Bianca Westwood was told she wasn’t attractive enough to present for Sky Sports before she became one of their most famous journalists, she has revealed.
Westwood, 50, spent 22 years at Sky Sports and is known for being Soccer Saturday’s first female journalist.
She left last summer but has since joined talkSPORT. Westwood said she had fond memories of her time with the broadcaster, but revealed she almost didn’t join.
“When I did a screen test many years ago, I was told I wasn’t attractive enough for Sky Sports News,” she told the Chain of commercial excellenceL.
“And part of me was wondering why I have to be attractive… because there are some unattractive men out there.
Bianca Westwood was first told she wasn’t attractive enough to join Sky Sports, she revealed
She said she was told “there has to be a certain type of symmetry in your face as a woman, and I didn’t have that.”
Westwood, 50, spent more than 22 years at Sky Sports but now broadcasts with talkSPORT
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“But also, I thought I wasn’t too bad-looking. At that time, I was told that you had to have a certain type of symmetry on a woman’s face, and I didn’t have that .
“It’s interesting that years later I found myself in a box with just my face…and it didn’t matter that one eyebrow was higher than the other!” »
Westwood plays a similar role with talkSPORT, giving live updates from the field and giving his opinion in the studio.
In August, she wrote an emotional farewell to Sky on Instagram, writing: “A bit like when I did my first match report, I didn’t want to make a fuss but I got SO many messages and questions about where I was. I’ll be in today, thought I might as well let you know.
“I unfortunately haven’t earned enough money to retire, but I’m retiring from Sky Sports & Soccer on Saturday.
“It’s been a phenomenal 22 and a half years and I’ve been a small part of making the channel the broadcast giant it is today. What a ride!
“Being Soccer Saturday’s first female match reporter is something I am immensely proud of and that can never be taken away from me.
“I’ve covered hundreds and hundreds of games, I’ve interviewed hundreds of players and managers.
As she left, Westwood explained her pride in being the first woman to serve as a reporter for a Soccer Saturday match.
His moving message said it had been a “phenomenal 22 and a half years” with Sky Sports
She teamed up with Jeff Stelling at talkSPORT after their years together as Sky colleagues.
“I watched hours and hours of football. Years of experience (I said what I said!) that will stay with me forever.
“For the most part, it’s been great. I’m grateful to you, the viewers, for watching the series over the years and for all your support.
“To those who I worked with and who played an important role in my life at Sky, you know who you are, thank you for the memories. Let’s move on to the next chapter. I’m delighted.
There was a huge summer exodus at Sky Sports as the broadcaster adopted cost-cutting measures.
Longtime Soccer Saturday mainstay Jeff Stelling left hosting the popular show after almost 30 years at the end of last season and is now with Westwood at talkSPORT.
Soccer AM duo John “Fenners” Fendley and Peter “Tubes” Dale also left the broadcaster as the long-running weekly comedy talk show ended after 29 years.
Other high-profile departures from Sky’s soccer team include that of popular commentator Martin Tyler and long-time Soccer Saturday stalwart Dickie Davis.