Find out more about Daybreak's features correspondent Nick Dixon.
My broadcasting career did not have the most glamorous start... It began at 16 when I went to work for BBC Scotland in Glasgow - delivering the mail. I pretty much got the job after harassing Carol, the poor Human Resources officer at the BBC, constantly for around 3 years with a begging letter every month! She finally gave in and offered me a job - and I think it was a relief to both of us when that happened!
After delivering the mail around the BBC for a year, I started as a 'copy boy' in the Radio Scotland newsroom, making cups of tea/coffee, running errands and then moving onto typing up stories from reporters and correspondents and helping out on location. Not the most exciting job in the world but a great foot in the door for me and something that got me a noticed (a bit...). I then joined Radio Clyde in Glasgow as a Production Assistant in 1993 and made even more cups of tea/coffee... In the same year I worked as a researcher on the BBC quiz show ‘Catchword’ (look on You Tube, there's a few clips of this fine quiz show still in existence!). I started with Scottish Television as a Promotions Director in 1995, scripting, edited, voicing and directed on-air promotional material. Pretty sure I made some more cups of tea/coffee as well. During this time I also started my own Formula One website, which ended up winning a BBC web award and was featured in many national newspapers and magazines.
In 1999 I joined Scottish Television’s flagship news programme ‘Scotland Today’. My first job there was reading the early morning regional bulletins throughout GMTV - and, of course, made many cups of tea/coffee. I went on to present the weekend and late news, and also the main evening programme. It was here at Scottish TV that I started reporting on many of the 'and finally' stories for the programme. You know, the light hearted/silly story you often see at the end of the programme. I did also report on many of the big news stories too, getting a real taste of the variety involved in news reporting. I left Scotland in 2006 to join GMTV as a Reporter/Producer and stayed with the morning show until it went off air - and was then promoted to Correspondent at the launch of Daybreak.
From September 2010 through to July 2011, I was based in New York for Daybreak as the programme's US Correspondent. During my time in the country, I travelled extensively, meeting some weird and wonderful characters for Daybreak - way too many to list individually! He also covered the New York blizzard story (14 inches of snow outside my apartment door!), travelled to Joplin, Missouri for President Barack Obama's arrival in the tornado ravaged city, chased Sarah Palin around the Statue of Liberty (and stepped on her daughters foot in the process, she was not amused...) and broadcast live within minutes of the announcement of Osama Bin Laden's death.
I also covered many showbiz stories in New York - including racing off a plane to interview Jerry Seinfeld (made it with 3 minutes to spare...a sweaty mess), meeting the cast of Willy Wonka and Chocolate Factory, attended countless film premieres and covered the world premiere of Spiderman the Musical on Broadway (prodding Bono's shoulder on the red carpet so he would look in my direction was quite memorable...not least because he gave me a really dirty look!).
Since arriving back in the UK, Nick has been reporting up and down the country as a Features Correspondent for the programme. I have presented some of Daybreak's high profile campaigns including 'Get Britain Reading' and 'Donate a Coat', as well as meeting family and friends of some of the Olympic medallists in the midst of all their celebrations! And I can't remember the last time I made a cup of tea/coffee... ;-)
1. What do you most enjoy about working on Daybreak?
Easy one. The variety of work! There's never a dull moment on the road as a Correspondent for Daybreak and never two days the same really... It doesn't feel like a job at times, more an odd lifestyle where you often wake up in different towns/cities and meet some really interesting/quirky people with great stories to tell!
2. Who would you most like to meet/interview that you haven't already?
Tricky one... As a huge fan of The Beatles, I'd love to interview Paul McCartney but I'd probably ask so many geeky/dull Beatles-related questions that no Daybreak viewer in their right mind would really care about! I mean, other than me, who wants to know which colour socks George Harrison wore when he recorded Here comes the Sun?? (if you know this, please let me know...)
3. Who is the most memorable celebrity/personality you have ever met and why?
Gosh, so many... I wasn't sure what to expect when I met Tom Cruise but he was really nice and seemed very down to earth, I thought. Hugh Jackman too. Really enjoyed chatting to him. I liked interviewing Cliff Richard too - but partly because he met The Beatles so many times in the 60's and I could ask him lots of questions about it. I'm sure he loved that interview...
4. If you weren't a journalist, what would you be doing as a job?
Something geeky with computers...
5. Are you a good morning person?
I have to be! After 6 years of 0345 alarm calls, you do get used to it...but I wouldn't say I spring out of bed in the morning!
6. Who would you choose to play you in a film version of your life?
Anyone movie star who looks good first thing in the morning and has a good make up artist...
7. Is there one fact about yourself that we'd be surprised to learn?
I wear one contact lense in my right eye!/I was an obsessive BMX boy in my youth!/I collect books about The Beatles... (least surprising fact there)
8. What is your routine for working early each day?
Routine? No such thing in my job!