After a promising start in journalism, interviewing Jimi Hendrix and Yoko Ono in the same week, his ambitions receded only to be recruited to Radio Blackburn in 1978 to work on the music review show RPM.

BBC: Presenter profile: Steve Barker

Overall, the event was a big step up as we had gone from learning about journalism in the classroom to suddenly finding ourselves interviewing a top swimmer alongside our School Report mentor, BBC Scotland reporter Colin Wight.

BBC: 'Smiley Miley' sets her sights on another gold medal