Gary Flintoff saw the University of Central Lancashire’s Broadcast Journalism course as the ideal way to get into radio and television as it came highly recommended within the industry.
Gary decided to come to the University of Central Lancashire to study Broadcast Journalism due to the course's great reputation. "The journalism courses in Preston were so highly rated, it was the obvious choice for anyone from the north. There is evidence everywhere throughout the industry that UCLan provides a great platform for success." Gary said.
After graduating in 1996, Gary began his career on the Fylde coast with Radio Wave before spending three years at Preston-based Red Rose Radio as a news and sport journalist. He then became head of news and sport at Tower FM in Bolton, before joining the BBC in 2001. "I loved my time in commercial radio, but I was fortunate to get a gig at BBC Radio Lancashire." Gary said.
During his time in Blackburn, Gary got the chance to go on attachment at BBC Radio 5 Live which kicked off his passion for radio.
In total, Flintoff spent three years working for BBC Radio Lancashire before moving on to BBC Radio Merseyside, where he commentated on Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League final and Liverpool and Everton in the FA Cup final over a period of seven years.
"The course at UCLan was the start of my career as it helped me to enter the industry. It was a great learning experience with access to some quality people from the industry."
— Gary Flintoff, Broadcast Journalism graduate
In 2011, when the BBC opened their new north England base at MediaCityUK in Salford, Gary was invited to join the 5 Live Sport team. He now works as a full-time outside Broadcast Football Producer across matches in the Champions League, the Premier League, and international football. He also produces every England men's and women's game on BBC Radio 5 Live in the World Cup and the Euros, and as part of his role, he regularly interviews the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
Gary’s career highlights include commentating and reporting on two UEFA Champions League finals and two FA Cup finals, as well as producing output from five Grand Nationals, five Cheltenham Gold Cups, two Olympic Games, and two World Cup finals. He’s also proud of achieving various Sony and ARIAS awards as part of the BBC Radio 5 Live team for best sports output and station of the year.
He reflects: "I have a wonderful job, and I work with many amazing people, but UCLan gave me the perfect platform to shine."
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- Course
Journalism, BA (Hons)
