24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
BBC Escape to the Country host makes TV history but says she had to 'prove herself' first
BBC Escape to the Country host makes TV history but says she had to 'prove herself' first
Nicki Shields was a familiar face as she hosted the BBC's Escape to the Country but now she's landed a prime role in motorsport
Presenter Nicki Shields has spoken out about the need to prove herself in her career, yet embraces this challenge as she continues to break ground.
Once a familiar face on Escape to The Country, she has since soared in the realm of motorsport. She has become a pioneering figure in the industry, embarking on her first year as the lead presenter for Formula E – a milestone marking her as the first woman to hold the position.
"I'm very proud of what we've done," Shields expressed her sentiments on making history in the sports broadcasting field. Besides her landmark role in Formula E, she recently lent her voice to the F1 Academy series, set for release on Netflix starting from Wednesday, May 28.
Nicki was a presenter on Escape to the Country
(Image: Getty )
Despite motorsports being traditionally dominated by men, Nicki has nonetheless made her way to the forefront. Opening up to the Mirror before the lauded Netflix series debuts, she discussed the pressures and scrutiny faced as one of the few women in her line of work at that time.
Nicki shared how she tackled those challenges: "I think, for me, I felt that maybe because I was a woman, I needed to know everything about the sport. So, I had to prove myself ten times over that I knew every fact and stat and could explain what was happening, and knew the history of the driver, of the race track, of the car, could explain the technology of the battery - everything.
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"So I did go into every race as if it was an exam and I think that kind of put me in good stead because then you get the respect from the audience that they may have been quick to judge otherwise."
And discussing the nature of social media scrutiny, she revealed that although she has "gotten away quite lightly", her strategy is to simply ignore it. "If someone has got the time and energy to say something negative about something I know was either a good broadcast, or was factually correct, or was my own opinion, then I just feel a little bit sorry for them.
"It's like, 'gosh, if that's what makes you happy, I feel a sadness for you'. So yeah, they get my sorrows and I wish them well."
Nicki with Andre Lotterer and Catie Munnings hosting Formula E
(Image: LAT Images for Formula E )
Nicki acknowledged the slow but ongoing increase of women in the sector, remarking: "So we've had girls on track, we've had dare to be different, the individual sports, the teams are trying to recruit more women. There's STEM, you know, getting science, technology, education and maths to more women.
"So, I think everyone is trying to push more women in these areas and it's all the accumulation of 10 or 15 years of hard work suddenly starting to pay off."
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She also promised fans that the new production will offer humour, personality, and a window into the "highs and the lows of motorsport", produced by the "trailblazer" Reese Witherspoon's company.
"Ultimately, it's hopefully going to captivate that new audience who will then want to watch the F1 Academy series as we get racing on track."
Escape to the Country is on BBC One weekdays at 3pm and on BBC iPlayer
