Lucy Hockings is a New Zealand born journalist and news presenter. As a journalist her career was started in New Zealand, later in 1999 jointed BBC as producer. In the next year she was promoted to senior producer. Earlier Lucy Hockings worked at TVNZ for five years. She has a degree in journalism from Auckland University of New Zealand. In her early days she was a producer and reporter, later she was picked up for presenting news also. Her pretty look and presentation skill may be a factor. She also appeared in American super hero film Black Panther.
Modesty is expected from news presenter, at the same time Lucy Hockings also wants to look fashionable.
As a news presenter modesty is expected from Lucy Hockings, at the same time she also wants to look fashionable. She doesn’t get any allowance for buying costume but puts a lot of effort on selecting what should wear and what should not. She says, she has more than forty jackets to wear in front of camera and always keeps a black one so that she can wear when a VIP dies.
Lucy Hockings says, her journey to become a news presenter was not easy. She was already a well established journalist. But at a Christmas party her bosses offered her to take news presenting role also. Her bosses were more interested than she was. So she was relaxed and selected after trial. But starting was not as it should be. Lucy Hockings was born in Taranaki, which is a region in the west of New Zealand’s North Island. People didn’t like her accent. Many people commented, we don’t want an ‘Australian girl’. In Lucy Hockings words, it was very intimidating. She was sent to prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to address the issue.
But Lucy Hockings thinks it didn’t work. She says, my accent is part of who I am and I work for an International broadcaster.’ It’s like the following the famous quote by Oscar Wilde, ‘be yourself, everyone is already taken’.
Lucy Hockings says, at the end it was an advantage of working in an international broadcaster like BBC world service. She eventually became a regular presenter. After living nearly two decades in London her accent has softened also.
She has covered major world events like September 11, 2001 attack, Afghanistan and Iraq invasion by US lead coalition, 2004 tsunami, death of Pope John Paul II, capture of Saddam Hossain and 2005 London bombings. In her early days she also worked in countries like Canada, Spain, Norway, and Netherlands. She interviewed many VIPS including prime ministers and foreign ministers. In her words, it was baptism of fire. Also interviewed characters like Osama Bin Laden and running dictator like Gadaffi. Lucy Hockings says, one year-long working trip around Asia, visiting Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Tibet, Nepal and India was one of the most memorable events of her life.
