The outlook is bright for Banbridge’s Ali
BBC NI weather presenter Ali Totten tells Local Women about her journey from runner to rising star on our screens — and why believing in yourself matters just as much as hard work.
By Angela Taggart
The outlook is always bright for a rising star on our television screens, BBC NI weather presenter Ali Totten.
Ali, from Banbridge, has been telling Local Women about the journey to her current role, and is advising others never to give up on their dreams.
She said: “I’ve worked in the newsroom at BBC NI for three years now. I started off, like everyone else, as a runner, getting teas and coffees for guests and helping out the teams wherever I could.
“I soon got a job as a senior researcher and journalist, helping to set up radio and TV programmes and writing a few stories for our website. It was a very behind-the-scenes production role, which I really enjoyed as I was able to learn so much.
“An opportunity came up to join the weather team and help out when they needed time off, and I jumped at it! I’ve always loved being out in nature and appreciated the sheer power of our weather, especially here in Northern Ireland, so I thought I’d apply, not thinking I would actually get it. Little did I know, I’d be chosen alongside my colleague Rick Faragher. I’m so grateful that they saw something in me.
“That’s when the hard work started, as I began six months of intense training. I had done some presenting at university, but nothing serious, and I had very little meteorological knowledge, so it took a lot of time and effort.
“I shadowed Barra, Cecilia, Geoff and Angie every day to learn as much as I could from them. I spent hours in the studio repeating and practising over and over again to become as natural as possible. I’d always thought I was quite confident in front of the camera, but I quickly realised I was out of my depth in this field and how much work I needed to put in.
“I did lots of online meteorology courses to increase my knowledge and learn the science. Rick and I also travelled to BBC Broadcasting House in London for a week to learn from the network weather team. We met and shadowed presenters like Carole Kirkwood and Tomasz Schafernaker. It was a fantastic opportunity to talk to them and learn from them, and they were all so kind and generous with their time.
“After a few months of training, I was finally able to get on air, which was beyond nerve-wracking, but I have a good habit of throwing myself into things head-first, so I just went for it.
“When I look back at my old forecasts now, it makes me cringe so much at how nervous I was, but it is great to see how far I have come since then. I continued training and shadowing the NI weather team for a few more months until I was able to do the 18:30 show solo.
“It took so much work from Geoff, Cecilia and Barra to get me where I am now, and I’m incredibly grateful to all of them for taking the time to teach me everything from scratch. Learning how to present and get my head around the science of meteorology was a humongous task. I felt so proud when I finally presented the 18:30 show. It had taken so much effort to get there, and it felt like such a huge achievement. But I maintain the attitude that there’s always something more to learn!”
So, what is Ali’s inspiration? She told us: “I wouldn’t say I have a specific inspiration as such, but I have a very strong work ethic instilled in me by my parents, which means that anything I do, I’ll give 100 per cent. I have them to thank for that. My mum has supported me a lot throughout my career, and I honestly couldn’t do it without her.”
What is a day in the life of Ali Totten like?
“A day in the life of Ali Totten can be very chaotic and hectic at times! We work shifts, so my schedule changes quite a lot. If I’m on an early weather shift, my alarm goes off at the gruesome time of 2.15am. We do our own hair and makeup, so it takes a bit of time to get ready before heading in.
“Once I arrive, I hit the ground running, reading over various charts, checking the latest figures, and speaking to meteorologists in London, all before 5.30am.
“I record my TV bulletin before 6am, quickly change into my comfy clothes, and then spend the rest of the morning doing radio hits.
“Our day shifts are equally busy, as we cover the lunchtime, teatime and late shows, so there’s a lot of on-camera work involved.
“We also do a few radio segments and make sure everything is updated online, so there’s plenty of multitasking that goes on! It’s non-stop from start to finish.”
What does Ali enjoy most about the role?
“I love the adrenaline of the job. We don’t use an autocue, so we really have to know what we’re saying. Sometimes time can be taken off us live on air. I’ll have one of the team speaking to me in my ear while I present, telling me how much time I have. Occasionally, it’ll be shorter or longer than what I’ve prepared for, so I have to be able to think on the spot. It can be really tough at times, but when you get it right, it feels amazing. I enjoy the performance element of it all and the challenge of working under pressure.”
When Ali isn’t on air, she makes the most of her spare time.
She says: “I love being outdoors and spending time in nature. I always say there’s nothing better than a bit of fresh air. I’ve taken up running, which has been a really good stress reliever from work. I run at a snail’s pace, but I enjoy seeing myself get a little faster over time and being able to run further and further. I completed my first 10K over the summer, which I was so proud of. Six months earlier, I would’ve laughed at the idea of running a 10K!
“I’m a big foodie and I love to try out new restaurants. The food scene in Northern Ireland is getting better every day and I love that people are experimenting more and trying new concepts. I try to get out and about and grab a bite to eat in new places as much as I can.
“Apart from that, I love nothing more than spending time with my family and friends. I come home as often as I can to spend time with my family and have the craic with my two nephews. They’re just full of fun and bring us all so much joy and laughter!”
What advice would she give to budding presenters?
“I would say just keep going. I applied to the BBC so many times before I finally got a job. The competition is incredibly high for presenting roles, so if you’re starting out, be realistic and apply for runner or production roles first, then build your contacts and experience from there.
“It sounds corny, but have faith and believe in yourself, because no one else is going to apply for jobs on your behalf. Go for opportunities even if you expect to be rejected. You might get turned down for lots of roles, but keep applying and reaching out to people. If you keep pushing and putting in the hard work, you will get there in the end.”
