Sian Williams: I'm a fan of Gogglebox but not pre-watershed swearing

What television have you been glued to recently?


Happy Valley. Sarah Lancashire managed to portray somebody who had depression in a way that I’ve not seen before. I was so impressed I sent fan mail.

What are the family favourites?

I allowed my five-year-old and seven-year-old to sit up and watch Britain’s Got Talent with me. They couldn’t watch all of it until the final when I relented because they really wanted to see it with us.

Have your four children introduced you to anything?

My big boys, who are 22 and 20, convinced me I’d enjoy Breaking Bad even though it’s about someone who sells drugs. My husband and I gorged on it.

What did you watch when you were young?


I wasn’t allowed to watch much TV. My dad was a print journalist and later a radio man, so in our house we tended to have the radio on. He was radio news and I was radio current affairs. Nobody ever knew that we were related because there are lots of Williamses.

Who was your first crush?

When I was 12, I went to see the Stranglers and fell in love with the bass player Jean-Jacques Burnel. It was my first gig.

Do you and your husband share similar tastes?

Except when he talks all over the news. He works for Amnesty International but used to be a current affairs producer, so he’ll be tutting about camera angles.

What makes you switch off ?

Swearing. I’m quite old-fashioned in that respect. I don’t like people to use inappropriate language before the watershed. Particularly the phrase “oh my God” because it can offend.

What is your guilty pleasure?

I’ve just got into Gogglebox. It’s such a great idea – why has it taken so long to turn the cameras round?

Who would you like to have round for dinner?


Members of the royal family whose views and opinions we don’t hear: Camilla, Kate, Harry...

As the new presenter of Sunday Morning Live, will you be discussing your religious beliefs?

I’m more interested in what other people say. That’s the reason for me doing this job and the reason I’m studying for a Masters in Psychology at the moment. Somebody said to me once: “If you’re talking, you’re not learning.”

How’s the thesis coming along?

I’m pulling my hair out trying to think like an academic and not like a journalist. I was told by one of my supervisors: “There may be no headlines, Sian. Science moves very, very slowly most of the time.” At which I cried: “There’s got to be a headline!”

Quickfire Q&A

Tennis or football? Rugby!

Radio 4 or Radio 2? I listen to both

Wallander or Fargo? Wallander

Jamie Oliver or Celebrity MasterChef? Celebrity MasterChef

Glyndebourne or Glastonbury? Glastonbury

See Sunday Morning Live at 10:00am on BBC1