10 MINUTES WITH... HANNAH VAUGHAN JONES
On a Monday evening, we naughtily opened a chilled bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon to take 10 minutes to chat with...
THE WONDER WOMAN THAT IS HANNAH VAUGHAN JONES...
Hannah was born and raised in Bristol but is now proudly Welsh by marriage. Hannah is a journalist, broadcaster, writer and host. She has historically worked for Sky News and her more recent work as a CNN news anchor, earnt her an Emmy nomination for coverage of the Manchester bombing that took place at the Ariana Grande concert in May 2017. Her career has seen her cover General Elections, referenda, State visits and royal ceremonial affairs including Harry & Megan's wedding in 2018, live from Windsor.
She was also live on air the day after the Brexit vote took place, the day David Cameron stepped down as British Prime Minister, In 2019 she gained rare access to our current British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, hosting the Conservative's leadership hustings. At the time, the then-candidate Johnson, faced regular one-on-one interviews with Hannah as he vied for victory.
Hannah is also an experienced host and moderator. Her regular clients include The World Health Organisation, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The PRI. In 2018 she single handedly hosted the Malaria Summit in London, attended by HRHs Prince of Wales & Duke of York, Bill Gates and fifteen Heads of State across the Commonwealth. Just weeks later she hosted the opening session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, at the personal invitation of the Director General WHO.
Hannah lives in South West London and is married to BBC News correspondent Lewis Vaughan Jones. Over recent years she has been a huge fertility advocate, writing and speaking about her journey in the press, along with producing the widely watched YouTube series 'Our IVF Diary'. Hannah and Lewis underwent 15 rounds of IVF before transferring their very last embryo which had an extremely low probability of success. That transfer resulted in their gorgeous son, Sonny, who came along in December 2019 and joined Hannah, Lewis and their dog, Barry John, to create their much longed for family.
SO LET'S CHAT...
AK - How did you get into the world of journalism?
HVJ - I studied politics as an undergraduate at Nottingham University and then studied for a postgraduate diploma in Broadcast Journalism in Cardiff. I've always loved writing and performing and am naturally inquisitive, so becoming a TV hack seemed a natural fit!
AK - You've had rare access to some really powerful people, Boris Johnson & Bill Gates, to name just two, do you ever find yourself intimidated & how do you cope if you feel out of your comfort zone?
HVJ - I’m inspired by journalists I’ve been privileged to work with such as Alex Crawford, Clarissa Ward and Christiane Amanpour. But mostly, I’m inspired by the women closest to me... my friends. I’m lucky to be surrounded by strong, brilliant, brave, successful women. And success means something different to everyone. From the stay at home parents to the corporate executives and every blend in betwee, I’m very lucky to have the best friends a girl could hope for.
AK - You've been through such a challenging time trying to conceive, how did you keep going with such resilience & faith?
HVJ - Well, my husband’s pretty cool too! He kept me sane and (relatively) calm through all the pain and trauma. I definitely built up my resilience as the rounds of back-to-back treatment mounted up. I don’t think anyone’s born with a fixed amount of resilience... it’s a muscle you need to work on. Plus, I was stubbornly determined to get what I wanted in life. Ultimately, I realised that what I wanted was a family and the surety of knowing that was within my control (one way or another) helped me to keep going.
AK - Having achieved so much already, are there any goals left for you to hit that you’ve set?... other than a book about your life as surely there is one there to be written!?
HVJ - Life’s been on hold for a long time so my goal after Sonny was born was just to live in the present and enjoy the here and now. A global pandemic has helped put everything into real perspective too! Being a mother means the world to me but I still have professional goals. I’m not sure about the book... that’s definitely on hold for the time being while I try not to look backwards too much and instead focus on the future. But, I do want to build my portfolio career with lots of different strings to my bow. I’m optimistic and feeling very positive about what opportunities are in store for me!
AK - What 3 words or phrase do you live by?
Be kind, always
AK - Of all your career achievements which is the most memorable and why?
HVJ - 2017 was a memorable year for me - professionally I was incredibly busy and challenged, but the subject matter was awful. It was a year of terrorism in the U.K. The Westminster Bridge attack, London Bridge attack, Finsbury Park attack and the Manchester concert attack for which I was nominated for an Emmy along with my CNN colleagues. Throw into the mix a General Election and the continued Brexit fallout and I had never been busier. Personally though, my world was in freefall. I’m very proud to have got through that year all while enduring at least four failed rounds of IVF. Some people might think it’s strange to label this as an achievement. But, it’s amazing, with the benefit of hindsight, to recognise the things that I not only survived but thrived through.
AK - What's your daily routine?
HVJ - Daily routine right now as a mum is 6/7am wake up, out for a walk by 9am, Sonny has lunch around 11.30am then he (hopefully!) naps from around 12.30pm. We usually hit the park/swings/river for some fresh air in the afternoon before dinner at 5.30pm, bath around 6pm and bed by 7pm. At that point I usually pour a glass of wine and cook/breathe/answer a billion emails before crawling into bed around 9pm. Nowadays, I’m trying to factor some work and/or exercise into my day so I try to balance that with Lewis’ work so that he can be with Sonny.
AK - Hectic days and nights...what do you do for self-care?
HVJ - Crossfit, swimming and singing... I’ve just been accepted into an online musical production so I’m looking forward to singing something other than nursery rhymes and Calon lân (if you’re Welsh, you know!).
AK - Where is your favourite travel destination?
HVJ - My sister-in-law lives in the south of France and that’s where we got married. It is a home from home and it’s the only place I always want to get away to when I have that “I need a holiday” moment! Over the years I’ve travelled further afield, but for now family and France will do very nicely.
AK - Which books do I need to read on my next holiday?
HVJ - Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo and anything by Hilary Mantel.
AK - What have you learnt from 2020?
HVJ - That your home should be your sanctuary and a south facing garden is a must!
AK - And finally, what's your favourite piece in our collection?
HVJ - I love the whole collection but if I had to choose, I would say it would be an everyday easy wear coin like the Harmonia and the Mimosa turquoise earrings are just gorgeous.
AK: Thanks for speaking to us Hannah. You're a beautiful, awe inspiring force of a lady who we are delighted to have as our first guest on 10 Minutes With...For more on Hannah visit the links below & keep an eye out for our next guest.
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