BFBS reporter, Jess Bracey, has been shortlisted for WeAreTheCity’s top 100 Rising Star Awards 2017 in the defence category…
These awards are the first to focus on the UK’s female talent pipeline below management level and celebrate female individual contributors that represent the leaders and role models of tomorrow.
Jess Bracey currently presents the BFBS Ops Breakfast Show in Cyprus, broadcasting worldwide to the forces in Afghanistan. Iraq, Cyprus, Brunei, Germany, Gibraltar, Nairobi and the Falklands just to name a few. She states: “To be shortlisted against nine other driven and inspirational women across the defense sector from the RAF, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Royal Navy and organisations that assist with the day to day clockwork of the military is a huge honour.
"Presenting the Ops Breakfast Show is a great opportunity to share the stories of those across the forces world and also be the link between home, operations and deployments. To be recognised for the WeAreTheCity Rising Star Awards highlights the work that we do at BFBS keeping the forces informed, entertained and maintaining morale at home and away.”
Jess started out in radio at Bournemouth University where she was studying journalism and joined the student radio station Nerve FM. From there she presented a special breakfast show with Phill Jupitus and in her final year took the helm as the first student station manager.
Over the years she has worked with community radio and BBC Radio Gloucestershire, before finally finding her perfect fit with BFBS – a place she feels at home, as many of her family have served in the armed forces.
Now permanently based with BFBS Cyprus, Jess is embracing everything military life has to offer at the heart of one the RAF’s busiest military base, as well as undertaking a number of hard-hitting interviews; with the family of those who died in Cyclone Winstone in Fiji, Army Medical Services dealing with Ebola and war photographer Don McCullin about his experiences on the frontline.
Nicky Ness, Director of Forces Broadcasting and Entertainment said: “Jess is an excellent fit for Forces Radio BFBS. Her energy, passion for the audience and sheer determination to do her best every day to support them makes her a standout example of the epitome of a Forces broadcaster. From serious reporting to raising morale through her daily entertainment based programme, Jess is an excellent all-rounder and completely dedicated to professional excellence. We’re very lucky to have her as part of the team, extremely proud of her achievements to date and of her very well deserved nomination.”
The shortlist will now be judged by a set of expert judges, and the winners will be announced on 19th June 2017.