FEATURE:
Modern-Day Queens
Clara Amfo
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BECAUSE the sensational…
Clara Amfo recently guested on BBC Radio 2 (in for Trevor Nelson), it made me think of her and what an amazing broadcaster she is. I have written about her before but, as it has been a while since I explored her work, I wanted to revisit that. I will come to mentioning a podcast she hosts with the amazing Munroe Bergdorf. One of my favourite broadcasters ever, this is why I am including her in this Modern-Day Queen. This incredible voice, role model and multitalented woman, there are few as amazing as Clara Amfo. I am going to come to some interviews with her from throughout the years. None are too old but, as there are precious few from this year, I am dipping back into the archives a bit. So we get a clearer picture and can see what Amfo has said and been involved wit at various stages in her career. Though she is still a broadcaster, perhaps she does not see that as her primary role at the moment. She is so busy and has quite a few irons in the fire. She is a podcast host. She has her own Barbie doll. That is a major breakthrough, and something that I did not know! Looking at her Instagram, and you can see everything she has been involved in. From speaking with actors on the red carpet at the BAFTAs, to being V&A East Ambassador and discussing East London and her relationship to the green spaces in that part of the capital, I am in awe of Amfo! I did want to swerve things back to the podcasting and music side of things. So I do not divert too far from what I do and what my blog is about. However, I do feel that Amfo should get another permanent broadcasting gig. Might there be room, at BBC Radio 6 Music? I see that more of a home for her rather than BBC Radio 2. Not to be insulting to BBC Radio 2 but, in terms of Amfo’s music tastes and the freedom she would have, I see BBC Radio 6 Music as a better fit. Though she might have different ideas!
Prior to coming to 2026, there is an interview from 2024 and one from 2025 I want to source first. Clara Amfo started her broadcasting career as a marketing intern at Kiss FM. She joined BBC Radio 1Xtra and then BBC Radio 1 in 2015. She has also presented Top of the Pops and coverage of Glastonbury and the BRIT Awards. Since is a presenter on The One Show. I did want to lead off with an in-depth interview with Time Out from 2024. After a decade on the BBC airwaves – little did she know this would not be the end of her presenting on BBC radio – Clara Amfo was embarking on new projects. One of our most respected and talented people has this incredible background. I feel she is doing so much good, and everything she turns her hand to is pure gold:
“Growing up in Kingston upon Thames, Amfo was part of a large family with five siblings (four of them brothers). Both parents from Ghana, her dad was a microbiologist and her mum is a retired hospital cleaner. Her earliest memories of the Big Smoke come from tracking down Ghanaian goodies like Shito – a ‘very hot but essential’ condiment – as well as Maggi cubes, fish and crab with her mum. ‘Pretty much every weekend as kids was spent outside of Kingston, because my mum would drag us around Brixton market and Tooting Broadway market,’ Amfo says. ‘That’s where we would always go and get Ghanaian ingredients. They’ll always be sentimental places for me.’
Growing up, Amfo would listen to the radio in her bedroom and pretend to be a presenter – so it was only natural for her to be drawn to the capital’s thriving music scene. ‘Club culture changed my life,’ she says. ‘I remember the first time I went to fabric, I was just like: ‘‘yeah’’. I belong here.’ Other fond memories come from after-dark spots like Plastic People – the influential Shoreditch club that was an early adopter of dubstep – and 93 Feet East on Brick Lane. ‘All those spaces were so pivotal to me, [in terms of] the music I got into and meeting some of my best friends for life,’ she says. ‘Any chance I could get, I was on the train, on the bus. I just needed to be outside and in it. I've definitely fallen asleep on the night bus a few times – you haven’t lived until you’ve got the night bus.’
Some of Amfo’s best (and haziest) late-night memories come from Benji B’s legendary party Deviation at Shoreditch club The Gramaphone, circa 2010. ‘One of the first times I went to Deviation, honestly, I was like, great: I’ve found my people,’ she says. ‘And YoYo at Notting Hill Arts Club! Oh my God.’ Her eyes light up, suddenly remembering the bass and hip-hop party that ran at the west London club until 2012. ‘Everyone’s got a YoYo story, it was incredible. Artists would go there to just hang – people like Pharell, Mark Ronson. Lots of incredible artists would pass through.’
PHOTO CREDIT: Jess Hand
These days, she takes a quality over quantity approach to nights out. ‘Even though I’m quite a gregarious person, the pandemic made me go a bit more introverted,’ she says. But Amfo is very much still out and about. ‘It seems like this year more than ever, people are like, ‘‘okay, I’m up for it. Inject me into life. I want to have fun’’.’ As for her personal party rituals? ‘I’m definitely more about the afters rather than the pres,’ she says. ‘I’m not really a pregame girly. If the party’s good, I’ll stay out until three or four.’ (Her current favourite party spot is Moko in Tottenham).
Despite her excitement for 2024 festival season – she’s most looking forward to All Points East in London – Amfo acknowledges it’s not been an easy time for the music entertainment industry. ‘Anytime there is any sort of global issue or financial crisis, the irony is never lost on me that the first place cuts are made is in art spaces,’ she says. ‘I find that really jarring. These are the first places we run to when we need respite from all the shady things happening in the world.’
Since the pandemic, more than 3,000 clubs, gig venues and late night spaces have shut down in London. It’s not a happy sight for someone who made their name by going out and discovering new music. ‘Nightclubs and gig spaces are essential,’ says Amfo. ‘The government needs to take that more seriously. Going out is not a frivolous thing. There needs to be more done to support creative people, because they create the culture that elected officials want to show off about.’
In March, Amfo decided it was time to pass on the Future Sounds baton so she could focus on other interests (she’s bursting with them). Last month saw the launch of her new TV show, ITV Studio Sessions: a Top Of The Pops style programme with live performances and interviews with of-the-moment artists like Cat Burns, Becky Hill and Yungblud. ‘I still believe in music telly,’ Amfo grins. ‘I’m as addicted to TikTok as the next person, but I still love watching performance TV.’
PHOTO CREDIT: Jess Hand
She’s also been cooking up a new BBC Sounds podcast, set to launch on June 25. ‘Make Me a Mixtape’ will see Amfo go head-to-head with her friend – the actor, presenter and former Rizzle Kicks member Jordan Stephens – to compete to make the perfect playlist under a theme chosen by the listeners. ‘I only like to work with people that I rate professionally and personally,’ Amfo says. ‘And Jordan is incredibly bright. He’s really funny.’
It’s Amfo’s love for storytelling – through clothes, music and radio call-ins – that has helped cement her as one of the best broadcasters around today. Much of her affability comes from her dedication to championing pop (her last played song on Spotify was the relentlessly catchy ‘Espresso’ by Sabrina Carpenter). To listen to Clara Amfo is to know that liking pop music is cool and scoffing at it will get you nowhere – and it’s perhaps why some of the biggest pop stars on the planet want to talk to her (Billie Eilish personally requested Amfo to interview her in her BBC documentary, for example).
‘I’ve always done my own thing,’ Amfo says, speaking with a self-assuredness but also a deep gratitude for getting to do a job she loves deeply. ‘There’s a very particular way of playing the game in my industry, but I’ve always chosen not not to do it. I could be a lot more bait if I wanted to.’ It’s not always been an easy road: she notes how she still has to deal with sexism and colourism in the industry on the regular. ‘That’s a constant, to be honest,’ she says. ‘I’ve always known where I belonged and I often think that I should be in this room because I earned it. But it’s been other people’s problem with me being in certain spaces that I’ve had to deal with. People have wanted me to feel like an impostor”.
It may seem unconnected to broadcasting or her work, but I did want to source The Times and their interview from last year. It revolves around money, but not in a shallow and empty way. If some of the questions seem quite direct or personal, we do get some insight. In terms of Amfo’s relationship with money. Her life now very different to what she experienced growing up. She can see how far she has come, but she has not sight of her roots and the importance of family:
“How much did you earn last year?
All you need to know is that I’m paying my tax on time. I pay my mortgage on time, and I’m feeling good. I’ve got quite a few strings to my bow, including broadcasting — I’m presenting The One Show, hosting premieres like the Wicked: For Good one this week, doing my podcast and commercial campaigns, including one with Google. So my income is split fairly evenly between all those. And although people might think I’d be happy to sit for free on the One Show sofa with Roman Kemp, Ronan Keating, Alex Jones, Vernon Kay and the whole gang, I am paid to be there. I think Brits are still quite sheepish about discussing exact salaries, but let’s just say I’m certainly earning more than in my first retail job, when I got about seven quid an hour.
Are you better off than your parents?
I’d say so, yes. My mum was a secretary in Ghana then a dinner lady and a cleaner in the UK, and my dad, who died ten years ago, was a microbiologist. I’ve been lucky enough to do some amazing things in my career but what’s given me most pleasure is paying off my parents’ mortgage. That’s one of my proudest achievements.
What would you do if you won the lottery?
I wouldn’t tell a damn person. I wouldn’t tell anybody. I would definitely give some to grassroots charity projects, then I’d get all my girls together and go on an amazing week-long, everything-covered retreat, vibe, party. I’d then build my house in Ghana and buy a brownstone in New York and throw a dinner party, and Dua Lipa would be the first name on the invite list. Out of all the people I’ve ever interviewed, that woman knows how to live. She is so much fun.
Do you support any charities?
Bloody Good Period is a charity I’m really passionate about supporting. There are people who are having to choose between heating their homes or buying period products and we need to address that inequality
What is the most important lesson you’ve learnt about money?
Save it wisely but enjoy it wisely too. Of course there will be rainy days, but if you are lucky enough to be in a position where you’ve got a little bit left over to enjoy, then really savour that. What’s the point in working if not to enjoy it”.
In terms of Clara Amfo doing so much good in different fields, it brings me to this interview from the start of this year from The i Paper. It coincided with her being “the face of a new campaign by Odeon cinemas, in support of the mental health charity Mind, arguing that the cinema can provide a little “Big Screen Therapy” to help take the edge off the midwinter funk”.
“When she quit Radio 1 last year (later beginning to host ITV’s Studio Sessions), media reports suggested that Amfo’s struggle with depression drove her departure. But today she tells me that isn’t really the case.
“I did an interview with my mate in July of last year,” she says, and a mention of depression “got blown up into a huge headline, which I found extremely frustrating, I can’t lie. It got completely sensationalised and that ground my gears”. She exhales. “Depression is something I have experienced and there is no shame in that. But it isn’t my defining thing. I have friends who have dealt with clinical depression in ways that I have not…” She wants to put her own “dark moments” in a context that is “respectful to them”.
One of five children born in London, to Ghanaian parents, Amfo says her favourite childhood films were Sister Act II and The Lion King. “The Lion King was a much harder watch for me after my dad died in 2015,” she says. But she also recalls how her dad – who “absolutely loved Denzel Washington, who was refined, measured, and principled like him” – would rent Sister Act II for her. Some of the appeal was “about representation”.
“Seeing Whoopi Goldberg and Lauryn Hill together on screen was really powerful,” she recalls. “Two beautiful, dark-skinned, black women. Colourism is still very prevalent in our society, within my community for sure. Seeing Whoopi and Lauryn lead that movie made me feel good about myself.” Having “met so many of my heroes in my job”, she expected to be able to keep things professional when she met Hill. “But when I met Lauryn I just sobbed on her: I told her I had seen everything she has done and how grateful I am and… wahhhh!” She pantomimes the tears for comic effect.
After studying media arts at St Mary’s University College, Amfo began her career as a marketing intern for Kiss FM before joining BBC Radio 1Xtra as host of the weekend breakfast show in 2013, and beginning to host MTV’s Official UK Top 40 the same year. Soon, she took over from Fearne Cotton hosting Radio 1’s mid-morning show and hit the headlines in 2020 for making a powerful speech on air about the murder of George Floyd, racism and the effect on her own mental health.
Living and processing her emotions so publicly meant Amfo has always enjoyed the privacy of the cinema. “I love the darkness of the cinema, and I do love the anonymity it offers. One of my favourite things is choosing where to sit,” she explains. “I’m definitely a last-three-rows type of girl. I usually go for a corner so I’m not stepping over people or having people step over me, but I guess that’s sort of inevitable, isn’t it?”
She loves “the feeling of everyone being together, submerged in darkness, with a quiet understanding of the rules: like, don’t talk too loudly, eat your food responsibly” – she’s a chocolate buttons and sweet’n’salty popcorn fan, but doesn’t care for fizzy sweets – “and react appropriately to the film”.
Amfo would urge anybody battling a low social battery to try going to the cinema alone. She notes that the “pressure” to enjoy ourselves in groups begins “the minute you start school. You come home and your mum asks: ‘Did you make any friends?’ Then you get a job and you want to be invited to after-work drinks…” she shakes her head. “But when you make that first adult decision: ‘You know what, I’m doing something by myself,’ it feels quite a nice milestone.”
When did Amfo first start going to the cinema alone? “Probably when I was about 26, 27,” she says. “I’m a super social person – I love to be in community. But I also really cherish my alone time. I’m also quite impatient and I don’t always want to co-ordinate all my friends. I’ve never regretted going to see a film alone. You’re watching with your own eyes, ears, biases. You’re not having to confer with somebody else. Then you might have that lovely little moment of interaction with a stranger on your way out. You might never see that person again but it’s a cute little exchange, a connection.”
Amfo also hymns the buzz you get during “culture-shifting” event films such as 2017 horror-mystery Get Out, in which a young black man discovers shocking secrets when he meets the family of his white girlfriend. “I remember walking out and the cinema was buzzing with debate,” she recalls. “People couldn’t wait to discuss it – they were laughing together, screaming together, shouting. In my circle of friends, people say things like, ‘That person’s in the Sunken Place now’, and everyone instantly knows what it means because they’ve watched Get Out”.
Even though Clara Amfo has not spent her entire life in London, it is clear that the city is so important to her. I did want to get a more precise interview regarding her favourite spots in London. In February, Broadsheet spent time with Amfo and we discover some of her London favourites. It once more gives us a window into her heart and soul. Her loves and passions. Or where she loves to hang out in London. All very important to who she is. A massive film fan, I can see her hosting the BAFTAs soon enough. Or presenting a film podcast, perhaps:
“Hi Clara. What’s your favourite cinema in London?
I do love an Everyman – the Broadgate and Belsize Park are my faves. I love the announcement staff do before every film. I always make sure to give them encouraging applause because it’s quite nerve-wracking!
What’s the essential play, TV show, song, book or film about London?
I will always have a soft spot for Zadie Smith’s White Teeth. I’ve told her this a few times, she’s always so warm and polite, I’m sure she’s bored of me now!
If you want to impress someone, where would you take them?
The Royal Academy. It’s a beautiful space and is always filled with great conversation-starters.
Where do you go for coffee or tea?
Suba bakery: lovely pastries washed down with deliciously roasted coffee.
What are your favourite shops around London? Any good finds recently?
My current favourite shops for clothes in London are End and Nordic Poetry. I also love Sounds of the Universe record shop. I’m trying to limit my visits to Hummingbird Bakery; the red velvet cake has me in a chokehold”.
Two more interviews to get to before wrapping up. Marie Claire caught up with this infectious and hugely energetic person. Clara Amfo radiating this joy and positive energy. A reason, as they write, why she was tapped up to join her mate Jessie Ware “to show off the benefits of their loyalty programme, OVO Beyond, which rewards customers—like a spot at an intimate Jessie Ware gig—for making greener choices”:
“How have your music tastes developed and been shaped by the different cultures that you’ve been exposed to?
I’ve never been a person who said, “I don’t like this genre of music”. I don't believe in speaking in absolutes about genres of music because I truly believe you can find at least one song you like within a genre of music, even if you don’t like most of it. I have pretty eclectic taste, and I attribute a lot of that to my older brothers. I can’t imagine being one of those people who only listen to one type of music—that's sad for me. You're selling yourself short of some really great experiences.
What role do you think music plays in addressing social and cultural issues?
I’m going to paraphrase her terribly, so I hope she doesn’t roll in her grave too much, but Nina Simone says it’s an artist’s duty to reflect the times—or something to that effect—and I believe that. I’m not saying every artist has to be an activist, and not every artist wants to be an activist—and that’s OK—but I do think there is a responsibility with having a platform.
What’s your favourite way to experience culture?
I love a trip to a gallery, ideally on my own or with one friend—never more than groups of two. I love the cinema—open-air cinemas where possible—I think it’s a really fun communal experience, even though people can be annoying cos I swear, I’m always sat by the people that get up 50,000 times or eat the loudest.
You worked with your mate Jessie Ware on OVO’s campaign to encourage people to be greener—how do you think music can inspire people to live more sustainably?
I think music can inspire people to be greener. We’re not trying to be sanctimonious out here, but small steps make big leaps. Everyone is trying to do their best, and there are some things people can’t avoid doing that aren’t the most green, so I think it’s about having an awareness; whether that’s switching your light bulbs or having a smart metre.
Are there any experiences you’ve had while travelling that have changed your perspective on a culture or a social issue?
As a West African person, it’s something I’ve always known, but I think I would always encourage people to not believe—or to not buy into—the perspective of a continent. One of my biggest pet peeves is people who describe Africa as a country, not a continent; there are lots of different countries in there.
I think through things that we’ve seen, even though the intentions can be good—like via certain charity things—people have got a very limited view of what the continent of Africa has to offer”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Clara Amfo and Jessie Ware at an exclusive gig for OVO Beyond customers/PHOTO CREDIT: Ron Timehin
I am going to end with ELLE and their interview from June. Clara Amfo and Munroe Bergdorf in conversation to discuss their friendship and their podcast, Clara & Munroe Are Into It:
“Clara Amfo: I feel like I first met you at a Pussy Palace club night. I have this distinct memory of you in a little pink two-piece with blonde braids.
Munroe Bergdorf: Yes. I remember meeting you. It was in that club on the strip in Dalston. I knew of you because of Radio 1. And we had this appreciation for what each other were doing.
Clara: Let’s see when we first followed each other on Instagram. March 2017.
Munroe: Oh my God. Nearly a decade.
Clara: Time flies. I always thought you were very fearless and very fun and very free. Obviously, knowing you how I know you now, there are levels to that, because yes, you were fun and fearless and free, but you also had to fight a lot. There wasn’t a week where you weren’t dealing with some bullshit, whether it was right-wing press, some hateful idiot on the internet, or people who were committed to misunderstanding you for ratings and clicks. Even talking about it is stressful, and that’s just as your mate. I remember being very impressed with your self-expression and the way you handled yourself in very public forms.
Munroe: Thank you. I feel the same about you, though obviously from a very different pathway into being who you are today. I’ve always been so impressed and inspired by you. You have a truth that you carry with yourself in a way that feels authentic. Every single room you go into, you carry Clara into it. That’s something I’ve always had to work at. I’ve always felt an unease about taking up space, and you really own every room you walk into. Whether it’s radio, hosting Glastonbury, hosting a red carpet in Leicester Square, or doing a brand job, you’re so versatile. But every thing you do, you bring your energy to it. I’ve often thought, maybe I should change myself to fit into this space. But seeing you refuse to do that over the years has been so inspiring to me.
Clara: Oh, babe. It’s so interesting how we perceive ourselves, isn’t it? Because I think you are always totally yourself.
Munroe: I think a big part of it comes from the fact that a lot of my medical transition was in the public eye. When your appearance is changing, people view that as so much more than appearance. They perceive you changing as a person. Holding on to that sense of self when people see you in a different way is difficult. Being around people who are firm in what they believe in, who they want to be and who they are, has been invaluable to me.
Clara: We’ve been planning this podcast for six months now... For me, I had podcast fatigue for a long time. I’ve always chatted, that’s what I do, but the podcast space got noisy. It felt like it had become the new brand extension. So I ducked out for a bit. But then I found myself listening to podcasts or talking to mates and thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve got something to say about that.’ And I realised it was calling me back. And then I thought: who do I actually enjoy talking about this kind of stuff with? Munroe.
Munroe: What listeners can expect is a mixed bag, honestly. In the first episode, we’re unpacking the Kylie documentary on Netflix, and Clara has this interesting perspective because she hosted the premiere event with Kylie and the directors, and I attended it too. So, we go from the event to watching the whole thing and then unpacking it. We talk about Kylie’s impact on our lives, female sexuality, Olivia Rodrigo and the internet discourse around the babydoll dress, and how we consume the image of female pop stars. Every week, we also talk about what we’re into and what we’re over. It’s fun.
Clara: I think what makes it exciting is that we both have particular vantage points. There are times when things happen in pop culture, especially British pop culture, and I see the discourse online of people saying, ‘She blatantly did this’ and I think, ‘babes, you have no idea’.
Munroe: On a personal note, I’m really excited to do something that has absolutely nothing to do with identity. Identity is important, and it’s not something we’ll never speak about. What we care about and believe in will always be part of us. But it speaks volumes for me to be a trans person in this industry with an opportunity to do something that has nothing to do with my gender identity, especially at this time, when there really isn’t a trans person in the UK industry being able to do something that isn’t centered on being trans. That feels good to me.
Clara: I like that we’re balancing serious topics with joy. I remember at the start of the year, I was going through something and felt the need to get publicly chatty about it. You said to me, ‘You don’t have to be a martyr for everything. You can still do the work behind the scenes.’ That really stayed with me. I’m not afraid of serious topics in the slightest, but I also love frivolous fun. That’s the joy of life. It’s a privilege to be able to do fab, crazy, wild, joyous things, while also talking about the realities of existing in the UK across race, class, gender politics - all of it. That balance is vital, otherwise you would possibly lose the plot.
Munroe: For sure. There is just so much going on. It does feel privileged to say ‘choose your battles’, because there are places in the world where people don’t have that luxury. But spreading yourself thin across absolutely everything is like screaming at the sea. There is so much pain out there, and attention cannot be sustainably given to absolutely every single topic. With this project, we don’t want to shy away from the issues happening in the world, but we also want to offer joy. This is a chat between friends, with the occasional guest friend coming on as well. We want people to come in on it, continue the conversation in the comments, and not feel like they are apart from it”.
I did want to show my respect and affection for Clara Amfo. Such a wildly talented, passionate and inspiring woman, from podcasts to documentaries to charity work and broadcasting, she is one of the jewels in our cultural crown! I do think that she will go from strength to strength in terms of opportunities. Maybe a fuller role in broadcasting on a new station or hosting an award ceremony. Even more podcast work and new documentaries. Brand collaboration and, who knows, rolling out a series of listening bars around Africa. If you do not follow her already, then make sure that you connect with…
THIS incredible queen.
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