Ashley John-Baptiste

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Ashley John-Baptiste is a BBC broadcast journalist and presenter.[1]

Childhood and education[]

Baptiste was born in 1990 into a mixed-race family in Southwark, South London,[2] the son white mother and a black father. From the age of two until he was 18, he grew up in four foster families and spent two years in a residential care home.[3][4]

After attending three different primary schools, his secondary education was at Bacon's College,[5] a comprehensive school in Rotherhithe with a higher than average proportion of pupils from troubled backgrounds. He was suspended several times,[6] and had already been issued a final warning when the opportunity arose to visit a summer school organised by the Sutton Trust at Cambridge University. This was when he realised that he would soon have to take responsibility for himself and that he had the potential to succeed.[7][8]

With the encouragement of his then foster parents[9] and his MP,[10] in 2008 he won a place at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University, to read history and graduated in 2011 with an upper second.[11][12] During this time, he mentored other students from similar backgrounds to his own.[13][14]

Career[]

Baptiste was a member the band ‘The Risk’. In 2011, he quit the finals of ITV’s ‘X Factor’ to pursue a career in the media, and soon after obtained a place on the BBC creative access scheme[15] and began working as a broadcast journalist.[16]

  • In 2012, he presented a BBC Three documentary "Care Home Kids: Looking For Love".[17][18]
  • In 2012, he was the keynote speaker at an event organised by The PLACE (Project for Looked After Children's Education), an initiative of South Tyneside Council.[19]
  • In 2013, he was the keynote speaker at the Havering College of Further and Higher Education awards ceremony.[20]
  • In 2018, he was a reporter at the Fifa World Cup.[21]
  • In 2019, with Angelica Bell, he co-hosted an episode of The One Show, a British television magazine and chat show programme and has since become a regular presenter.[22][23]
  • In 2019, with Kym Marsh, he co-presented eleven episodes of the documentary "For love or money".[24]
  • In 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, he wrote a BBC news long read article entitled "The Mangrove Nine: Echoes of black lives matter from 50 years ago".[25]
  • In 2020, with the Rev Kate Bottley, he co-hosted an 8-episode series for BBC Two called Stories Of Us.[26][27]
  • In 2020, he presented the BBC documentary "Being black at Cambridge".[28]
  • In 2020 he was named the first ever ambassador for the RTS bursary schemes, which support those studying broadcasting and entertainment.[29]
  • In 2022, he presented the BBC documentary "Split up in care - Life without siblings" as part of his campaign for a change in the fostering laws.[30][31]

From 2015 to 2018 he presented documentaries for the Victoria Derbyshire programme about the care system, children with facial deformities, and the Grenfell Tower fire,[32][33][34] and has also made original documentary films on interfaith foster care and bullying.[35] He is also a motivational speaker.[36]

He is currently an RTS nominated BBC broadcast journalist and Digital Senior Reporter for BBC News.[37]

He is an ambassador for , the UK's leading fostering charity.[38]

He is the founder of , an organisation working in collaboration with Southwark Council and whose aim is to connect care experienced young people with each other and help them achieve their aspirations.[39][40]

Awards[]

In 2018 Baptiste was shortlisted for the Royal Television Society's Young Talent Of The Year Award.[41]

Personal life[]

Baptiste met his birth mother, who was a care leaver herself,[42] at the age of ten for the first time since going into care.[43] He has never met his birth father. In his mid-twenties, in spite of having been told by social workers that he was an only child,[44] he found out for the first time that he had four older half-brothers on his father's side, one of whom he has met.[45]

At the age of 14, his St Lucian foster mother took him to a Salvation Army church where he gradually became involved in the youth group. This led to a decisive moment in his faith journey when he prayed, “If you are real, I want you to be my Father”.[46] He credits his mindset of having potential and his sense of self-worth to having grown up in an environment where faith was very important.[47]

Baptiste sings and plays piano. He considers that music making has been crucial to his personal development and well-being.[48]

He is married to Joanna John-Baptiste, a maths teacher. The couple have one daughter born in 2020.[49]

References[]

  1. ^ https://www.performingartistes.co.uk/artistes/ashley-john-baptiste
  2. ^ "Fitzwilliam's X Factor ex-student". www.fitz.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  3. ^ "From care to Cambridge: Ashley John-Baptiste inspires students at Havering College of Further and Higher Education". PRWeb. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  4. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18904980
  5. ^ https://www.baconscollege.co.uk/home/news/ashley-john-baptiste-first-rts-bursary-schemes-ambassador/[dead link]
  6. ^ Ashley John-Baptiste interview - music by Jack Cook, retrieved 29 January 2022
  7. ^ "Exclusive interview with Ashley John Baptiste". Sanctuary Personnel. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  8. ^ "You and Yours - X Factor's Ashley John-Baptiste - Why I Quit - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  9. ^ "Foster care: Meeting the boy who lived at 35 addresses". BBC News. 23 July 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  10. ^ https://www.performingartistes.co.uk/artistes/ashley-john-baptiste
  11. ^ "Fitzwilliam's X Factor ex-student". www.fitz.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Being black at Cambridge, I had some good times, but I struggled to feel I belonged". inews.co.uk. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  13. ^ https://www.performingartistes.co.uk/artistes/ashley-john-baptiste
  14. ^ "On being black at Cambridge". University of Cambridge. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  15. ^ What makes a great journalist with Ashley John-Baptiste - BBC Young Reporter, retrieved 29 January 2022
  16. ^ https://www.performingartistes.co.uk/artistes/ashley-john-baptiste
  17. ^ "Who is new The One Show presenter Ashley-John Baptiste?". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  18. ^ "BBC Three - Care Home Kids: Looking for Love". BBC. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  19. ^ "Singer provides young people of South Tyneside with the X Factor - South Tyneside Council". www.southtyneside.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  20. ^ "From care to Cambridge: Ashley John-Baptiste inspires students at Havering College of Further and Higher Education". PRWeb. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  21. ^ https://www.performingartistes.co.uk/artistes/ashley-john-baptiste
  22. ^ "Who is new The One Show presenter Ashley-John Baptiste?". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  23. ^ "Jo Carlton | Talent4 Media | Official Agent for Ashley John-Baptiste". www.talent4media.com. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  24. ^ https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/for-love-or-money/umc.cmc.1zok9couz0p8pm747snjt4asp?l=fr
  25. ^ "The Mangrove Nine". BBC News. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  26. ^ "BBC Two - Stories of Us". BBC. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  27. ^ "Jo Carlton | Talent4 Media | Official Agent for Ashley John-Baptiste". www.talent4media.com. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  28. ^ "BBC World News - Being Black at Cambridge". BBC. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  29. ^ "Ashley John-Baptiste announced as the first ambassador for the RTS bursary schemes". Royal Television Society. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  30. ^ Split Up In Care - Life Without Siblings, retrieved 26 January 2022
  31. ^ "'I grew up in care alone - why did no-one tell me I had siblings?'". BBC News. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  32. ^ "Who is new The One Show presenter Ashley-John Baptiste?". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  33. ^ "Meet...Ashley John-Baptiste". Royal Television Society. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  34. ^ What makes a great journalist with Ashley John-Baptiste - BBC Young Reporter, retrieved 29 January 2022
  35. ^ "Ashley John-Baptiste announced as the first ambassador for the RTS bursary schemes". Royal Television Society. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  36. ^ "Ashley John-Baptiste - Motivational Speaker". Motivational Speakers. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  37. ^ "Ashley John-Baptiste announced as the first ambassador for the RTS bursary schemes". Royal Television Society. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  38. ^ "Ashley-John Baptiste Booking Agent - Book Ashley-John Baptiste at IEA Talent - Global Booking Agency, London - Confirm Prices & Availability -". IEA Talent. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  39. ^ "Be Inspired – An inspiring and entertaining virtual experience for care experienced young people across the UK". Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  40. ^ "Inspiring care experienced young people". Voice Online. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  41. ^ "Who is new The One Show presenter Ashley-John Baptiste?". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  42. ^ BBC The One Show 14/01/2019 Ashley John-Baptiste, retrieved 29 January 2022
  43. ^ Ashley John-Baptiste interview - music by Jack Cook, retrieved 29 January 2022
  44. ^ "'I grew up in care alone - why did no-one tell me I had siblings?'". BBC News. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  45. ^ John-Baptiste, Ashley (26 January 2022). "A moment that changed me: a stranger contacted me – to say he was my brother". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  46. ^ "The Sunday Hour - Ashley John-Baptiste - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  47. ^ "Exclusive interview with Ashley John Baptiste". Sanctuary Personnel. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  48. ^ "The Sunday Hour - Ashley John-Baptiste - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  49. ^ "Ashley John-Baptiste in for Love or Money: How old is he? When was he on X Factor?". Entertainment Daily. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2022.

External links[]

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