After her stint on This Morning, Sian Welby is tipped for the top as her sunny personality and humour wins viewers’ hearts
WORDS: SHELLEY SPADONI
RISING STAR
Blonde, bubbly and quick-witted, Sian Welby may not yet be a household name – but it’s only a matter of time. After stepping in as a guest host on This Morning following Holly Willoughby’s departure, when she settles down to talk to OK! about her recent four-day stint on the ITV1 show, we realise there’s so much more going on in her busy life.
As we chat, it’s clear that Nottingham-born Sian, 37, who also hosts a radio show on Capital with Roman Kemp, is still a little stunned – both that she’s presented one of the UK’s biggest TV programmes, and that her debut went down so well.
“It was the biggest week of my career. Like an out-of-body experience. I can’t quite believe it,” she says. “There were lots of nerves – it’s so fast-moving – and you don’t want to offend anybody, or swear! But at the same time, I tried to be as natural and off-the-cuff as I am on radio.”
And it helped that with her experienced co-host Dermot O’Leary, she felt she was “in good hands”. “He gives older brother energy – he took me under his wing and didn’t pile on any pressure, or take over. He just said, ‘Sian, it’s a mammoth show – take it segment by segment.’”
Thankfully, from the minute she was on air, she loved it. Still, it must be a lot to take in for Sian, whose career began filming her own YouTube videos during breaks from her part-time job at New Look. Spotted by TV executives, in 2010 she was offered the job of Channel 5 weather girl (winning a legion of fans with her hilarious film puns), then radio presenting gigs followed at Heart and Capital. The star’s proud fiancé, Jake Beckett, who works as a producer on Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston’s Heart radio show, whisked her off to a posh restaurant to celebrate. “He’s seriously the biggest hype man in my life!” Sian laughs.
And she went down extremely well with viewers at home, who said Sian truly “brought the fun” – something she maintains is a bit of a motto for life.
“I have that tomboy energy. I don’t mind being the butt of the joke, as long as it’s in the name of comedy and there’s no malicious intent,” she muses.
“I have a giggle. I don’t take myself too seriously. I see it as part of being a role model to younger girls. It’s not all about posing and pouting and designer
