How to interview for TV or Radio

March 18, 2021

Are you looking to host your own TV, Radio show or Podcast? Are you looking to interview guests or celebrities at events?

Interviewing is so much more than writing down questions and asking them. A good Presenter or Host will be able to listen to their guest and be able to respond, be inquisitive and act spontaneously on the job and will also know interviewing skills such as ABC, Ring-fencing and the difference between open and closed questions.

Here are 5 tips for interviewing:

1. Preparation – Do your research and know your guest, find out what their hobbies are, what are they doing at the moment? Build a rapport.
2. Be original – Sounds obvious but if you’re interviewing a celebrity for the first time chances are it won’t be the first time they have been interviewed. Can you imagine how boring it gets for Tom Cruise if 30 presenters ask him at a press junket what it’s like to be in the new Mission Impossible film? Think Different!
3. Know how and when you should be using open and closed questions. Open questions are good for telling a story or giving facts or information. Closed gives short answers often one word so are great to conclude your interview.
4. Find a connection with your guest, make it sound like a conversation.
5. Listen and ask follow up questions. This is one of the most common mistakes new presenters make, they are so focused on asking the next question on their list they forget to listen to their guest.

Interviewing is a real skill and it takes time and practice to master!

These skills can be learned with the correct training, guidance and practice and this is exactly what we do on our 1 Day Interviewing for TV Day or 5 Day TV Presenting Masterclass. We spend a whole day on interviewing and practising all the techniques and interview styles making sure you are fully comfortable and confident. On Day 3 of our masterclass, each presenter will have their own 10 minute ‘as live’ show. You’ll be on talk-back, working to time, on multi camera, using autocue and have a celebrity guest to interview. All these skills are essential if you’re looking to become a TV Host and is done at our studio at Pinewood Studios.

Our recent celebrity guests for our Presenters to interview include Broadcasting & Presenter Legend Mike Read, best known for Top of the Pops, I’m a celebrity get me out of here, TV Presenter Annabelle Knight, who has presented on Big Brother Bit On The Side, This Morning, MTV and documentary 7 Year Itch with Ruth & Eamonn Holmes. Actors include Simon Williams known for Upstairs Downstairs, The Archers and Eastenders, Tam Williams who appeared in James Bond Film, ‘Spectre’, Jonny Dixon best know for Coronation Street and stared in the first episode of Dr Who with Jodie Whittaker and Scott Kyle who is best known for Outlander, The Angels’ Share and Kilo Two Bravo.

If you have any questions you can email us info@tvtraining.org.uk or call us 0800 046 3447 for a chat or if you want to come into our studio at Pinewood for a free career chat we can arrange that too,