Lancaster radio and TV host set for Kilimanjaro rugby match

But Beccy is hitting the heights where it matters in her broadcasting career.

Now she’s about to take on a towering challenge, taking part in the world’s highest ever rugby league match at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Before that, the North West Tonight presenter and roving reporter from Lancaster is enjoying her current stint hosting the breakfast show on BBC Radio Lancashire.

She’s coping well with the early starts while standing in for her friend and colleague Graham Liver.

A cup of peppermint licorice tea, a rub of the sleep out of her eyes and she’s raring to go every morning.

Beccy is on-air to listeners across the county from 6am to 9am until September 29.

Then once Graham returns, the mum-of-one will be off to Africa in October to report first-hand on a trek to raise money for the Steve Prescott Foundation.

The charity was set up by international rugby player and fundraiser Steve Prescott, who died of cancer in 2013.

As a member of Lancaster Triathalon Club (she recently completed the IronMan UK running, swimming and cycling marathon in Bolton), Beccy’s love of sport and fitness will stand her in good stead on the gruelling climb.

She will film the whole experience for TV and take part in a rugby league match with professional players past and present at the summit.

The challenge is to climb the 19,341ft mountain in just six days. Then the team will mark out a full sized rugby pitch, erect two sets of inflatable rugby posts, and play a full game of rugby league.

Beccy says being able to take on a variety of challenges such as this is what she loves most about her job.

Born in Cambridge, Beccy says she was conceived in Morecambe (“maybe that’s too much information!” she laughs) but is a Lancaster girl through and through.

She was educated at Bowerham Primary and then Lancaster Girls Grammar, before going on to university to study politics and economics.

“I liked the idea of being a journalist but everybody said to me that’s what everybody says, but very few people actually do it.”

But Beccy was determined. So after gaining work experience as a reporter, she gained a job with the Blackpool Citizen, before moving on to work for news agency Bloomberg, where she divided her time between London and New York.

Beccy then moved on to a role with American business news TV channel CNBC. Here she reported on everything from the Russian elections in Red Square to European crises in Brussels.

She has spent the last two-and-a-half years at the BBC and is enjoying every minute of it. “Who doesn’t want to work for the BBC?” she asks.

Beccy also loves all the wonderful characters she gets to meet while out and about reporting across the North West.

“We’ve got some amazing people in Lancashire but it’s the sad stories that affect me the most,” she said.

“Being able to do this stint on Radio Lancashire is really special to me because Lancashire is very much my home.

“People have always known me as ‘that tall girl from Lancashire’ and now I’m back it’s lovely to be able to take part in Graham’s breakfast programme.

“For the three weeks I’m on the show I will be wearing no make-up or doing my hair. I can sit in the seat and start talking. I just hope no one has a hidden camera in there as I won’t look as glamorous as I do on TV!”