June Sarpong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
June Sarpong
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| Born |
June Konadu Sarpong
31 May 1977 |
| Education | Connaught School for Girls Sir George Monoux College |
| Occupation | Television presenter |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Relatives | Sam Sarpong (brother) |
June Konadu Sarpong, born on May 31, 1977, is a well-known British television presenter. She has also worked as an executive. Many people know her from shows like Loose Women on ITV and The Pledge on Sky News. In 2019, she became the first Director of Creative Diversity for the BBC. This role means she helps make sure that different voices and backgrounds are shown on BBC programmes.
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Early Life and Education
June Sarpong was born in Newham, London. Her parents were from Ghana. She went to Connaught School for Girls in Leytonstone. Later, she studied at Sir George Monoux College in Walthamstow.
June Sarpong's Career in Television
June Sarpong started her career in media around 1997. She began at the radio station Kiss 100. After that, she became a presenter for MTV UK and Ireland. She hosted the MTV Dance Floor Chart.
Early TV Shows and Interviews
In 2001, June appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank. For nine years, she was one of the main presenters for Channel 4's teen show, T4. During her time on T4, she even interviewed the Prime Minister, Tony Blair. This special interview was called When Tony Met June and aired in 2005.
June also runs her own company called Lipgloss Productions. This company creates new TV shows.
Hosting and Guest Appearances
June Sarpong has hosted many other TV series. These include Your Face or Mine? with Jimmy Carr on E4. She also hosted Dirty Laundry, which was her own idea for a talk show. Another show she presented was Playing It Straight, a dating game show filmed in Mexico.
She has hosted the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party and the Party In The Park. June was a regular host for the MOBO Awards, presenting them for three years in a row. She has also appeared as a guest on popular panel shows. These include Question Time, 8 Out of 10 Cats, and Have I Got News for You. She was also on Never Mind the Buzzcocks. In 2006, she hosted WAGs Boutique on ITV2.
In 2007, June appeared in the Extras Special Series Finale with Ricky Gervais. She left her role as a presenter on T4 in December 2007 after nine years.
Later Projects and Loose Women
In 2008, June made a guest appearance in Little Miss Jocelyn. In 2009, she hosted a Sky1 show called Michael Jackson: The Search for...His Spirit. In this show, she visited places important to Michael Jackson's life.
June also worked as an interviewer on Jesse Ventura's Conspiracy Theory show.
In 2015, June Sarpong joined the panel of Loose Women as a guest. She became a regular panellist later that year. She was on the show until December 2016, making 46 appearances. In January 2016, she gave an emotional speech on Loose Women after her brother passed away.
Since April 2016, June has been a regular on Sky News' The Pledge. She has also been a panellist on two series of Debatable on BBC Two.
Books by June Sarpong
June Sarpong is also an author. She has written several books:
- Diversify: Six Degrees of Integration (2017)
- The Power of Women (2018)
- The Power of Privilege: How White People Can Challenge Racism (2020)
Advocacy and Campaigns
June Sarpong has used her public platform to support important causes. In 2014, she was one of 200 public figures who signed a letter to The Guardian. This letter expressed hope that Scotland would vote to stay part of the United Kingdom. In 2015, she joined the board of the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign. This group worked to keep the United Kingdom in the European Union.
Personal Life
June Sarpong's older brother was Sam Sarpong. He was an actor and hosted MTV's Yo Momma. He passed away in 2015.
Honours and Awards
June Sarpong has received special honours for her work. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2007. This was for her services to broadcasting and charity. In 2020, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This honour was for her continued services to broadcasting.
