Kids in news?
Braydon Bent on working with Sky, FYI and empowering kids through the media.
It’s no secret that news for children is arguably the most overlooked category of current affairs. For today’s post, I sat down with Sky Kids sensation, Braydon Bent, to discuss all things news for children, by children. Braydon Bent is a BAFTA Kids award winning presenter who has interviewed the likes of Boris Johnson and Paul McCartney, whilst also working with Sky News as a part of their weekly children’s news show: FYI.
Braydon humbly describes himself as ‘stumbling’ into his career after winning a competition to meet Manchester City’s Sergio Agüero at just six years old. Shortly after the competition, Braydon found himself invited to take part in the first episode of ‘Pep’s Taxi’, a series that sees Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, surprise fans with a taxi ride. Braydon credits these two experiences for sparking his inspiration into reporting and presenting.
‘I started to really like being in front of the camera. My Mum and Dad said when I was younger, I never stopped talking!’ He laughed, ‘I’m still the same now really, but after that I entered a competition to be the BAFTA Kids young presenter, which I was lucky enough to win and meet some of the biggest stars through that.’
Braydon tells me that it was through these incredible experiences that he found himself working with Sky News.
‘Sky thought I would be a good presenter, which I mean I’ll take that! So, it’s all been a bit of a rollercoaster really.’
For those of you who aren’t aware, FYI (for your information) is a Sky Kids news show presented by children that breaks down the weekly hot topics into a manageable form for younger generations.
‘A lot of what Sky does is giving young people say’ he tells me, ‘I think even adults can get confused over what’s being said in the news sometimes too and so of course it can be a bit overwhelming for kids to see what’s happening on the TV, whereas FYI breaks all of that news down into a format that kids can understand.’
When asked about the extent of which children should be exposed to current affairs, Braydon assures me that FYI aim to present the biggest headlines in a simpler, 15-minute bullet news story suitable for children and their understanding. Braydon and his co-stars definitely excel at what they do, with FYI reaching millions of children weekly and covering a multitude of headlines ranging from Brexit to mental health.
It was at this point that I decided to ask Braydon my burning question:
‘What impression do you think your work (particularly with Sky) is having on the younger generations?’
‘Well, hopefully a positive one!’ Braydon declares, ‘I have to say, it’s been incredible working with FYI and Sky. I think when people see situations that other people are living in, it makes you think and wonder and hopefully with what I do, to have an influence on people and to try and get them into the TV ‘show business’, hopefully it leaves a good impression.’
Braydon’s work certainly does that, with his social media platforms such as Instagram reaching over one hundred thousand followers.
‘Obviously with social media there’s a lot of positives but also a lot of negatives and hate. For me, I’ve been lucky enough to have my Mum and Dad who tell me to block it all out and now I’m not even bothered about it. As for the positive side, a lot of good things can come from it. If I’m posting what I’m doing on the red carpet or snippets of interviews with celebrities, different people from the industry could then look at it and I think it’s a great way to let the world know what you’re doing.’
Braydon uses his social media to show a more personal side to himself, discussing how this doesn’t always come across on TV.
‘Sometimes on TV, you’ve got a job that you need to do, whereas with social media you can be a bit more normal, nobody is there watching you other than yourself.’
When asked about his experience being a younger man in the industry, Braydon insists it’s not a problem.
‘Being younger in the industry, I always feel like on the red carpet you’re just like everyone else. I think it all comes down to preparation and being prepared for who you’re going to meet.’ I was lucky enough to be let in on some of Braydon’s top tips for preparing for such a role and to being a successful interviewer / presenter. ‘Having questions up your sleeve and knowing what you want to get out of the person you’re interviewing is key. Sometimes when you’re on the red carpet, people don’t show up. Me, my Mum and Dad started having a bank of 5–10 neutral questions that you can ask anybody. So even if somebody I don’t know comes over, you’ve got these questions that you can throw at them that are neutral.’ One of Braydon’s favourite universal questions to ask is if they were to have a time machine, what moment in their career would they go back to and why?
Astonishingly, that’s not all Braydon does, with his school work remaining a priority to him in between his career and personal life.
‘I’m lucky enough to be at a school that lets me have the time off, but then obviously when we’re on the train for instance, I used to sit down and have to do the maths books with my Dad!’
Braydon’s school send him the work he would’ve missed in class, which he expresses his gratitude for in allowing him to pursue a career that he loves.
“It’s one of the most incredible feelings when you sit down with or you’re talking to somebody you know or watch.”
A major positive for the news and presenting industry globally has been the ability to continue to produce content from home. Speaking on the effects of COVID-19 on his career and the industry, Braydon tells me that ‘it’s not been the most amazing feeling, but neither has it been the worst feeling. We’ve got a job to do and we’re still getting that done and we’re still on the TV which is always great.’ Braydon acknowledges the hard times faced by everyone as a result of COVID-19, whilst keeping a positive attitude with optimism for the future.
For someone who has already achieved so much, it’s hard to imagine where else Braydon might possibly want his career to go.
‘My idol is James Cordon’ he informs me, ‘It’s a big challenge but I hopefully want to get to his or Ant and Dec’s level one day.’ Braydon once again maintains his humble attitude as he tells me that it’s ‘a big climb and I’m nowhere near, but I like to think I’ve made a bit of a start and that’s the main thing.’
Be sure to check out Braydon’s Instagram, Twitter and YouTube along with tuning in to FYI on Sky News every Saturday from 10:30 am and 4:30pm and Sundays from 10:30am.
