The world of sports broadcasting with rupert bell: royalty, racing and radio

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Arthur: ​[00:00:00] ruper be, it's such a privilege to have you on. You're kept very busy the world of broadcasting covering sports from golf to football. I'm not gonna pretend to know much about football but racing is of course huge part of your family history and a huge passion of yours.

What I'm intrigued about is, people meet you at dinners, drinks, and then they say, oh what's it like to, be talking on the radio ? What do people not get from the outside around? The pleasure that it gives you?

Rupert: I think I can even give you an example. Today I was talking to somebody and she, this person said, oh, are you into sport? And I said, yes, and I did this. I think people don't really it's a hobby. This isn't a job. If you are into sport, this is perceived as maybe a bit of a dream job because most people end up talking about football.

They talk about football, they find a common [00:01:00] ground, whatever you are interested in. And football is obviously, we know quite a sort of opening gambit in conversations and sport. So to be able to do your hobby in terms of it's an excuse to watch sport, and I was never a very good sportsman. In fact, I was downright useless in most sporting endeavors.

But I just was always interested in sport. And as you say in the introduction, we come from a racing sort of horsey background. And obviously my brother trains race horses in new market. My son Ollie, he presents on ITV racing, , my parents were into heavily into horses full stop.

And and owned race horses, me, other members of my family did. But I never sat on a horse. I was too windy. They're dangerous beats. But I was always interested in racing and sport. 'cause I can even remember at school, and [00:02:00] I would be filling in racing results into a book age 10. So I was even that at that age. Interested in sport and from the, not to say reporting point of view, but the information and wanting to get the newspaper writing fill in into a book, the racing results. There used to be a annual that came out and things that I was used to obsess about was record attendances at grounds and learning all 92 football league grounds names, I was always interested I was pretty useless at school. I make no bones about it. Scrape some A levels, but the one thing I've been able to remember all my life to the anointing of everyone, I'm a pretty good member when it comes to sports questions on a quiz team because I can remember sports facts going back a long way and remember names. You answered to the original question, I feel incredibly lucky [00:03:00] that even into my sixties, I'm able to cover and enjoy sport and work at it. Anything I pay to go and see, I'm an Aston Villa. Season ticket holder. And that keeps me in contact with my youngest son but we both are passionate about that. I pay for that. Otherwise I've been extremely lucky that I don't have to pay to go and watch sport. .

Arthur: Because you've been doing your hobby for a while, and thanks so much for explaining in such a varied, giving so much varied context into really why you like it and what it means in that space. But there aren't that many people, often, if you're at a dinner party, many people, unfortunately don't enjoy what they do, but it's very infectious when you find people who really have a passion.

And if they're as lucky enough as you say that it's what they do for work, then it's very infectious. When you meet other people who are in that lucky bunch that also really enjoy, are you constantly energized? Are you, is this your 24 7? Are you [00:04:00] really geared in, do you ever get out of this?

Rupert: I don't gear out of it because I'm doing my hobby. I don't obsess, but, I will look at the sports pages every day. It's what I enjoy. It's my hobby I've heard an interview with a famous actor who said, you've got to enjoy what you do now.

It's not possible for everybody. Because, if you are just stuck in a nine to five, going to the office every day. I know, I did that for a bit in the later eighties, still in sport, but it was more office based, drove me mad. I just didn't have the temperament for it. And I would've been, miserable.

But I do know that, you've gotta say, I am extremely lucky to be able to do what I am doing. I'm not suddenly saying I've earned squillions. I haven't, 'cause I've done my hobby, but I've been lucky enough to be able to do it and continue to do it.

And I've been involved in [00:05:00] sports broadcasting for nearly 40 years now. And hopefully. My broadcasting career will continue to as long as I can continue to string a sentence together. And I think the important thing is sound as if you're enjoying it. And one of the things that, I know that I do have an enthusiasm for things and for broadcasting.

And I think that has stood me in good stead. I go to Wimbledon every year and I always say that every time I walk through Wimbledon for the first time every year, I feel like a kid in a sweet shop. I feel. As if I'm going through those gates for the first time. I go to the Cheltenham Festival every year, the big racing festival in March. Again, I drive down Cleve Hill heading towards the Cheltenham Race course and the sort of the old adrenaline starts pumping and you think God, I'm lucky.

And there's no to I, it sounds smug, but I know I'm still as enthusiastic as ever about going to sports events. I went to the [00:06:00] Ryder Cup a few weeks ago. Boy was that fun.

Arthur: You are clearly so aware of the privilege, but also so energized and so in sync with all of this is happening and a product that might be come from that is wanting to give back and help others. Which, having known you over the years, you very much to think about other people and consider things from their different positions.

Now, the sport world, there's so many pots to that, you are in involved very much in the media side of things, you must be constantly meeting people who are in different parts to your world and close to what you do. And joining the Dots, putting them in touch with people.

Ha has there been a time where you've spotted new talent and you've been like, my God, I've gotta put 'em in touch with this person.

Rupert: , I go and take, speak to people in the Racing Media Academy on an annual basis, this is the way I can give back I want people to feel that if they're going into the job that I going in. But if I look at where I was, 40 years ago [00:07:00] where the job was to where it is now, we didn't have the internet. So my working life would've been very different. Now I can research something, I just go on the internet. So what I always tell people is, you think you are at a certain place. Now, I could not imagine where 40 years down the line that we'd be having the media landscape that we have now. So I always say to people, you've gotta be flexible and be prepared to adapt.

Never at any stage thinks that is going to be the way forward for the next 15 years yet, because as I say, in the late eighties, the internet and the sort of early nineties was, at that stage was just boffins working out something and then the whole media landscape has changed so much. So [00:08:00] anyone wanting to get into the business, it's much harder now I have to say.

But the way people are having to get into it now is through showing their talents on social media and various things and using that as their, almost their cv and showing what they're doing and how they are trying to communicate and adapting. I know that I'm in a very lucky position that I've been around long enough that I'm in a position where, not saying the work take care of itself because it's not as simple as that.

But I know I'm lucky when you are starting out and you don't have contacts here, there and everywhere, it's not easy. So people have to graft pretty hard. Used to be back in the day, people used to go and work for a local radio station for next to nothing on a Saturday afternoon and help in the sports on the sports program.

But that's hard knives. So lots of people are having to multitask, be able to [00:09:00] film, edit, you name it. I'm not so good on the editing bit and these eyes are not so good. So probably quite difficult to pointing a camera in the right direction. But anyway, you've gotta be able to adapt

never look at going one route 'cause you're never quite sure where an opening might come that takes you maybe into a more enjoyable aspect of the business. But when you are starting out, always think slightly outside the box as to where your career would go. And I'll give you an example.

We've talked about horse racing, but even in the nineties I was beginning to feel the sporting racing's position within the British media was changing a bit, right? And I thought racing's not quite got its hold on the British public as it used to. So I then thought I need to branch out. So I made a point of trying to make sure I got into tennis, golf, and other sports to give myself fullback positions. And I'm very glad [00:10:00] I did. And that's why I never, no, didn't enter my vocabulary. Just try it. And then if you're cocked up, then that's fine. And move on. . .

Arthur: Yeah and the landscape's, changing so much, for some people's job that, end goal is very obvious. So for an investor it's making more money, for you, what do you see as your, your key objective when you are, you are presenting for radio inDon.

Rupert: make sure they pay me at the end of the job. Now I'm a very simplistic view, whereas if you are an investment banker, you are probably trying to make not any money for yourself, but for your clients. I'm here to make sure I go there and I enjoy what I do and make sure that I'm still giving 100%. My goal is to make sure that I enjoy what I do, and at the end of the day, I've done the best I can remember. It's a subjective [00:11:00] business. Your producer at the end of the line might not like what you say or just says your face or voice doesn't fit anymore.

So you have to learn how to accept that on the chin. And the media landscape , is one that's fraught with difficulties now because of what was perceived as one direction. But that's all changed now. So it's a much more can be seen at times. Maybe some people might say unfair, but actually the landscape has changed for people, again, getting in into the media.

I just, I don't really have a sort of, I want to do that. Just know your limitations and whatever you, wherever you are, do the best I can. I wouldn't say that I'm a presenter. IE someone who presents programs. I'm much better and , from my perspective, feeding off being interviewed and contributing that way rather than being the numero uno.

And I [00:12:00] discovered that I did a bit of presenting for talk sport and I loved it, but you know and you've gotta accept. And happily, I got plenty of other work doing, commentating or the summarizing or being a guest in a program. I was much happier doing that than actually being a presenter.

So again, my goals have been right. Find out what you're good at, and then continue to enjoy it throughout.

Arthur: if you're brief to cover, let's say, Djokovic is playing in the final cover the game what? To you what does that involve?

Rupert: Now every commentator is different. And we'll do it, notes of David Croft, he does Formula One. That is such a technical spool. You look at what he's got and you look at some people doing the NFL stuff, they got pages on a roster of a team. That is long for me. You get lots of information, but again I don't like too much in front of me. [00:13:00] So yes, I will read up and then just have the odd but bullet point about kovich, key stats. 'cause if you think about if he's gonna win, how are you gonna describe that moment? And so you do, you just read up, make notes, and then for me, make the notes and writing them down is almost my way of putting it into the old memory bank.

But I won't necessarily have it all in front of me. If I'm doing a commentary on the Grand National, there are 34 runners in that race. I have the colors in front of me, but I'll have a few little numbers next to the rider or the trainer, maybe how many times he's won the race or some nugget about the jockey.

I might just have. And that will be about the end of it. And I know a lot of people will, in football, they will write down a sort of pithy line that will then be relevant. So when they get the [00:14:00] 32nd soundbite, so they come up with, and if I do that, I know I'll stumble across it. Even that, but what I would've thought about is maybe what would happen should something happen that you then can summarize that up and encapsulate the moment so that if that 32nd soundbite is played back, it actually tells the story of what happened .

Arthur: And jumping into that world of tennis. There are so many parts of the sport. You've got the statistics around that, the technicalities of the shots to what's happening off the court. , Is there a part of the game that you feel is really under talked about?

And perhaps you can think of some stories that you feel have just always in your mind as just. Really intriguing.

Rupert: You actually look at, when I first started going to Wimbledon was in 94. and I wet behind the ears [00:15:00] tennis reporter and didn't really understand the game.

But we had Steffi Graff, we had, it was the Andre Agassi, Pete Samra era. So there was some great players lurking around. But it does take you time just to get, not understand the mental side of the game. And to me that is the most fascinating aspect of actually top class sport is what separates the good. To the very good, the exceptional, and more often than not, it is what's between the ears. Because I can go onto a driving range at a golf tournament and I'm seeing 156 players absolutely gripping it and ripping it down the practice range. But what happens is in a tournament, more often than not, the cream does just rise to the top.

And why? Because they just are [00:16:00] mentally are just a little bit better. And that's why I find tennis, it's such a fascinating game at times because you can be watching a set unfold and then suddenly you are at four three and you are serving at three, four down and 30, 40 down. That is the moment you suddenly find your five three, and then the guy's got, or the lady's got the chance to then serve for that set.

The mental game, you can see it happen to the less good at that 30 40, and they miss their first serve and then they go, oh, and then either they put in a week second serve, which then the opponent comes all over because Federer came up and I'm came up with a statistic. He said he didn't actually win many more points than his rivals over his career. But what he did do was win the points that [00:17:00]mattered. 'cause I think he said that the only one, if he looked at all his matches, only 53% of the points in all his matches, right? Yet you look at his record, it's when of those 53%, it's the points that he won that actually made the difference and that makes the difference in top class sport between the good.

They're very good. It's when it comes to those key moments, and that is what's fascinating about top class sport, whether it be tennis, golf, or any of the other, any other big moments, athletics, who's the one who can cope when running in an 800 meter? Olympic final

Arthur: And Rupert, when you meet these these athletes, do you notice anything that isn't necessarily obvious from the outside?

Rupert: I look at, one of the best Tommy Fleetwood as a golfer at the moment is he won a big end of season tournament. But you look at him, he is, [00:18:00] he's allowed from Southport. You don't actually look at him and think why is he? But what he's got is a, something's instilled in him, a work ethic that is second to none. He's also an extremely likable man as well, but he is also must have and he had to learn it an ability to, the key moment to block out all the noise. But you wouldn't necessarily look at him. You see him walking along the streets and you probably think just looks like an average Joe. But and that's the thing.

It's when they cross the white line in their sporting environment, what triggers this innate ability that sets them apart from the rest. And that's what I love about watching top class sport. You probably gotta be, you've gotta be incredibly single-minded. Be and selfish. Because but actually that's probably true of life.

The [00:19:00] people who get to the very, very top in any profession have to be incredibly single-minded and say, if I want to, you've gotta make sacrifices. And it's not always easy. But in sport, you probably, to get to the very top, you are probably sacrificing your teenage years and you are.

Does that make sense to you? Because you've gotta keep working, keep grinding to get yourself into that position that will enable you to then go and play on whatever sport it is on the biggest stage of all of your chosen sport. And you have to grind. You can have talent, but actually it's how you maximize that talent.

And that's what's so fascinating in my mind about sport is how you can just look at the best and how they do seem to be able to. Whether it be a cricket or top, batsman, has he got, why has he got so much more time than the next person when there's a 90 mile an hour ball [00:20:00] coming at him, yet he seems to make it look, when he's got a blink of an eye so much easier than when anybody else, those are the things that I just love about what makes a top cast sports person better than the rest.

And and why I love watching sport to see those moments happen.

Arthur: Yeah I, there must be some kind of psych some kind of theory around how, because if you see someone driving a nice car, for instance, you think, oh life must be easy. But what you don't see, and it's so often the case is the. Brutal hard work and focus and that word sacrifice, that these people go to the hours and hours of long evenings just doing the same thing.

And that's really around process processes. Some of the smartest people I know talk about, like at the end of the day, you've just gotta put so much time in, but also just be obsessive about the process. Now to, jumping away from process, even [00:21:00] though it would be interesting to understand for you and your process and how to do your best job in covering, let's say Wimbledon, when you are covering a game, it must be very intimate.

Let's say you are covering someone like Roger Federer. You must notice really small things about them, just subtle changes. Do you have any comments on that? And then secondly, are there some moments that you've seen that as you've said, history and life can change within, half a second?

Are there some moments that you look back on and you're like, oh my God they've just done something very left field and it's got them where they needed to go?

Rupert: You can yeah, I mean if you look at sometimes when you're watching Rory McElroy and you think he's put the ball in the bond Dukes, and he did it this year's at the Masters as he went on to win the career, Glen Slam, he played a shot that required, that had so much risk and he bent this ball round and [00:22:00] it landed on the green and he ended up, I know it was a bird, but it was the most extraordinary, courageous thing to do because normally they can course they just hitting the ball straight, but he needed to curve this wretched thing a couple of hundred yards down the fairway, and you actually go flipping Eck. That is, you've gotta have the kahunas to do that. But you've also gotta have the confidence in your own ability. Now, you look at when Kovich and would be, they'd be playing some of those matches. It'd be lasting six hours and you'd be going, how the heck are they still doing this?

Because that's a marathon, five hours, 58 minutes to play a tennis match. It's extraordinary. And those are the moments you think that, what, that's, they're being driven by some, they're almost being driven by some sort of supernatural power. And that, I think is what, again I love about watching sport or someone, if you are [00:23:00] watching someone riding a horse, it was difficult.

And somehow they managed to get into the right place to drive through that gap. This is where you look at, why the these to be a, but they've done it through hard work. Everything's about you make your own luck is a sort of cliche, but you do at the top level because you've practiced, you've worked hard in these situations.

You haven't just expected that by some divine you are gonna go and wait, win the masters. After, it took Maureen McElroy had to go through mental hoops and sort of everything to try and complete that career Grand Slam. But he had to wait from 2000 and 14 to 2025 for him to win his ma next major to do this.

And that is, engulfing terms. That's a lifetime. So that's where you look at these people and admire and realize, at times. You are [00:24:00] watching on, you are a very privileged bystander. I was lucky enough to watch Tiger Woods in his pump and you go, whoa. He was playing golf on a different level, transforming the game, and he did by his mental con dominance of his rivals, his brilliance of shop making, and just that all round package.

And then you just have to live in the moment. That seen some great moments, tiger Woods and his pomp watching Andy Murray. I think the one game I will never, ever forget, he played in the oh two and it was on his way to getting to world number one in 2017, and he played a semi-final and he looked down and out and somehow by just sheer willpower.

Andy Murray won that semi-final, and it looked as if he hadn't got a hope in Hades of winning it, [00:25:00] but he dragged himself up by the mental bootstraps and forced himself to win that match. And then he got to world number one and he the physical will and tenacity, making the most of your talents. That was Andy Murray.

I will never forget that match in the O2 as long as I live. It was a long ruling through Setter, but it was one by sheer bloody mindness of Andy Murray to win that. And as he was so determined to get to world number one and world number one, he did, and when you think he was playing in the era of Feder Djokovich, Stan, there's some really good players yet.

Sadly he only won three majors, but he got to world number one and though he got to world number one by just being bloody minded and determined, and I don't think I have ever seen somebody prove that it sheer [00:26:00] mental grit and determination and he put his body through the ringer. Look, he ended up with a titanium hip and he did his very best to keep playing, but that, that took its toll physically on him.

But nothing was gonna stop him doing that. And I will never forget that match at the O2 as long as I leave, even though I was lucky enough to see him win Wimbledon. And I see another but as one of the great sporting sort of moments for me and I was commentating on that match and I will never forget that.

Absolutely amazing.

Arthur: You clearly you get such an insight into what people are like. And different professions can get very unique insights in that sense. Now going on, going on these, to these tournaments year on year, there must be, a kind of very unusual sense where you are seeing the same people in the media teams, et cetera, et cetera.

Are there some things that you really appreciate going into those [00:27:00] times and secondly. Has there been an interaction with a real top sporting icon that you just sometimes just reflect on and it just, you keep on thinking about occasionally.

Rupert: I'm not, I've never got to know. I've obviously met sportsmen and women over the years. I've never got. Particularly close in that sense to any of them. But I do absolutely enjoy the camaraderie of going back, maybe covering the open and being part of the same team and feeling part of that team element of being part of maybe open golf or working radio Wimbledon or working for talk sport at Chena, or doing, being part of that team is one of the great pleasures as far as I'm concerned, that it's not just about you, the commentator or the presenter you are, there's a whole team around you who are there to support you and it is your job and to be, the onsite, I'm probably [00:28:00] old school, but I'm definitely in the adage of work hard and play hard school. There's, you. And actually maybe something that's lost now, I got most of my work from going to the pub and then talking to the sports editor. And then they, after a couple of pints they'd say, ah, we need someone to go and do that. Oh. So off I'd go and do it, not there.

And then I ha to add, but next day. But there's a lot of, that talking to people and being around people something that, the working from home and everything you miss out on so much. So going to events is, I will always look nowadays the media that I do stuff from home as what are we doing now?

But I do cover events from home. And it's great fun. But I would absolutely recommend the, there's no thing, nothing better than actually being at the event. 'cause you can smell it, feel it. Then you can then, because you [00:29:00] can smell it and feel it, you can then bring your own dynamic to whatever you are trying to say about it.

So I'm definitely in the position that go be part of it, be part of a team, is what makes my job fun. behind every broadcaster there's people plugging in your kit and there's people producing in the studio. There's a lot of people who are, doing work on your behalf to make you sound good.

Arthur: yeah. So many inter interactions as well with those people probably make up such a high percentage of the pleasure that the job gives you a clear message there is. Is, get outta the house, try things.

Rupert: No, I think I, absolutely, it's not always easy and, but I'm not complaining at times 'cause COVID changed the media landscape. Terms of, being able to work from home and doing things like we are now, rather than having to flog [00:30:00] into London or wherever to sit in a studio.

Everything that has changed, and that has to be a good thing but actually when it comes to covering an event, it's so much better being there. But the problem is now that it's very expensive and the media landscape. Is changing in that respect. Even to the extent that the Ashes tour that has been covered on the TNT, the cricket series, you've got a team of commentators, I think they're gonna be based in a studio somewhere in Europe with half the other team down in Australia.

And you go back in the day, they'd just sent them all

Australia. But it's the economics now has changed. So people, a lot of stuff is done from a studio. Because , it is an expensive thing to do now. And people, commercial considerations aside, so it is a different, again, landscape, but me at every chance to be at an event I'm there [00:31:00] like a shot.

Arthur: And speaking of, the landscape, changing our access to data and information and knowing a story before it's really become a story IE through Twitter, et cetera, et cetera. Having all these platforms that give us insight into these, the, this ta what you call talent, these sports sports professionals and what's happening their lives.

Some information true, some not true. There's such a huge array of information, but also the way in which we watch things has changed and the cameras and do you and I'm thinking about drive drives to survivor as well, getting people into a support sport because people like so many different parts to.

A sport in general. What do, how do you want an the interaction between people and sport to change in the next 10 years?

Rupert: It's such a different landscape now. As you say, drive to survives have transformed formula one's fortunes, full stop. And now everybody is talking about doing [00:32:00] the equivalent thing to try and bring out the personalities. But you gotta be careful, not everyone's gonna be a success of these things.

You just think we'll do it and it's gonna lead us to being the next big thing. It just doesn't work like that. And people are getting their sport in so many different ways now. Before there was very little live sport, but now you can probably. If you can subscribe to that many channels, you can probably watch every football match you want.

Every rugby match, every cricket match, but obviously it's an expensive business. Now people get their sporting information very differently. Now, who'd have thought, for me, who'd thought that I'm in radio yet now I spend most of my time, if I go on to talk sport, I have to be in vision. 'cause everything's on YouTube now. So you can see the way the landscape has just changed. Again, it comes back to, [00:33:00] I can never assume, but what I want people to do is to consume their sport, find a sport they're passionate about, and then enjoy it. But the coverage of sport has changed. As I say, there was very little live sport, it used to be back in the day, say in the seventies, eighties, you'd have the odd live football match, maybe the FA Cup final and a couple of others.

Then there would be Horse of the year show one at nine 30 in the evening, at nine 30. 'cause there were just three channels. And that was your viewing opportunities before the 10 o'clock news. It, after the nine o'clock news on BBC, you get 45 minutes of show jumping.

But now of course, there's so much live sport and information is being consumed in so many different ways. And it's also you've gotta work out what is real and what is not real. And that is one of the other things is 'cause talking about changing my career, you talk about sport, I have developed a career as a royal commentator for reasons that I'm still trying to [00:34:00] work out.

But it has happened. But this is an area where you have to dance the, you, 'cause there's so much out there on social media and if you believed everything out there and you've said that A, you'd be sued with an inch of your life and B, you just have to go, politics and everything. You've just gotta know and just always breathe and take stock.

And that, that applies to everything, not just in terms of reporting royals in, whether it be politics. And we've seen what's happened even as we record this week, where, news is not being dealt with as it should be. Because there's a narrative. You actually just gotta make sure you understand the story and stick to it and make sure. That whatever you are saying is backed up with facts. Don't just blindly throw out a theory about a player or whatever you are doing, unless you are actually pretty sure that a hundred percent sure. What you are saying [00:35:00] is , as truthful as you think it can be given your sources.

Arthur: I think the world really favors, I'm sure there's hundred arguments against this, but people, consumers, if you wanna be entertained, there's something for you. Tell us about the royal correspondent

Rupert: the role I'll tell you how it came about and this was, it was very surreal. I was co I was,

Arthur: can we jump back? 'cause you, your, is it your brother who trained, has trained

Rupert: yeah, he trained for my brother, trained for the queen. But and, I had one or two other royal connections. But one of the reasons is when the royal wedding of William and Kate happened talk sport, they didn't have talk TV and all these sort of things happened and they thought we better cover it.

I'll tell you what, or Rupert's brother trains to the queen and he's called Rupert. So he must be posh. So he must know what he's talking about. The bizarrely, I ended up watching Ger covering it, watching German tv, covering the FEI World Cup [00:36:00] Indoor Show jumping finals in a German press room while reporting on the goings on outside Westminster Abbey for the wedding of William and the Prince and Princess of Wales as they now are.

But I think I made my career because I did notice two things. A lot of people noticed the the Princess of Wales' sister as she walked into the church. And then I also noticed that now, sir David Beckham had his medals on the wrong side and acts an X military man. Oh God, David, you've made a bit of a faux pa there, but bearing in mind my audience talk sport, I think it says what it is.

I wasn't there to give it the full royal pageantry. I was there to report on what, the talk sport listener. He wasn't gonna be obsessed with the royals, but he just might want to know what is going on? What's gonna be the main talking points?

Arthur: it's been a huge success. The YouTube channel that you are part [00:37:00] of.

Rupert: but no, but this is where you think, how did that come about? And then obviously it then grew, people thought what he seems to. Report on it in a factual but entertaining way. And I think that is the importance and not to get obsessed by it, because I wanna make sure what I'm saying is right, but I also know I'm here to entertain, but I'm not here to say things that are inherently wrong.

But the idea, and this is my point, you never know what's around the corner. That 40 years ago I would be part of a weekly YouTube royal podcast with a presenter in California and me over here and regularly attracting over a hundred thousand views a week. And I'm thinking, this is slipping bonkers,

Arthur: And it's so popular, particularly with the American audience

Rupert: The American audience, and it's very weird. It's very weird if you look at some of the comments, I think, oh God, people must have more time on their hands. [00:38:00] But anyway, there we go. All very nice and complimentary,

Arthur: and have there been any interactions that you've had with members of the royal family,

Rupert: I I did, and it's only recently that I've become the chairman of the British Equestrian Media Association, and it was a great honor, and they don't do this very often, but the Princess Royal accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of our organization, and that to me was probably, one of the proudest moments of my career. To be able to do that and to honor somebody who's normally very self-effacing and doesn't, is no fa, is no nonsense. And it's, I'm here to, serve and, it's not about me. She's definitely in that category, old fashioned view. I'm here to serve.

I'm not the story, but she did agree to receive this award for her extraordinary contribution, not only as a rider because she rode to gr rode at the Olympics, and a very successful three day event in her own right. But [00:39:00] her huge, this is Princess Anne, hugely successful in the early seventies, and obviously her daughter actually became a world champion in her own right at three Menting.

But more importantly, the work she does behind the scenes in a question is whether it be at the IOC and political level and just representing and what she's done on behalf of, sport. And then she graciously accepted it and I'm not sure what she's done with the magnificent glass plate we gave her, but she probably has a few of them.

But I hope it hasn't been secreted into a far corner of our house to gcu. For me, and I think she too, was touched, but that to me was probably the proudest thing that I've been able to help engineer on behalf of the very small organization that I'm chairman of, but to actually enable.

And we gave it to her last year at the London Horse Show. And, I think of all the things I've been able to [00:40:00] do. Because to pull that off on, to give that to her knowing that it's not something that she does very, it takes it very reluctant. 'cause of her inborn humility in those kind of circumstances I think was one of the best things I've been able to do in my life.

That's probably the best personal interaction. I go to Aston Villa and I do see William up at the top at the stands 'cause I'm in the same section as him, but he's up at the top when he goes to Villa Park and I'm down there in the season ticket holder. So that's about as near as interaction I get with other members of the royal family.

We occasionally turn up at the same football match.

Arthur: And when you are, looking at the, what they do, there's a lot of unknown, it's a very, it's a very private world. But there's a lot that people, I think the whole, their whole sense of duty and what they do in the background. Do you have any view that you feel that things that they do that are so great for society that aren't necessarily talked about?

Rupert: I always say, [00:41:00] if anyone who's anti the monarchy, show me a better system to replace it with. Not everyone's good and you know everyone's entitled their opinion, but I've gotta say then give me someone who can represent, this country, that can achieve as much as it can on the global scale as us having a royal family. If of course things change, but we have had this, in essence since 10 66. It has evolved. It's moved with the times and it's obviously a very hard thing to do. And we know the royal family, at the moment are having to deal with some. Interesting. They're not sideshow, but they're in their full glare of publicity, which can't be easy for them.

But they've thought I had somehow, through history the Royal family has had, its, always will have had its detractors. They've just gotta somehow block out the noise and keep the focus. Because the important thing is when the royal family go [00:42:00] overseas, it's the soft power, the importance of the commonwealth to the grounds that you know, what it means for Britain.

It gives us some relevance on the international stage in an ever changing landscape. So for the royal family, with all the sort of hoo-ha that is going on at the moment they've just gotta keep their eye on the ball we know it's a sort of slightly di difficult times at the moment, and the royal family is there to be, to suffer the slings and arrows.

But that's what's a mighty difficult job for the king. There's a lot of pressure on Prince William you have to report it in an objective way. But, I'm make no apologist. I am a monarchist, but as I say, I will report it in as factual as way as possible.

I won't skirt away from, if things do seem to be slightly, if things aren't quite right, then you report on it. But make sure you've got your facts right and then leave it for everyone else to [00:43:00] make their own judgment. For all

Arthur: you have and what a following you have on YouTube.

Rupert: I know, but it's not just that, but if you're gonna do it, just if I'm reporting sport, make sure you know what you're talking about and don't bluff your way through it.

And I think that's a lesson in life. You gotta put, stop sports. Men and women don't bluff their way to get to the top. They have to work hard. It doesn't matter what you do, you still have to work hard and make sure that what you're doing is entertaining. But at the heart of it, you are talking sense about what you are watching, doing or reporting on.

And I think that is a, an important lesson in life.

Arthur: And we were covering how just broad sport is. If you were to have a YouTube channel or compete against, fellow Conrads who know a lot about sport, is there a topic that you would dive really deep in to A, a, maybe compete, [00:44:00] or B, even just to cover, maybe, for example, you have a fascination on the relationships between different sports players or it's, maybe it's the

Rupert: No no, but I, here's the thing. Podcasts are proliferate now, but here's my take. I won't enter that market on my own. 'cause I think it's, unless again, if you are gonna do it, you've gotta believe in what you are selling and talking about. 'cause if you're gonna work hard at it, you've gotta make sure you believe in what you are trying to achieve and what's the end.

And so for me, I've done lots of podcasts but I do know that it can be expensive to produce things, so I don't really have a desire to go. And suddenly that's why I always, everything's a bit of an accident. It happens. It no one can. You know what I, you basically, I stood in for somebody on this Airs and Spares podcast, and then they thought, oh, that went quite well.

And then you [00:45:00] suddenly find that you are in the sort of position one. And so it, it becomes, you just don't know how you are, what's gonna, but I've never really thought, I have ideas, one of the great, I've won sport, a podcast that I did with Michelle Ru when we went to his restaurant in Mayfair.

Me, Lizzie Kelly, and. Another guy and we sat down eat, getting a free lunch courtesy, and I Gar Roche before it closed down. I hate to add, which was a pretty good whe on my behalf. And we had a fantastic, but we sat down with him and talked about his sporting life and the parallels with him between him being a top chef and and the sort of his love of sport and his whole life.

And that was a, an absolute privilege and an honor to host something like that and be. And talk to someone who's not in the, not a top sportsman, one of the world's greatest chefs. Michel Ru, thank you very much, and had the most delicious lunch [00:46:00] accompanied by the most delicious wine.

You could see the sort of thing I'd like to be doing. Arthur, I bring bringing my love of food coupled with people talking about sport, but I'm not at this stage hankering 'cause. If I could do that would probably be one I'd, talking to people in those kind of environments, I getting absolutely kli while talking.

So getting increasingly talkative. But that's, that was a great privilege and fun thing to do.

Arthur: I think Rupert, in December's coming up, there's a lot of charity events. I'm thinking of all the, the corporate dinners that you could be lighting up and doing

Rupert: No, I don't do that. No one no, no one invites me to do those. I've done a bit of auction. I've done a bit of auctioneering, but I don't see myself, I can't tell a gag, but I can tell a story

Arthur: which,

Rupert: be my view of what?

Arthur: which we're not gonna be moving on to the quickfire questions, but what's so clear from you, Rupert, is just how you are so Unself involved you really don't play on how on the accomplishments and what, what you achieve and what you [00:47:00] do.

Clearly that, helps you just not overthink and just plow on.

Rupert: No, I'm not a, I won't analyze this hour and sweat and say, why didn't I, why did I say that? It what I say? As long as I haven't libeled anybody and I don't think I have here Arthur. I might try and lie libel your father, but I might be able to get away with that. But anyway, that's sort of story.

I don't know. Anyway I I've got some great stories, but I don't think they're here. But anyway, you can edit this out. But anyway I, my view is I enjoy what I do. I won't take it too seriously 'cause I know I'm in a lucky job and I don't mustn't think that I'm any better than anybody else. I'm just doing a job, which I'm very lucky to do.

Arthur: So here we are, moving on to the quickfire questions. If you weren't broadcasting, what would you be doing?

Rupert: Dead. that's not probably the answer you

Arthur: The

Rupert: What would I be doing? I have no idea what I could do because I didn't wanna work in an office. I wanted to be an actor. Went to the Nasha Youth Theater, [00:48:00] realized I couldn't sing, couldn't dance, and couldn't act. So you got a lot of things against you, but I had aspirations of being an actor.

But

Arthur: Very charming Ru Rupert, you could, swing into many a role the most underrated role in media.

Rupert: Just sticking to what I know I think you've gotta applaud all the people who are behind the scenes, making sure that whatever program you may or may not be working on, 'cause they're slaving away without the recognition that, that I may get or anybody else may get. Anyone who works behind the scenes and always be nice to them, whatever their level, because in 10 years time they could be running the station, so don't upset anybody at whatever level.

So I, my rule is, anybody, as I said already earlier that is about the team and at some stage to someone starting out who will have aspirations of getting to a management position and don't think you're any better than that person, even though you may be front of [00:49:00] house

Arthur: Three things you get joy from.

Rupert: Always proud of all my children's achievements, seeing Aston Villa do well. And

Arthur: Do you have to wait for that or do you have to wait a

Rupert: No. Not at the moment. No. We're doing all right. It's quite fun. It's been, there's been some bad times, but that's all right. Waking up every morning, just being around and ready to enjoy life.

Arthur: One unusual thing that gives you pleasure.

Rupert: Making sure my cucumbers grow properly.

Arthur: I love that. Love that. Long May long, may they cry. A favorite film, book or artist that isn't obvious.

Rupert: love a bit of super Trump. I'm a sucker for black and white movies. Things like any Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, all those kind of cats in Hep for and yeah. Anything starring Carrie Grant in a, in those romcom areas? Arsenic, you, I love all that stuff.

And book. Not a, if it is not sport, I probably don't read enough of those, but and but I think I've [00:50:00] given you, any sports book.

Arthur: You can cover one event and you haven't covered, what would it be? And then the final one is one athlete that you could meet tomorrow. Who would it be?

Rupert: Covered most things. It's actually quite difficult 'cause I've been flipping lucky a particularly of sports I like

Arthur: Maybe an unusual sport.

Rupert: No, that's the trouble. I've covered so many. I've even co I've covered table tennis. I've covered, I've done almost, I've done every, but a big sporting occasion that I haven't been to.

That I would like to cover. I'd love to cover, I, I'd love, maybe love to have covered a World Cup final football. I've done the Rugby World Cup final. So I've been very lucky. And you see it's quite difficult. You've got me on the hop there 'cause I've covered all, I've covered all the four majors. I've covered Ryder cups. I have never done the Olympics properly in situ. So ultimately I'd love to have covered an Olympics for the full two weeks, [00:51:00] being able to watch all the different range of

Arthur: Great answer. Great answer. And a sports professional that you could meet

Rupert: if I can beat properly

Arthur: Yeah. For dinner tomorrow night. Dead or alive? Just to make it.

Rupert: No we got quite a lot of options here. Who would I like to meet? In my world. If I think of my world, that actually would be really interesting. Bobby Jones, who was a great amateur golfer from the twenties. I'd have loved to have met him.

Someone like, Harry Varden great golfers of yesteryear from a racing point of view. So I know most if I go back through, there's no one really. Oh maybe Gordon Richards, some people you from racing one about tennis. Ah, rod Laver. Never met him. Rod Laver, that would be a good one.

Arthur: Fantastic. [00:52:00] Rupert. What a privilege it is to have you

Rupert: now you've got happy editing.