Issue Number 20 | December 2023
order it has to be updated to the Edinburgh one too , and there have been instances of this not happening which just sounds like peak stress for poor Kelly-Ann and John ! Kelly-Ann explained that Andrew also has the final say in which stories make the programme and also who opens the show each day . We then went into the gallery , where the show is controlled from and where people speaking to the presenters , such as Emily , sit during the programme . It was wild to see the true behind the scenes of what the presenters hear in their ears when they are live . Keith , the director , shared the ins and outs of both his job and his story , Keith has had many eye surgeries which meant he ' s had a fair bit of time off , but he explained to us that STV were brilliant and that there was such a supportive team of people which you absolutely need when you are creating a show like this , especially with this added challenge . I never would ' ve believed that Keith is able to do such a visual job as the gallery is full of buttons and colours with his sight being affected in the way it is . Hearing Keith ’ s story was as equally inspiring as it was able to further illustrate that I could do my dream job , despite my disability . We then went into the studio , and I ’ ll never forget what that was like or the shiver of shock that went down my spine as I set foot in the studio for the first time . Kelly-Ann followed behind us into the studio and was SO ahead of the game by warning me of the wires on the floor and to be careful , she also before going into the gallery warned us of the darkness to make sure that was okay and we were comfortable with that and before we talked to anyone , regardless of who they were , she checked that we were comfortable talking to them . She was so attentive to my every need and was just genuinely such a brilliant tour guide and general wonderful human . I went up and sat at the desk used by the presenters when recording the programme . Knowing what happens at this desk , it felt like a dream sitting up there . My mum took out her phone to take pictures and Kelly- Ann , again being wonderful , took the phone from her to let her get into the photos with me . We took some pictures as a family and then we had Kelly-Ann get into photos with us too . Then I was shown how to work the autocue and Kelly-Ann demonstrated how to work it , using the autocue from the morning bulletin and she explained that for the morning , lunchtime and late news the presenters control the autocue by themselves and was told that in the studio at 6pm there actually isn ' t anyone in the studio with the presenters , not even cameramen . The presenters are completely alone , which Kelly-Ann described as feeling like “ you ’ re saying the news to yourself in your living room ” which just must be the weirdest sensation . It was totally bizarre knowing that the Scotland Tonight programme is also recorded in the same place and that the presenter doing the late bulletin can ' t leave until they go into a report as they are recorded in the same studio . Phillip Petrie , the STV weather presenter then came in to introduce himself to us and show us how the weather is done . So interesting as Phillip has to memorise his scripts and doesn ’ t have an autocue , just a map that in one part of the camera , where the autocue would be for the presenters , is back to front so the east is the west and vice versa . We all turned to each other , even Kelly-Ann and were like “ How on earth does he do that ?” After that mum and dad went to talk to Phillip and me and Kelly-Ann took five minutes during which the Poly pocket holding the emails that I had taken for Kelly-Ann to sign for me at some point , had fallen over and Kelly-Ann said “ What are these , your scripts for the Six ? Can I just go home
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