Monday night TV Premiership coverage has consistently maintained its triple A rating: Action, Adrenalin & Abi.
Presented by the effervescent Abi Stephens, the unique feeling of being able to experience the meeting from both sides of the safety fence has been enthusiastically facilitated alongside her two amigos, Scott Nicholls, and Kelvin Tatum. Live TV broadcasting is never for the faint-hearted; most of the best televisual outtakes emerge from the uncertainty of real-life events as they unfold around the presenter, with sport being the ideal conduit.
Time to lift the lid on speedway’s primetime show.
Amongst other things, I was keen to establish how the typical broadcasting day looked and investigate a little of the chemistry behind the scenes. Donning the obligatory earphones, and grabbing the mic., I conducted my own pits interview with the Discovery Sports anchor during an interval in her busy schedule.
Where did your trackside goggle-box journey begin?
Fate with a twist of good fortune played a significant part in Abi’s breakthrough. She had instinctively known since her teen years that presenting was her career choice, even though she was first and foremost a competitive sportswoman in athletics and hockey, having trained alongside future Olympians whilst a student at Loughborough University. Influenced by the TV shows of that era, with special reverence to the show “Live and Kicking” on BBC1, Abi recalled, “I was doing bits and pieces with varying degrees of success – anything really that got me on camera! Then an agent friend called me up; Sara Elgin was unable to cover the start of the season on Sky Sports – what did I know about speedway?”
Abi’s late grandad – her biggest supporter – was an ardent Poole Pirates fan and had taken Abi and her brother to Wimborne Road some years previously; this experience was enough to grant her the opportunity to audition. The invitation was extended to her on the Friday; as a consequence, she spent the weekend immersing herself in as much speedway data as she could lay her hands on in preparation for the interview with Greg Hancock on the following Monday. Abi and another candidate were put through their paces; she reflected, “I knew then that sport was what I wanted to be involved in, and speedway had the atmosphere and energy – the smell of methanol, the unpredictability, and adrenalin rush.” She got the gig and covered four meetings.
As Abi recalls, “Sky had invested heavily in speedway, and it was a high-end production that led to many other opportunities within multiple motorsports.” For instance: Drag Racing on Channel Five, Formula 4 on Channel Four, Motor GP on BT Sports and Talk Sport, to name just a few. “It feels like I’ve come full circle. It may have been serendipity when it all started, but it made complete sense to come back.”
Abi’s own competitive heritage is a constant reminder of the important role that sport can play in personal development, with speedway being no different in its ability to change lives for the better. “I love the psychological aspect of sport. Watching Emil Sayfutdinov warming up – getting the skipping rope out and running on the spot ─ and what he does to create a mind shift change is extraordinary; creating a belief and ability to bounce back. I believe we can apply these essential traits in our own lives.”
Which team do you support?
Abi was diplomatic – understandably, since journalistic impartiality is important, although incredibly difficult, as she referenced within the GPs ─ “I’m always conscious of how vocal I can be in support of the British riders!” Focusing on the experience, rather than loyalty to one particular club, she gloriously captured the inclusivity of speedway that brings people together. “Wolverhampton has free Haribo in the pits, whilst at Peterborough the closeness and accessibility for the fans so near to the pits is amazing.” Similarly, at Belle Vue, the closeness of the broadcast bay to the main grandstand creates a remarkable synergy, although the curry and chips at the National Speedway Stadium is – according to Abi – peerless!
What does a typical speedway broadcast day look like?
Abi was in no doubt of the underpinning aspect: “A lot of travel!” Although, on arrival, it’s straight down to business – a meeting with the series producer to discuss any changes to the running order, and viewing the video reports that are aired at the start of the show. Then it’s a special “speedway pals” moment with Dave Rowe. “My pre-meeting chat with Dave – who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of speedway – is so important, as a lot may have happened since we were last on air.”
Then it’s the vital pits walk, often several hours before the meeting begins. “Here I am reminded of the nuances of the sport. It’s all about the people and spending time with the riders, and sometimes their families. It helps me really care about the person under the helmet who is putting their life on the line for the sport they love.”
Rider interviews, usually aired during the breaks in action, are recorded before the real fun part – rehearsal with Scott and Kelvin. “We all have our separate roles, but this is an important time to reinforce the collective sense of ‘us.’ We have great energy and camaraderie; you can’t produce important relationships like that out of thin air.”
How do you feel just before you go live?
Abi was candid in her professional reflection: “This has been a work in progress for me and it’s different now to how I started out. I used to get so nervous!”
Keen to reiterate the vital preparation time with Scott and Kelvin, Abi acknowledged that this is instrumental in creating a close affinity that connects all of them to something beyond merely three individuals working on a TV show.
“During those opening moments when the camera is pointing at me, it’s inevitable that thoughts about whether I sound confident, and how I look, enter my head, but my mind shift swiftly brings me back to my primary aim – I’m here to make everyone else look good. For example, how can I let Kelvin share his great insights, and what’s the best way to set Scott up so that he can bring his great sense of humour into play?”
The presence of performance energy is nonetheless important. “The noise of the engines and the smell of methanol tell my brain and body that I’m going into my own version of race mode.”
Rituals prior to going live on air include repeating her opening lines and writing down some last-minute memory joggers on the script to make the whole experience more conversational. As Abi noted, “The camera isn’t going to give you any feedback. It doesn’t nod back in agreement, nor does it give you any of the reassurances that you get when you are actually speaking to people.”
But her overall mantra – and a skill that can be transferred to many other aspects of life – is plain and simple: “The more I can make it about the sport, the riders, and the viewers, the less nervous I get.”
What is your most memorable trackside moment?
This year’s Speedway World Cup was Abi’s immediate highlight, as she witnessed first-hand the astonishing richness and texture of a sporting event that straddled several days of drama. “I felt like I was part of something extraordinary.”
Domestically as well, she recalled many memorable moments. “There have been some massive heat thirteens this year – even more so than heat fifteen. I have to be constantly tuned into what is being said into my ears, but on one occasion at Ipswich I just had to stand on the bank and watch a phenomenal heat thirteen.” Her excitement was palpable: “I am incredibly lucky to be able to speak to those involved in the big heats.”
Another recent interview with the battered and bruised Jack Holder at this year’s British GP at Cardiff brought into focus the dichotomy of racing: “I found myself asking the question ‘How can your body be telling you one thing, while your brain and heart override that instinct, to produce something so heroic?’” This brought her to the admission that speedway is engrained within the very essence of her life, having learned so much from these incredible feats of mind over matter. But probably the biggest thrill for Abi is the privilege of being able to bring these stories directly to the viewers.
What advice would you give to budding presenters?
Abi has witnessed the exponential growth of opportunities for presenting – be it on TV or online; but the simple message has remained consistent – you make your own luck. “No presenting jobs are advertised; it relies on creating content and a spider’s web of contacts.” Giving an explicit example, she cited Charlotte Woollsey, who performed her work experience within the sport and created her own social media posts reviewing the GPs. As a direct result of this persistency and consistency she now has a role within the BSN (British Speedway Network).
“If you want to be a speedway presenter you have every chance, since the sport is so accessible – especially the riders. In other motor sports the stars are often locked behind closed doors. If you get to a speedway meeting early, there is every chance of grabbing an interview with a top star!”
Presenting, like any other discipline, is akin to developing a muscle: the more you do it, the stronger you get. But Abi had a sobering reflection, “The biggest desire is to be yourself on camera, but it takes a lot of practise to attain that goal.” Learning the craft requires three important things: content, content, and content. Creating vox pops by talking to fans and riders alike, and producing a digital CV wrapped up with a bold and courageous move on the key decision makers, can make dreams happen. As Abi was keen to remind me, your mobile phone is your primary content making tool.
Life outside of TV?
Being mum to two-and-a-half year-old Minni is the centre point of life, although when Minni reached the age of 3 months, Abi returned to her trackside presenting role. Minni’s creative traits are evident, with obvious influences from TV mum and creative director dad. Still a keen sportswoman – albeit not at her previous competitive level – Abi nevertheless loves to run and will regularly complete a twenty mile circuit on a Sunday. Even when she’s away at the GPs, running will always feature in her schedule, accompanied on occasions by Scott, although much depends on what kind of night he has had! Superpowers include her ability to locate the best flat white coffee wherever her travels take her, along with her passion to push herself into new opportunities, both personally and professionally. In the remaining time, Abi loves the good company of others, humour, and the stories people tell – including the more raucous ones from Scott and Kelvin and Chris Louis for that matter!
In bringing our wonderful conversation to a conclusion, I was curious about the behind-the-scenes gossip, and posed Abi a series of quick-fire questions framed around her co-presenters:
1. Fastest from the gate – who leaves first after a meeting? Kelvin – he is already on the motorway as Abi and Scott carry out their post meeting analysis.
2. Two-minute warning – who gets to a meeting last? Not much between the two, as often they travel in together. On other occasions it’s Scott – but only marginally!
3. Tactical substitute – who would you select to partner you on Strictly Come Dancing and why? After much deliberation Abi chose Kelvin, essentially for the humour factor and the fact that he would want to get all the dance steps absolutely perfect!
4. Engine failure – who is the worst joke teller? No hesitation here – Scott!
5. Bonus point – who has the best fashion sense? Breaking into a fit of uncontrollable giggles, Abi’s verdict was damning: “I don’t think either of them would lay claim to being fashion aficionados!” On final reflection, Scott won the award for the best dressed due to his more varied fashion choices.
© Ian Kirke 2023
All uncredited photographs reproduced with kind permission from Abi Stephens
@ianjkirke