Features / UWE Bristol
Gradute Spotlight: Angellica Bell
Fresh off her recent stint on Celebrity Big Brother, Angellica Bell reminisced about her time “living and studying in this great city”.
Addressing a packed room of graduates at the Bristol Beacon in July, moments after receiving an honorary doctorate, a proud Angellica explained: “It was a period which I can say with all my heart was truly fulfilling and life-affirming. I created lifelong bonds, constantly worked on building my confidence and importantly found my voice, which in hindsight was to lay the foundations for a career path which at that time I had no idea would be for me.”
Now a popular television and radio presenter, Angellica graduated from UWE in 1996 with a BA in politics. Soon after she became a reporter for Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast, which laid the foundations for her broadcasting career to come. By the early 2000s, Angellica was a prominent face on children’s television, and became a host on several CBBC shows including Short Change, 50/50, That’s Genius and The Saturday Show.
Angellica admitted that saying goodbye to her friends, lecturers and Bristol in 1996 filled her with “trepidation and fear. When my studies came to an end it was emotional for many reasons, as you can imagine. What was I meant to do now, what would my life look like and how was I going to survive?”
Dressed in their crisp graduation gowns and hats, many of those sitting inside Beacon Hall in July, listening to her speak, undoubtedly felt similar to how Angellica did almost 30 years ago. For them, Angellica had some words of wisdom.
She recalled: “I had no connections, no plan and no idea what would come next. (But) when I was young, in moments of doubt, I would resort to a quote coined by Roosevelt: ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself’. Mandela also taught us that a brave man is ‘not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear’.
“It was a constant battle for me. The fear of failure, the fear of the unknown – I’m not sure I managed to keep pressing forward – but, in those moments of doubt, I kept going even in the face of adversity.”
Her fearless nature, urge to embark on countless adventures and curiosity to learn have brought Angellica several career highlights, including spending five weeks in Arctic conditions while filming for ITV’s 71 Degrees North, sailing through the British Isles on a Volvo Ocean 65 racing yacht with the One Show and completing one of the most demanding sections of the Tour de France with only eight weeks of training.
“We’re proud to honour Angellica”, said Lynn Barlow, UWE’s assistant vice-chancellor for creative and cultural industries engagement, soon after the TV presenter was given her honorary degree.
“She is an accomplished alumna who exemplifies the values we hold dear at UWE Bristol: inclusion, inspiration and a commitment to societal impact. There is no doubt her achievements will continue to be an inspiration to the next generation of broadcasters.”
Main photo: UWE
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