Clara Amfo Biography

Clara Amfo is a radio presenter in the United Kingdom who currently presents the mid-morning show on BBC Radio 1, which she took over from Fearne Cotton on 25 May 2015. Amfo was born in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London. Her father was a microbiologist who emigrated from Ghana in the 1970s. Amfo studied media arts with professional and creative writing at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham.

Clara Amfo Age

Clara was born on 28 May 1984 in Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom. She is 35 years old as of 2019.

Clara Amfo Height

Clara Amfo is  5′ 3″ which is equivalent to 1.6 meters tall.

Does Clara Amfo have a boyfriend?

Clara isn’t believed to be dating, as she’s previously said she puts her career above romance. In a 2015 interview, Clara was asked if she ever plans to have kids.

She said: “I don’t know. I don’t have a guy and that’s OK. My career is my boyfriend, I’m happy having fun and being ‘Cool Auntie Clara’ to my nieces and nephews.

“It’s interesting how people don’t ask male presenters how they cope with childcare.”

Clara Amfo Career

Clara was initially hired by Nickelodeon as a presenter. All this duration, she was a contestant in the BBC Talent competition. She eventually took up a position at CBBC. She later interned in marketing at KISS FM where she did some voice-overs. KISS FM became her breakthrough in her media career ranging from her first airing in the overnight show slowly ascending to the Saturday Breakfast and later the drivetime show which came as her peak point reaching audiences of up to 1 million on a weekly basis. Amfo traveled to Ghana in 2011 to make a film in support of the charity Plan’s “Because I Am A Girl” campaign.

She has hosted diverse shows in the media ranging from the British premiere of Red Riding Hood and has also reported from assorted events in the UK, including Wireless, Global Gathering, SW4 and NASS festivals. She was nominated in 2012 to contest for a Sony Radio Award in the “Rising Star” category. When it comes to voice-overs she has done many voice-overs including one for Motorola, Nike, and Spotify.

Amfo joined BBC Radio 1Xtra as host of the weekend breakfast show on September 2013. She was later hired as the host of MTV’s weekly Official UK Top 40 and Top 20 Chart shows that same year(2013). Despite her work as the host of MTV’ weekly official UK Top 40 and Top 20, she was also appointed as The Official Chart Update and Top 20. Amfo appeared on BBC Radio 1’s Innuendo Bingo on 26 September 2013.

She became the host of The Official Chart on BBC Radio 1 in 2015. Later that year, on February 2015, it was announced that she would be taking over from Fearne Cotton as host of Radio 1’s mid-morning show – home of the Live Lounge – on 25 May 2015, and therefore be departing from 1Xtra’s weekend breakfast show. Amfo presented backstage at the BRIT Awards for ITV2 in February 2017. She later presented The Year in Music 2017 with Claudia Winkleman on BBC Twoin December 2017. She has also presented Top of the Pops for the first time, with Fearne Cotton on BBC One. Amfo returned to the BRIT Awards backstage on ITV2in February 2018.

Clara Amfo Radio 1

To listen to her shows live and those that are the previous visit the BBC official website and enjoy.

Dj Clara Amfo

Muddy meets Clara Amfo

We’ve got a soft spot for Clara Amfo, the warm, effusive 33-year-old Radio 1 presenter who does the weekday mid-morning slot, which includes the brilliant Live Lounge. We called her up to have a chinwag about faking it at work when you’ve had zero sleep, the truth about teenagers, selfies with Oprah and that time she talked about ‘big dick’ live on air. Hey, we’ve all been there.

Morning Clara, how’re tricks?

I was working at the BAFTAs last night, I’ve only had two hours sleep and I’m now on my way film an episode of Pointless, aargh! But I’m fine.

Tell us about The Biggest Weekend?

It’s supersized from last year. It’s usually The Big Weekend but this year it’s all the stations coming together, Radios 1, 2, 3 and 6Music, to celebrate music. It’s in four cities around the UK and I’ll be in Swansea, with Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift. There’s this perception that everything happens in London but we turn up in these different places and turn it into a party for two days.

You’re a festival veteran – what’s your favourite memory?

I’ve been to a few! I hung out in the circus area at Glastonbury one year and went trapezing. That was amazing. And one year I got to sit on the stage and watch The Jacksons perform up close. Seeing them do their dance routines and all those hits was just fantastic.

What’s your top tip for surviving a festival?

I always have rosehip oil in my bag – it’s re-injects a glow to my skin and it’s good on my hair too. I like making my own beauty products at home. I make this mask from Aztec Indian healing clay (you can get it from Amazon or Afro-Caribbean hair shops) mixed with apple cider and it leaves your skin really soft.

What’s the biggest weekend you’ve ever had?

My birthday party last year – I can rinse out my birthday for at least a fortnight. All my mates came out and we just didn’t stop. I ended up with three cakes. And then I went back to work and the thing with Radio 1 is it’s an office full of feeders so there was a lot of birthday cupcakes in the vicinity.

You party animal!

The thing about me is that I’m not a massive drinker. I do enjoy a G&T but I don’t need to get wasted to have a good time. Music is my vibe controller – if I go to a club and the music is boring I will happily go home.

Which of your Radio 1 colleagues is the wildest?

Everyone thinks it’s Nick [Grimshaw] but it’s probably me! People think he’s out all the time but he has to wake up really early to do the breakfast show. I probably do go out the most. Out out!

So you can do live radio on two hours’ sleep then?

If push comes to shove, I can. Three hours I’m good, two hours I can survive. After the BRIT Awards this year, I had two hours sleep but Nick and his team were straight through the crew. Another year when I came to work after The BRITS, Nick had Rita Ora and Stormzy with him and the studio was strewn with pizza boxes. They were eating pizza for breakfast. What a mess!

What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done live on air?

Once I called the band Lukas Graham a ‘one hit wonder’ to their faces. Which technically they were – they had that huge song 7 Years. I thought, Oh shit, that’s a bit rude but luckily the singer had a sense of humor. I also once said ‘big dick’ by mistake – there is this DJ called Eats Everything who had a track called Big Discs. He called it that on purpose because he knew it’d be problematic! I thought, Right, I won’t be the one to mispronounce it. But I was.

What’s your career highlight?

We got Jay-Z on the Live Lounge last year. He’s a hero of mine – not just for the music but because he’s such an impressive businessman. And he’s married to Beyoncé which, c’mon, is his biggest life achievement. He had this lovely calm about him.

Bands always do a cover version on the Live Lounge – if you had to do a cover version, what would you do?

I love singing so much – but sadly I can’t sing. I’d sing Love On Top by Beyoncé – those key changes and her range are just incredible.

Is that your karaoke go-to then?

Listen, I’m the karaoke queen, mate. Mariah Carey is go-to for karaoke. I love her.

What’s your earliest Radio 1 memory?

Lots of people who’ve now become my mentors gave me some of my earliest radio memories. I adore Sara Cox. As a woman you’re often told you can only do one thing but she does it all. Coxy could be a stand-up comedian if she liked, she does TV, radio, she tours clubs. It’s so inspiring.

Lots of Muddy readers have teenage children and lots of your listeners are teenagers. What have you learned about that generation?

Not to underestimate them. When you’re forming your opinions and trying to find your place in the world, you’re not going to know everything but don’t underestimate the empathy and common sense that a lot of teenagers have. Most are really switched on when it comes to things like politics and mental health issues. Social media is a gift and a curse for teenagers – it’s a hotbed for rampant narcissism but for conversation and knowledge, it’s amazing.

What were you like as a teenager?

I was kind of weird and quite mouthy. I questioned things a lot and challenged teachers. I loved being around people and being the class clown but I also enjoyed solitude and being in my room listening to music for eight hours. My mum would get on my nerves. It was all, ‘Why don’t you wear this dress?’ ‘Don’t tell me what to do. Go away!’ The usual stuff.

We’re bored of our playlists – what shall we listen to?

I love the female voice. I adore Solange, the new Janelle Monáe album is a work of art and I like Kelela – she’s like Janet Jackson meets Aaliyah. And Jessie Ware is a good friend of mine and has the most beautiful voice.

Best celebrity encounter ever?

I met Oprah! My God! It was at the A Wrinkle In Time premiere and I was sitting front row while the cast was talking. At one point, she pointed at me and said, “You!” I said, “Who, me?” And she gave me a thumbs up. I think it was because I kept smiling at her. In the end, as they were leaving, she came over and talked to me. I actually started crying. Oprah was the first person I ever saw on TV who made me think, ‘I could do that too’. It was because she looked like me – representation is so important for all women. You want to see women who look like you.

Clara Amfo at MasterChef

Did you get a selfie?

I absolutely did. She checked it afterwards but of course she looked amazing- she had this aura of wealth and knowledge.

If you were queen of the world, what’s the first law you would pass?

I would make sure all men and women get paid the same for what they do. And I would ban people from eating hot food on public transport. It does my nut in. I don’t care if it’s a fancy wrap from a posh deli or chicken and chips – get out.

Muddy readers are outside The Big Smoke – does this London girl ever make it past the M25?

I don’t know how to drive to my shame. I walk everywhere, ride my bike or get the Tube. There’s a perception that Radio 1 DJs get chauffeured around but it’s not the case. I’m crushed into someone’s armpit on the Tube every day. But while I love the chaos of London, I would like to get a little cottage in the Lake District and go and read books.

Read anything good recently?

I worship Zadie Smith and loved NW. I went to New York last weekend – my brother married a New Yorker and I was his best woman – and I was walking down the street in the West Village and saw Zadie Smith. We caught each other’s eye and I wanted to tell her that she made me love reading again and that I’m a huge fan but she was with her family so I thought I’d leave her to it.

You meet a lot of famous people – thoughts on fame?

It’s so unnatural, isn’t it? People are deified because they do a public-facing job. I always think you’re only as famous as you act. It was interesting meeting Justin Bieber and seeing the machine around him. I went to his house in LA and we played basketball together and he opened up to me. He’s been famous since he was 12 – what a surreal, tumultuous life.

What’s next for you?

More radio, more telly and you might see me writing something. I’ll always be invested in youth culture because it’s what I love – gigs, new films, new music, new TV. I’m aware that I’m not going to be at Radio 1 forever but that’s not scary, it’s liberating. I’d like to manage and produce artists and I’d like to work for Oprah’s network. That’d be a joy.

Good luck for Pointless!

Last time I went on my partner was Trevor Nelson and we won. This time I’m on with Ella Eyre and she’s a smart cookie so I’ve got high hopes. I’ve got my Pointless winner trophy above my kitchen sink so everyone who comes round sees it. It’s next to my framed photo of me and Pharrell Williams and my Glamour magazine radio personality award – all my career highlights!

Source: bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk

Clara Amfo Twitter

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Clara Amfo News

Radio One DJ Clara Amfo has less than peachy time on Celebrity MasterChef

Updated on: Thursday 13 September 2018.

DJ and broadcaster Clara Amfo have become the latest famous cook to leave the kitchen on Celebrity MasterChef 2018. The BBC Radio One presenter, 34, failed to win over judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode with her two-course menu in the final challenge of Thursday’s episode. Amfo struggled with timings and disaster struck with 90 seconds of cooking time left, when she dropped peaches she was grilling for her dessert while getting them out of the oven. Both judges called Amfo out for overcooking the prawns in her jambalaya, a Cajun rice dish with peppers, celery, onion, and tomatoes.

Wallace also gave the presentation of her pudding a negative review, remarking that her peaches with sour cream and crushed Amaretti biscuits looked “slung on” to the plate.

Following her exit, Amfo said: “Honestly I don’t think I’ve done myself justice, which is the only thing that I’m disappointed about.

“But you know, I managed to do it. I managed to cook in the MasterChef kitchen.”

Through to compete for the last two places in the semi-finals are actress Lisa Maxwell, professional dancer AJ Pritchard, designer Jay Blades, and singer Stella Parton. Parton, the younger sister of US country singer Dolly Parton, won plaudits from the judges with her brand of southern states cooking. In the final challenge, she served up a menu of country fried chicken breast, paprika potatoes and creamy gravy followed by a banana and custard pudding with liqueur and shortbread biscuits. Wallace described Parton’s chicken as perfectly cooked while Torode praised the sauce saying it was “very addictive”.

Commenting on the spiciness of the main course Wallace asked if Parton could serve a pitcher of beer to accompany her next offering. Her pudding did not favor as well, with both judges remarking it lacked texture and was too sweet for their liking.

Following their judgment Parton, who serenaded Wallace with a song during the episode, said: “I’m proud of what I served.

“I’m not a fancy cook or a high-end cook. I’m used to it (food) being nurturing and comforting, I feel like I achieved that.”

Former The Bill star and Loose Women panelist Maxwell was named cook of the day by Torode. Wallace described her sirloin steak in red wine and mushroom sauce with potatoes and lemon posset with blackberries as “two well made and well-presented dishes”. Torode also praised the hard work of Strictly professional Pritchard. The judges considered sending Blades home after they deemed his Ackee and saltfish lacked spice. However, it was ultimately Amfo who was eliminated. During the episode, the celebrities took part in a service in a professional kitchen. Parton, Amfo, and Maxwell cooked at The Swan Restaurant at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre. Blades and Pritchard helped out in Soho steakhouse Sophie’s.

Celebrity MasterChef continues on BBC One on Friday at 8.30 pm.

Source: www.independent.ie