Katie Derham on the BBC Proms: ‘We need live music.’

Broadcaster and Proms presenter Katie Derham tells us what makes her tick.

Updated on23 11 2021

We caught up with BBC Radio Three presenter and host of The Proms Katie Derham to find out her life lessons.

Music is healing

There is something very special about experiencing live music, theatre and dance with other people. It is what makes life worth living. This is my 12th year presenting the BBC Proms and the atmosphere has been fantastic. The big names and larger-than-life characters are all here this year. We need live music. It’s sort of miraculous what the director of the Proms, David Pickard, and his team have done with the programme this year. It has been amazing to be back in Royal Albert Hall too.

Make the most of opportunities

I was in my 40s when I was offered the chance to appear on Strictly Come Dancing.I could have said no and saved myself a lot of blisters, the odd cracked rib and an awful lot of stress, but I reached the final with the amazing Antonwho was fantastic. Making him a judge on Strictly is such a good move. He is so kind and knowledgeable.

Nature is nurturing

Over the last year I’ve spent a lot of time in our garden in Sussex. It’s been my solace and I’ve learned to appreciate nature again. I’ve got deeper into the small stuff. When I didn’t have any Zooms or work on, literally I was outside the whole time, gardening and watching things grow.

We had a pretty successful veg patch. I grew a lot from seed, plus flowers and annuals, and I have now transformed what was a neglected garden, into a nice one. I love running in the countryside around where I live too. Once I got fit from Strictly I started running with my neighbour. She said: “You can’t waste this”. I call it, ‘Chatting with trainers’.

Coming to terms with loss

My mum Margaret was a teacher and my dad was a chemist. I am from a big, loving family, with four children; it was a busy house. They were very keen on us doing our homework – feeling education was always important so we’d have options. I was very lucky, so it hit us hard when mum was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers when she was just 56 – she died aged 61. I was angry at the time, but it has been nearly 20 years so I have come to terms with it but, like we all do with loved ones we have lost, I still have moments when I think ‘Oh I wish Mum was here to see that.’ She never met our younger daughter Eleanor, now 15, which is sad.

(Katie is married to business entrepreneur John. Their eldest daughter Natasha, 21, is at New York University).

Live for the day

I think in life it’s important to stay in a positive mindset and as far as possible make the most of all the good things that are going on around us. Being with loved ones, enjoying beauty and fun and joy. Also I think we have to stop living our lives thinking about all the bad things that might happen. I work with dementia charities and try to give back as I know I have been blessed in so many ways.

Katie is one of the TV presenters for the BBC Proms 2021__– running until September 11 and broadcast on the BBC, BBC Radio 3, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.