!!

YES!

Amazing news don’t you think!

Ha! Ha! Ha!

The original interview was much, much longer and actually had to be cut to just a few lines! But when you’re featured in a newspaper such as Bild am Sonntag, you’re just grateful for the opportunity.

Which I am!

I wasn’t able to buy the newspaper as I only knew about it a few days later, and the issues had been sold out, or returned!

NOTE: A copy of the newspaper has recently been sent to me!

I do however, have a little excerpt, as the full article can only be read by subscribers.

It’s only €0.99 for the first month of the digital version. If you can speak German, or are just interested, here’s the link!

They also booked a photographer who was very sweet and took quite a few photographs, which I liked very much. At the location of my choice.

I chose the gardens of the Humboldt University in Berlin!

Don’t I look pretty?

Book your hotel here! 

HOW I WENT ON THE RADIO FOR THE BBC!

So the BBC!

Yeah!!!

I was asked if I would like to be a part of BBC Radio 4 – Woman’s Hour – Late Night Woman’s Hour.

I accepted!

BBC Radio 4 is a huge deal in the UK.

A HUGE DEAL!

WHAT IS BBC RADIO 4?

BBC Radio 4 is a radio station owned and operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history.

It replaced the BBC Home Service back in 1967 and is part of BBC Radio and the BBC Radio department.

The station is broadcast from the BBC’s headquarters at Broadcasting House, London.

And let me tell you, when I got the call, I was leaping up and down in excitement.

And sweat!

BBC Radio 4 is the second most popular domestic radio station in the UK!

It broadcasts  throughout the UK, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands AND can be received in parts of Ireland, the north of France and Northern Europe!

It’s also available through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media and on the Internet. Its’ sister station, BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7), complements the main channel by broadcasting repeats from the Radio 4 archives, extended versions of Radio 4 programmes, and supplements to series such as the The Archers and Desert Island Discs!

Wow!

Gulp!

Book your hotel here! 

BBC RADIO 4 – WOMAN’S HOUR – LATE NIGHT WOMAN’S HOUR

Woman’s Hour is a radio magazine programme broadcast consisting of reports, interviews and debates on health, education, cultural and political topics aimed at women.

I’m going to be on the spin-off series called Late Night Woman’s Hour, presented by Lauren Laverne.

The series airs on a late night slot and each episode is on a single topic for discussion every month!

The topic for June 2017, was on Travel and Adventure!

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WHO WAS THERE?

We were a panel of 5 professional women and experts in our field, including the host:

“There’s a lot of cliff top yoga about” @laurenlaverne in search of real travel stories #LNWH @ranarahimpour @loispryce @britishberliner pic.twitter.com/vT68s94RwM

— BBC Woman's Hour (@BBCWomansHour) June 30, 2017

• Lauren Laverne – radio DJ, model, television presenter, author, singer, comedian, and host of BBC Radio 4 – Woman’s Hour – Late Night Woman’s Hour
  
• Rana Rahimpour – journalist and news presenter with BBC Persian TV
• Lois Pryce – a writer, journalist, co-founder and curator of the Adventure Travel Film Festival, and adventurer who’s ridden her motorbike across much of the world!
• Carolyn Pearson – creator of Maiden Voyage, a travel network for women
• Victoria Ade-Genschow (me) – The Editor in Chief of The British Berliner and a British girl from Manchester living in Berlin with her German husband and her half British – half German son, writing about Berlin, Britain and Europe, her love of culture, history, literature, theatre, style, the English Language and travels around the world, living a life of both style and travel. Described by the BBC as “a passionate advocate of travelling with a family and on a budget, she blogs at http://www.thebritishberliner.com and her motto is “just go!”

If she can do it. So can you!

WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING AT THE BBC?

It was greeeeeeat!

I flew in from Berlin on the day, and after checking into my business hotel – The Wesley – promptly left to go to the museum!

Yes.

I’m that girl!

Book The Wesley or your London hotel here!

I went to my favourite museum – the Museum of London – and to a new find – the Charles Dickens Museum.

And then I went to Covent Garden!

I’ll tell you all about it next week!

On getting to BBC Broadcasting House, I switched shoes (don’t ask), and walked briskly into the confines of the BBC building, but not without taking some photographs first!

Then I went to the BBC Reception Desk, made myself known, was given a visitors pass, and then waited.

I was soon picked up by the BBC Radio 4 producer for the show, and taken up to meet the other ladies.

Was I nervous?

A bit!

Well, I needn’t have worried. They were a jolly lot!

Phew!

#LNWH #podcast hits the road & is out now! @laurenlaverne @maiden_voyage @loispryce @britishberliner @ranarahimpour https://t.co/GkYie0E9Rt pic.twitter.com/7WSEUTJrK0

— BBC Woman's Hour (@BBCWomansHour) July 1, 2017

And after introducing ourselves over a few cups of sparkling wine, some cake and biscuits, and a cup of tea, it was time to start.

We went into a smaller studio room that was filled with sofas, armchairs, and cushions so that we had a more relaxing atmosphere. The sound engineer came over and fixed our microphones, and off we went.

We weren’t given the questions previously or prepped, but of course, we were all travel experts, so it was never going to be an issue on what to talk about!

Lauren Laverne – the host – directed the questions to us individually, and then it soon ended into friendly banter, as we began chatting away, laughing, and giggling. In fact, at one point, the Sound Engineer couldn’t hear what I was saying as the microphone kept sliding off my ear!

Something to do with my specs… so I had to take off my glasses and answer some of the questions again!

Here’s the BBC Radio 4 download of our travel and adventure June 2017 programme!

My voice sounded clear and bright. Even if I say so myself!

We were in the studio room for about two (2) hours or so, then we took a couple of fun photographs, and chit-chatted a bit more.

However, we were soon the only people left on the radio station floor, and we really had to go as our cars were waiting for us.

Yep!

The BBC laid out very nice cars to take us all back to our individual hotels.

I had an absolutely fabulous time!

Thanks so much BBC Radio 4, Lauren Laverne, the Late Night Woman’s Hour team, my fellow travel experts, and Bild am Sonntag.

That’s it for now.

See you next week!

Book your hotel here! 

HOW I WENT ON THE RADIO FOR THE BBC & WAS FEATURED IN GERMANY’S BIGGEST SUNDAY NEWSPAPER!

This article is not sponsored and all opinions and the thrilling time, I had at the BBC & Bild am Sonntag, are my very own!

In July, I’ll be writing about the awesome time I had in Slovenia, and spending the summer in France and Germany!

From July 4th – July 7th, I’ll be at Berlin Fashion Week.

On August 23rd, I’ll be at Gamescom!

I’ll be there. Will you?

If you’re not in Berlin right now, you’re missing out!

Save the Date!

July & August are going to be awesome!