Tuning into Daisy Clarkson

She has been working in the UAE for three years and seven months and has already won the Ahlan Abu Dhabi Personality of the year three times.

Daisy Clarkson of GN Broadcasting’s Radio 2, studied theatre, TV, film and radio production before choosing radio presentation as her profession.

“I think what it takes to be a good radio presenter is to not think you’re a radio presenter, you’re not talking at people but to them,” says Clarkson, who enjoys living in the UAE with her puppy dog. “I talk on the radio as if I’m talking to my friends at home, therefore the listeners can relate to me as a friend rather than just another voice on the radio. When I first left my studies, I started off by working in theatre. I stage-managed a youth theatre group for a couple of years. Towards the end, though, I wanted some of the ‘glory’ myself and wanted to be in the spotlight. But I knew it would never be in the theatre and radio was always my other passion. So I went with radio. It’s been in the family for years.”

The UAE has a diverse audience with different nationalities and languages, but Clarkson this is no impediment but “refreshing”.

“The listenership over here is extremely different of course, this makes it more refreshing — you’re constantly talking to so many different types of people from completely different backgrounds, so when you ask a question to the listeners you get such varied responses.”

So as a presenter she must come across all kinds of people calling in. Any weird moments?

“We have a guy called Kenny who’s become quite a famous listener. He always calls up promoting camel milk! He swears by it and used to rave about it all the time. Eventually he came in and we had a camel milk tasting session on air. I must admit I’m not a huge fan!” laughs Clarkson. “One of the best things about my job is being able to interview musicians, actors and comedians. One of my all-time favourite radio moments was interviewing Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin ahead of his Abu Dhabi gig a couple of years ago. The other best thing about my job is being able to talk and listen to music for a living — who would argue that that is not the best thing ever?”

Clarkson has presented various shows on radio stations in the United Kingdom and can be heard on the afternoon show on Radio 2 across the UAE from 1pm to 4pm, but she was once a sports guru on radio, enjoying watching sports more than playing.

“Football is my thing. I support Ipswich Town Football Club. Yes, they’re nowhere near as big as Manchester City and the like, but I love them and always have. I have tennis lessons and have tried ladies football, volleyball and even sailing but I’m better off watching,” laughs Clarkson.

But every profession has a negative side too. In the light of the Australian radio prank call regarding Princess Kate’s pregnancy and the serious eventuality it led to earlier this year, it has called for greater responsibility on the part of digital media.

“The media is surrounding us constantly. What we see, read and listen to affects our everyday life, decisions and the way we think,” says Clarkson. “Celebrities hold a lot of responsibility especially with the youth and I do believe that this always has to stay in the back of my mind as a radio presenter. You have to remember that everything you say on air can be taken seriously and that people are listening all the time. You have to be very careful.”