Anna Woolhouse interview: ‘If I thought about how many people were watching, I probably wo

Inside Sport newsletter: Get an expert guide to the biggest moments shaping the world of sportGet our free Inside Sport newsletterGet our free Inside Sport newsletterWatch Anna Woolhouse leading a TV broadcast of a boxing show, darts, or any sport she has fronted over the last 12 years, and you will rightly feel she has it all figured out – such is her professionalism and experience. Still, it’s an intense job and, at times, a surreal one. So, as Woolhouse speaks to The Independent over Zoom, sporting her trademark, large-lens glasses and tucking herself up on her home-office chair, she’s prepared to delve into the psychology of a presenter. As we chat, we go through the camera lens, through the glasses lens, and look at a unique career – which has taken her from Sky to DAZN, from ice hockey to rugby league to darts and boxing, the latter of which is currently her main focus. “For some of the bigger pay-per-views, if I actually sat and thought about how many people were watching, I probably wouldn’t go on air,” she says. “You just feel like you’re talking to one camera and people’s living rooms. When you first start out, there are definite ‘God, I’m going to be sick’ nerves. But I guess over the years, you use that to find a kind of fun.”In general, the 42-year-old has found that nerves have given way to excitement over time. A lot of elite athletes and performers will tell you that we often mistake anxiety for excitement, anyway. “I’ve always said: if you don’t have any kind of feeling there, or that kind of nervous excitement goes, maybe it’s time to stop doing it,” Woolhouse says. “Live TV is pretty terrifying at times, but in particular with boxing, it’s that element of ‘anything can happen’. Fights can go long or short; I’ve had some almighty fills of like an hour, when two ambulances have had to go, and they’re basically like: ‘Can’t have any action in the ring.’ “But in those moments, I sort of describe myself a bit like a swan,” Woolhouse explains. “The more chaos going around, I just find a sense of calm. You’re paddling underneath, but on top you’re kind of like: ‘Okay, let’s ride with it.’”More so than any sport I cover, boxing has so many different elements. It’s inherently super loud in the arena or stadium, you’ve got to be able to hear the guests, the director and five other people talking in your ear at the same time, and be very flexible. It’s not like…

2026-07-03 07:51:50