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Gabby Logan |
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| Bob 70-71 |
Gabby Logan Here's the interview with Gabby in the February / March 2000 issue of 'Leeds Life' by Heather Dixon (before Gabby was married to Kenny Logan): It's a small claim to fame that Gabby Yorath has two Blue Peter badges. Both were for her gymnastics, but one should have been for guts. Who else, at fifteen, would ask a producer for a job? He advised her to go away, get some qualifications and try again when she was older. So, that was a 'no' then? Well, actually, it was a resounding yes. Gabby trotted off to Durham University to study law, landed an invite to Steve Cram's New Year Eve party and met a programme controller of Newcastle's Metro FM. Never backward in coming forward, Gabby said 'Gizza job' and before she could to a triple back flip she landed a three year deal - and the first-ever interview with Ryan Giggs for the university newspaper. How's that for starters? But Gabby Yorath had more than Giggsy on her mind. she wanted to make it big time - without having to live in the shadow of her famous dad, Terry.Leeds Life: so how's it going?Gabby Yorath: hectic, as usual. This won't take long, will it?Leeds Life: I'll keep it short.Gabby Yorath: so, what you want to know?Leeds Life: Well, first of all, do you get back to Leeds much these days?Gabby Yorath: quite often. About once a month and then it's to see my mum and dad (property developer Christine, and Bradford City football head coach Terry).Leeds Life: has it changed much since you were a kid growing up here?Gabby Yorath: a lot of it has, yes. When you are a child you don't have any idea of how important places. You don't really notice what's going on around you. You just accept it as it is. But looking back it's changed a lot since I was little. There is plenty of building work going on, plenty of developments. It used to be overshadowed by Manchester, but not any more.Leeds Life: when you come back do you feel as though you are coming home?Gabby Yorath: I was born here but we moved around a lot. We went to Coventry, London and Vancouver before returning to Leeds when I was about eleven. Because we travelled so much I don't come back to Leeds and think, here lies my heart and soul. It's the house where I grew up and the people in it which feels like home.Leeds Life: what you do when you're in Leeds?Gabby Yorath: not a lot, I come back to see my parents so I don't go on loads of shopping sprees or anything. If I go out and Mum and Dad - or my boyfriend (Scottish rugby player Kenny Logan).Leeds Life: do you have a favourite bar or club?Gabby Yorath: I like Leodis and Rascasse. But there is no one bar we go to.Leeds Life: do you still have close friends and Leeds?Gabby Yorath: a few, but the friends you make in university tend to be the ones you keep for the rest of your life.Leeds Life: do you make a conscious effort to keep fit?Gabby Yorath: I run every day, do yoga, play tennis...Leeds Life: have you always worked hard at what you do?Gabby Yorath: I realised very early on, starting with my school work and later my gymnastics when I represented Britain at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, that the harder you work, the better you will be. I apply that spirit across-the-board. Unless you're a genius or gifted there is no other way to succeed.Leeds Life: when did you get your big break?Gabby Yorath: I was offered the chance to co-host the daily news programme, 'Sports Centre', on Sky TV, in 1995. Now I present 'On The Ball', for ITV.Leeds Life: have you had to be particularly tough to succeed in broadcasting?Gabby Yorath: you need to be tough. A lot of people want to be critical but that's part of the job, part of the territory.Leeds Life: did people accuse you of living off your Dad's reputation?Gabby Yorath: at first people said I was only there because of my dad but the longer you are in the business and the more you achieve, the weaker the accusation becomes.Leeds Life: you recently appeared in an ITV programme, 'The Day I Met an Angel', when you talk about your brother, Daniel, who died in 1992. Do you still feel there are times when he is close by?Gabby Yorath: I feel very strongly in touch with them. I found myself asking questions about life and death and spirituality at a very young age and there are certainly times, usually at work, when I feel he's around.Leeds Life: how did your family cope with Daniel's death?Gabby Yorath: at first it rocks the whole family. It totally changed everything. Ruined everything. And then you start to rebuild your lives and get back to some semblance of normality, but it's never the same.Leeds live: what plans, if any, do you have for the future?Gabby Yorath: I don't make plans.Leeds Life: and what about the future for you and Kenny?Gabby Yorath: in Kenny I've found a wonderful person who quickly became my best friend. We understand each other's worlds.Leeds Life: are there plans to marry?Gabby Yorath: no, we just have a lot of fun together. We're committed to each other.Leeds Life: A case of watch this space then ...Gabby Yorath:
something like that.
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| Bob Dunning 9 April 2007 |
Click for Soccer headlines at www.bobdunning.net |
