Steph McGovern claims that people thought her to be “thick” due to her being a woman towards the start of her career in television. The business journalist said that she was often written off due to her gender along with her North East accent.

The incorrect perception of her as a person led to her becoming more motivated to prove them wrong and succeed after leaving behind her job in engineering. In a discussion with Prima Magazine, she said:

“People have underestimated me in the past, particularly when I was a business journalist interviewing CEOs. They would automatically assume I was there to make the tea or that I’d be thick.

“But it made me think, ‘I’m going to show you! I’d say to anyone now who’s lacking confidence or might be worried their background will hold them back, ‘Actually, it’s your superpower.’”

Although she clarified that her colleagues were not rude to her in any way, it became clear early on that they did not share the same outlook on life due to their starkly different social backgrounds. However, she soon realized that she could use that to her advantage.

“At first, I felt like I really stood out at the BBC. Nobody was mean to me, but I felt I was unusual because of my background.

“I’d suggest stories – such as the fact that people in poorer areas had to hire TVs – and I’d know people were secretly thinking, ‘That doesn’t happen.'”