Hope was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and studied modern languages at Cambridge University. She speaks Portuguese, French and Spanish and began her journalism career in Buenos Aires, where she worked at the Argentina Independent. She presented the breakfast show on Capital FM with Roman Kemp for three years and now hosts three shows on BBC Radio 1, including the afternoon show with Jordan North. She has also presented TV shows such as Britain’s Best Young Artist, The Voice and Vick Hope’s Breakfast Show. Hope is a human rights activist and in 2020 became an ambassador for Amnesty International UK. She lives in north London with her fiancé, the Scottish DJ and music producer Calvin Harris.
I’m usually up by 6.30am, but if I’m presenting on breakfast TV — Morning Live on BBC1 or Good Morning Britain on ITV — then it’s 4.30am. I like to spring out of bed and often feel excited about the day ahead.
I have lemon and hot water to flush out my system. I try to get some sustenance in before I drink coffee so I don’t spike my cortisol too early. For breakfast I make a smoothie out of unpasteurised milk with two raw eggs and cacao or a shake with wild blueberries, cinnamon and maca, a root vegetable extract.
Before I leave the house I prepare a packed lunch of leftovers from the night before. Calvin and I like to cook green vegetables, sweet potatoes and eat quite a lot of beef, but only from grass-fed cows from good British farmers.
On TV days I do a face pack in the cab on the way to work and I use rollers to massage my face for a bit of lymphatic drainage, which helps to wake me up.
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Before the radio show each day we have a meeting to discuss ideas, but once we’re live it’s quite fast and loose. With Jordan [North] and the audience it feels like a family. It’s out of control, chaotic and hectic but a wonderful show.
Now that the days are getting longer and warmer I can walk home from work, which is lovely. On free evenings I go to the gym. I like strength conditioning, Pilates and exploring new dance classes, because I just love moving my body. I don’t care what I look like, and I’m not a talented dancer, but it feels great and gives you confidence. When I was on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 I was gutted I didn’t get to learn more dances, but when it came to technique I did find it quite restrictive.
I’ve always loved painting too. Calvin recently bought me a set of vibrant watercolours, so I’ve been taking them everywhere with me and painting flowers and birds, which makes me so happy.
We eat dinner pretty late, around 9.30pm, but we always make time to have a proper meal and to sit at the table and chat. Cooking something nutritious together without it feeling rushed is precious. I spent many years living on my own in a little flat in Hackney, east London. I loved it but I was constantly rushing out or eating in front of the telly. Now I’ve found a bit more of a rhythm and respect for how lovely that time can be.
We’re usually in bed by 11.30pm. I love to wind down by reading rather than being on my phone, which I make sure is on airplane mode from 10pm. I can sleep anywhere for whatever length of time I’m allotted and I’m generally out like a light.
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For years I damped down the fact that I was academic, that I love literature, because I thought that as a young presenter on music shows I had to be a certain way. Now I understand how important it is to be yourself.
I’ve still got lots of career goals but now I also have strong aspirations in my personal life. I want to have a life that is peaceful and happy, surrounded by loved ones, and make time for them. These things were never high on my list of priorities before, but they have taken over now. That’s more important than being on the telly all the time.
Hope presents Bookshelfie: The Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast and hosts Going Home with Vick and Jordan, Mon-Thu, on BBC Radio 1
Words of wisdom
Best advice I was given
My mum told me not to shave off all the hair on my legs, arms and eyebrows. Did I listen? Absolutely not
Advice I’d give
Have a hobby and volunteer. It’s enriching and gives you perspective
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What I wish I’d known
Keeping your options open is liberating
