TRENDEERNEWS

BEHIND THE NEWSROOM

Five voices.
Five different stories.

Meet the characters behind the headlines, the questions and the conversations.

James, Emma, Jen, Leroy and Bella are Trendeer’s virtual presenters. Their biographies, career journeys and family scenes below are fictional backstories, created to bring a continuing cast of characters to the newsroom.

James portrait

World news · Roundtable moderator

James

The researcher who found his voice

James grew up in Bristol with a railway-engineer father and a history-teacher mother. The evening news was followed by a discussion: his mother encouraged him to question the first explanation, while his father insisted a good answer should make sense outside the subject.

After studying history and international relations, he joined a regional newsroom as a researcher. He checked dates, prepared interview notes and turned complicated events into briefings for other people to present. His first appearance on air came when a correspondent became unavailable. He knew the story because he had researched it. His delivery was slightly stiff, but his explanation was clear.

Current-affairs production and presenting followed. At Trendeer, James brings structure to world news and the roundtable: what is known, what remains uncertain and which question deserves attention next.

Life beyond the newsroom

James is married to Rachel, an architect. They have a teenage daughter, Sophie, and a younger son, Oliver. He enjoys old maps, long walks and ambitious Sunday lunches. His family says he can turn a holiday discussion into a research project.

A different perspective

James likes to understand a story thoroughly before speaking. Presenting taught him that clarity sometimes means acknowledging what is still unknown.

“Before we get to what might happen next, let’s be clear about what we actually know.”
Career at a glance
Education
History and international relations
Early career
Regional newsroom researcher and production assistant
Progression
Current-affairs producer, occasional correspondent and bulletin presenter
Interests
International affairs, public institutions and historical context
Trendeer desk
World news and roundtable moderation
Back to the team ↑
James in a fictional family scene at home
Off air with James · A scene from the character’s fictional family life.
Emma portrait

World news · Audience perspective

Emma

The community reporter with the practical question

Emma grew up in Cardiff, the older of two sisters. Her mother worked in community healthcare and her father ran a small printing business. Both introduced her to people whose experiences rarely made national headlines.

She studied journalism and began at a local newspaper, reporting on council meetings, schools, small businesses and community campaigns. Radio followed. Emma liked interviews that felt like conversations, and often found her best question in something a guest had almost said in passing.

She moved into regional television and news presenting without losing that community perspective. At Trendeer, she asks how a large story changes people’s practical choices. Alongside James, she brings a position of her own, a reason for it and room for another view.

Life beyond the newsroom

Emma is married to Daniel, a landscape designer, and they have a school-age son, Theo. Her younger sister Lucy is a librarian and regular bookshop companion. Emma loves novels, coastal walks and cooking meals that somehow use every pan in the kitchen.

A different perspective

Emma values empathy, but dislikes an emotional anecdote taking the place of evidence. She tries to bring both into the conversation.

“I understand the argument. What I want to know is how that works for the person living with the consequences.”
Career at a glance
Education
Journalism and media studies
Early career
Local newspaper reporter
Progression
Community radio interviewer, regional television reporter and news anchor
Interests
Public services, communities and the everyday effects of major events
Trendeer desk
World news and roundtable discussion
Back to the team ↑
Emma in a fictional family scene at home
Off air with Emma · A scene from the character’s fictional family life.
Jen portrait

Business · Markets

Jen

The analyst who preferred explaining the numbers

Jen grew up in Manchester above her parents’ small homewares shop. She watched them negotiate with suppliers, manage quiet months and decide when an opportunity was worth the risk. Business began with people making difficult choices with limited information.

After studying economics and finance, she joined a commercial research team. She enjoyed finding the story in company accounts and industry data, but became frustrated when a neat forecast concealed uncertain assumptions. Colleagues asked her to present their findings because she could explain them without relying on jargon.

Internal briefings led to business journalism and market summaries. At Trendeer, Jen connects business headlines with the world-market picture and trading activity, while taking care not to assume that a headline caused a particular price movement.

Life beyond the newsroom

Jen is married to Sam, a product designer, and they have a daughter, Maya. Her parents have retired from the shop, although her mother still checks the price of everything. Jen enjoys galleries, independent cafés and restoring second-hand furniture. She makes excellent budgets and occasionally abandons them in bookshops.

A different perspective

Jen likes measurable evidence, but knows the most important part of a story may not yet appear in the numbers.

“The headline gives us one picture. Let’s see what the underlying numbers add to it.”
Career at a glance
Education
Economics and finance
Early career
Commercial research analyst
Progression
Industry researcher, business journalist and markets presenter
Interests
Companies, consumer behaviour, economic indicators and market context
Trendeer desk
Business headlines, world markets and trading-activity summaries
Back to the team ↑
Jen in a fictional family scene at home
Off air with Jen · A scene from the character’s fictional family life.
Leroy portrait

Sport · The other angle

Leroy

The player who built a second career

Leroy grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. His mother worked in school administration and his father coached youth sport. His older brother Marcus was his first training partner and most persistent critic. A talented wide receiver, Leroy earned a college scholarship before progressing into professional American football.

In his character story, he played for the fictional Carolina Sentinels. Preparation mattered as much as athletic ability: he studied coverage patterns and helped younger teammates learn the playbook. A serious knee injury, surgery and a long rehabilitation eventually brought an earlier retirement than he had imagined.

A former teammate invited him onto a small sports podcast. Explaining a receiver’s route became a lively discussion about coaching decisions, and Leroy discovered another way to contribute. Commentary, interviews and presenting followed. At Trendeer, he looks beyond the scoreline to pressure, confidence, fatigue and teamwork.

Life beyond the newsroom

Leroy is married to Nia, a physiotherapist, and they have two children, Amari and Zoe. He volunteers with a youth sports programme and enjoys cooking outdoors. His children are less interested in his old playing stories than in whether he can help with their homework.

A different perspective

Leroy believes in perseverance. His own career taught him that changing direction can require as much courage as continuing.

“From the outside, that decision looks obvious. On the field, with a second to react, it feels very different.”
Career at a glance
Education
Communications studies alongside a college football scholarship
Playing chapter
College wide receiver; professional player for the fictional Carolina Sentinels
Turning point
Knee injury, rehabilitation and early retirement
Progression
Sports podcast contributor, analyst, interviewer and presenter
Trendeer desk
Sport and roundtable discussion
Back to the team ↑
Leroy in a fictional family scene at home
Off air with Leroy · A scene from the character’s fictional family life.
Bella portrait

Weather · Everyday curiosity

Bella

The girl who kept a notebook of the sky

Bella grew up near the Devon coast, where the weather could change a day’s plans within an hour. Her father worked in marine maintenance and her mother ran a plant nursery. Forecasts mattered to both of them for practical reasons.

As a child, she kept cloud sketches, rainfall measurements and confident predictions in a notebook. A geography project on coastal storms deepened her interest. She studied geography and atmospheric science, then worked in environmental communications, turning technical information into explanations people could use.

A local broadcaster invited her to explain a period of unusual weather. Further appearances led to weather presenting and a wider international outlook. At Trendeer, Bella explains the picture across the map, the limits of a forecast and the conditions viewers may actually notice. Her curiosity also carries into lighter features and trivia.

Life beyond the newsroom

Bella is married to Alex, a wildlife photographer. They have a daughter, Isla, and a dog called Nimbus. She grows herbs and vegetables, although forecasting rain and remembering to water seedlings are apparently different skills. Her younger brother Tom, a marine engineer, still sends photographs of interesting clouds.

A different perspective

Bella enjoys scientific precision, while knowing that an audience needs a useful explanation rather than a display of technical vocabulary.

“The temperature is only part of the story. It’s the wind you’ll notice when you step outside.”
Career at a glance
Education
Geography and atmospheric science
Early career
Environmental communications and public-information projects
Progression
Broadcast weather contributor and presenter
Interests
International weather, coastal conditions and forecast uncertainty
Trendeer desk
Weather, visual forecasts and occasional trivia
Back to the team ↑
Bella in a fictional family scene at home
Off air with Bella · A scene from the character’s fictional family life.