In October 2019, June made history, becoming the first ever ‘Director of Creative Diversity’ at the BBC, where, as part of her role, she will develop strategies to support both on-air and production talent representation and portrayal across the BBC, its platforms and its partners, to make the BBC more inclusive and representative of the broad and diverse audience it serves.
Over a career spanning over 20-years, she has become one of the most recognisable faces of British television, as well as being one of the UK’s most intelligent and dynamic hosts. June is one of the only hosts of her generation that is equally comfortable interviewing politicians, celebrities and members of the public.
She began her career at Kiss 100 and later became a presenter for MTV UK & Ireland, but it was when she started on Channel 4’s T4 that she truly became a household name. As one of the only female faces on the show for 9 years, she even interviewed Tony Blair for an exclusive special, When Tony Met June in 2005, with unprecedented access to the then British Prime Minister.
June has also taken on the world’s most challenging live audiences, hosting 2005’s major Make Poverty History event in London’s Trafalgar Square and presenting at the UK leg of Live Earth in 2007. In 2008 alongside Will Smith, she also hosted Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday celebrations in front of 30,000 people in London’s Hyde Park. Not only this, June has interviewed and introduced some of the world’s biggest names including HRH Prince of Wales, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Bono, George Clooney and 50 Cent.
June has worked extensively with HRH Prince Charles for ten years as an ambassador for his charity the Prince’s Trust, whilst campaigning for The One and Produce (RED). June was awarded an MBE in 2007 for her services to broadcasting and charity, making her one of the youngest people ever to receive an MBE. She was recognised once again in the new year honours list 2020, receiving an OBE for services to broadcasting.
June has graced our screens as a panellist on ITV’s hit daytime show ‘Loose Women’ and is now a regular panellist on Sky News’ new weekly current affairs discussion show, ‘The Pledge’. She was also involved in E!’s coverage of The Royal Wedding, co-presented The Art Show 8-part series on Sky Arts which offered a global perspective on human creativity and appeared on the BBC’s Brexit Blind Dates. Her series ‘My Faith and Me’ on BBC daytime aired in December 2018, following public figures and their own personal spiritual journey to explore their unique relationship with religion and faith.
She is the co-founder of the WIE Network (Women: Inspiration & Enterprise). WIE first launched in New York in 2010, and then in the UK 2012. This acclaimed conference has featured leading speakers from a wide range of industries, with previous speakers including Sarah Brown, Melinda Gates, Arianna Huffington, Donna Karan, Queen Rania, Nancy Pelosi and Iman.
June has worked with many reputable brands throughout her career including Natwest, Matalan and Ancestry. She was the ambassador for Superdrug’s Shades of Beauty campaign, to tackle product inequality in high street beauty, with the aim of making it more accessible for black and Asian women to shop affordably on the high street. She was also announced as part of the Grazia Collective, a line-up of brilliant women ambassadors and recently featured on the cover of Vanity Fair’s ‘En Route’ magazine.
‘Diversify: Six Degrees of Integration’ (released 2017) was Junes first book where June puts the spotlight on groups who are often marginalised in our society, including women, those living with disabilities, and the LGBTQ community. Diversify uncovers how a new approach to how we work, learn and live can help us reach our maximum potential, lessen the pressure on the state, and solve some of the most stubborn challenges we face. The book publishes fascinating new research from Professor Anthony Heath and the team at Nuffield College, Oxford University, on the costs of discrimination and the benefits of diversity, in a very divided world. Through their research, they have specifically calculated that the cost of discrimination in the UK is 127 billion pounds a year. June has toured Diversify around the world including Canada and U.S.
Junes second book ‘The Power Of Women’ explores why feminism works for everyone, debunking myths and proving why bringing women to the table is key to personal, social and economic growth.
With her wealth of knowledge within the industry, June also regularly speaks & hosts a wide range of corporate events. June is a superb speaker, with her presentations celebrated for their compelling nature, humour and analytical clarity.