Sian Welby has revealed she risked her steady job at New Look to travel to London for a £175 presenting gig that started her TV career.
The Capital Breakfast host, 37, made her debut on This Morning this week with bookies revealing her as the favourite to become Holly Willoughby’s replacement
In a recent interview on the Sliding Doors podcast, Sian said her big break happened when she filmed a brief magazine advert that caught the eye of Channel 5.
However, she faced the wrath of her boss when they realised she was not working her shift at the store in Newark.
Sian told host Jennie Becker: ‘If I hadn’t risked it, I wouldn’t have done the advert which was played on a loop in Channel 5’s offices and got me my big TV break.
Sian Welby has revealed she risked her steady job at New Look to travel to London for a £175 presenting gig that started her TV career
In an interview last month on the Sliding Doors podcast, Sian said her big break happened when she filmed a brief magazine advert that caught the eye of Channel 5
‘I couldn’t get anyone to do my full 8 to 6 shift so I went behind my boss’s back and got someone to do 8 to 12 and someone to do 12 to 6. There was obviously something in me that went “I’ve got to do this”
‘I was there since 8 but I hadn’t been used. At midday my phone rang and it’s the boss and I’m shaking because it’s not my character to be like “f**k I care too much, right?”
‘My boss was like where are you and I said don’t hate me but I’m in London and I’ve done an audition and I’m sorry she said, “What do you mean? Who’s going to lock up? You’ve put me in such a bad position.”
‘It gets to 5 and I think “they’re wrapping up at 5 I’m not going to be used”. But then I get the “Sian Welby, you’re next”.’
Sian said the advert was played around the Channel 5 building and she soon received a phone call asking her to come to be interviewed by the head of Channel 5.
‘At the end of the interview there was a movie moment where he said, “Sian, people keep giving you chances and I think we should as well”,’ she said.
Sian revealed she was given the job to present the weather forecast, despite having no previous experience.
After having an extensive training course at the Met Office, the TV host started adding her own flair to the forecast.
The channel is continuing to search for a replacement for Holly Willoughby who stepped down in October (Holly pictured on Sunday on Dancing On Ice)
The Capital Breakfast host made her debut on the ITV show this week alongside Dermot O’Leary
Sian hosts Capital Breakfast alongside Roman Kemp and is also a regular reporter for This Morning, with show bosses dubbing her a ‘rising star’
One went viral when she littered Star Wars names throughout the segment. It caught the attention of Heart Radio bosses and landed her job as a Heart FM host.
Elsewhere on the podcast, Sian admitted she can ‘feel on edge’ with nerves interviewing big Hollywood stars.
She said: ‘My aim is to try and play it as cool as I can deep down there’s so much stress and I’m such a perfectionist I see it like cramming for an exam every time I do one of those big junkets.
‘The only thing that is so tricky about these junkets you do with these movie stars is it’s like Notting Hill, you meet them in a hotel room and you always feel like the Hugh Grant character that’s totally fish out of water and that’s how I feel every time.
‘And because you’ve got something ridiculous like eight minutes with these people and when you walk in it’s already a weird environment where you almost walk in to what feels like a set.
‘If you get the questions a bit wrong or if you get the conversation flow a bit off or if you crack a joke they don’t find funny, you’ve sort of lost the room.
Then you’re clawing, you’re spending the rest of the time trying to claw them back going “oh, don’t judge me on that one question” or “I’m sorry for asking this”.
‘You’re trying to get that lovely balance and some people make it so easy like your Margot Robbie’s of the world who has always acted like she’s my mate.
‘Whereas you get other bigger actors that you’re maybe more intimidated by like your Harrison Ford’s of the world and it’s like having the headteacher sat in front of you.’
It comes as This Morning viewers have heaped praise on ‘professional and engaging’ Siân as she became the bookies favourite to permanently host the show.
Bookmakers have drafted up the odds for the next host with Coral now making the presenter odds-on at 1-2 to become Holly’s replacement.
Coral’s John Hill said: ‘Sian Welby has taken to The Morning sofa like a duck to water. We now make her odds-on to get the gig on a permanent basis.’
ITV bosses were said to be impressed with Sian after a number of appearances on the programme and have paired her with Dermot to anchor Monday to Thursday.
Sources at the network say that Sian is a ‘rising star’ and want to give her a chance to show if she can present the daytime show.
One told MailOnline: ‘Sian has many years of presenting experience under her belt, she is very much ear marked as being a star of the future.’
They continued: ‘She has done really well already on This Morning so the bosses thought it was time to give her the reins to the whole show rather than just segments.’
‘Viewers love a new, fresh face on the show so everyone involved in it is really excited.’
Sian hosts Capital Breakfast alongside Roman Kemp and is also a regular reporter for This Morning.
Alison Hammond and Dermot will continue to host their as usual Friday slot.
