Ella West: A Rising Force in BBC Cymru Wales Sport and the UK Media Industry

Who Is Ella West?

Ella West is a dynamic and highly skilled media professional, widely recognised for her influential role as Assistant Editor (Planning) at BBC Cymru Wales Sport. With more than eight years of experience across radio, television, digital media, and live event production, she has carved a strong position within the competitive UK broadcasting landscape. Known for her exceptional organisational ability, production expertise, and leadership skills, Ella West represents the new generation of media professionals shaping sports journalism and editorial planning across Wales.

This article offers a complete, detailed profile of Ella West, covering her background, career progression, education, awards, and achievements — presented in an SEO-friendly format designed to rank on Google.

Early Foundations in Broadcasting

Ella West and Her Start in Local Radio

Before entering the BBC full-time, Ella West built an impressive foundation through hands-on experiences in community and student broadcasting.

From 2016 to 2018, she worked as a News Reporter at Radio Cardiff, where she delivered weekly news bulletins, sourced local stories, and wrote concise, accurate scripts. This early role strengthened her editorial judgement, deadline management, and public communication skills.

Xpress Radio: Building Leadership and Confidence

While studying at Cardiff University, Ella West played a significant part in Xpress Radio, one of the UK’s leading student stations.

Her roles included:

• Head of Speech and News (2016–2017)
  Leading all news broadcasting, managing teams, and coordinating large-scale coverage of events including the US Election.

• Radio Presenter (2014–2017)
  Co-hosting multiple shows across health, music, and current affairs.

These early roles showcased her natural leadership, editorial abilities, and passion for broadcasting — traits that later defined her BBC career.

Freelance and Production Experience

Researcher & Studio Producer Roles

Between 2018 and 2021, Ella West worked across several BBC Radio Wales programmes, including:

• The Phone In with Jason Mohammad and Dot Davies

• The Eleri Sion Show

Her responsibilities included:

• Sourcing and developing content ideas

• Managing sensitive topics such as terrorism, criminal justice, and safeguarding

• Booking celebrities and contributors

• Producing live broadcasts

• Editing interviews with professional audio software

Her ability to handle editorial policy, legal considerations, and high-pressure deadlines positioned her as a standout emerging producer.

Production Coordinator

In 2021, as a Production Coordinator, Ella West provided logistical support to sports teams across BBC Radio Wales Sport and BBC Chwaraeon Radio Cymru. This included:

• Organising contributor payments

• Coordinating UK-wide travel and accommodation

• Managing rights and accreditation

• Archiving programme data

This role strengthened her management and operational planning skills.

Ella West at BBC Cymru Wales Sport

Junior Production Manager (2021–2022)

Her progression into this role highlighted her ability to manage larger teams and deliver complex projects. Responsibilities included overseeing production workflows, supporting editorial teams, and ensuring that BBC Sport Wales output met professional standards.

Assistant Editor (Planning) – BBC Cymru Wales Sport

A Leadership Role in Welsh Sports Broadcasting

Since January 2022, Ella West has served as Assistant Editor (Planning), one of the core management roles within BBC Sport Wales.

Her role includes:

• Strategic planning of sports coverage

• Coordinating production teams across radio, TV, and digital

• Supporting editorial decision-making

• Managing staff and training new team members

• Overseeing project development and execution

Possessing strong expertise in production management, strategic planning, and content coordination, she plays a crucial part in shaping the sports stories that reach audiences across Wales.

Skills and Professional Strengths of Ella West

Editorial & Production Expertise

• Live radio producing

• Digital and broadcast planning

• Talent management and contributor coordination

• Scriptwriting and editorial briefing

• Multi-platform storytelling

Management and Leadership

• Project management

• Staff training and development

• Operational planning for major sports events

• High-pressure decision making

Technical Skills

• Audio editing (Dira, Sadie, Adobe Audition)

• Production software and newsroom tools

• Event coordination technology

Her diverse skill set makes her highly adaptable across modern media environments.

Education and Academic Background

Cardiff University – BSc Psychology with Professional Placement

Ella West graduated in 2017 with a 2:1 degree, studying modules such as:

• Biological Psychology

• Social Psychology

• Clinical Psychology

• Developmental Psychology

She was also active in several societies, including student radio, volunteering groups, and academic communities. Her psychology training enhances her communication, audience understanding, and decision-making abilities within broadcasting.

Royal Latin Grammar School

Before university, Ella achieved:

• A-levels in Human Biology, Psychology, and Theatre Studies

• 12 GCSEs graded A–A*

• An A in her Extended Project Qualification*

This strong academic background laid the groundwork for her media success.

Awards and Achievements

Student radio recognition

During her time at Cardiff University, Ella West earned multiple honours:

• Cardiff Student Media – Best Female Radio Presenter (2017)

• CSM Radio – Best Female Presenter (2016)

• Best Speech Show (2016)

• SRA Gold Award for Best Live Event/Broadcast (2015)

• SRA nomination for Best Speech Programming (2015)

These awards acknowledge her talent long before she stepped into professional broadcasting.

Personal Interests and Community Roles

Sports and Korfball

Ella West is also known for her involvement in local sport as Secretary for Raptors Korfball, showing her commitment to community sport and team development.

Passion for Storytelling

Across her roles, Ella demonstrates a strong desire to communicate impactful stories, whether through radio, digital media, or sports broadcasting.

Quick Info

Conclusion

Ella West stands out as one of the most promising media professionals within BBC Cymru Wales Sport. From her early achievements in student radio to her leadership role as Assistant Editor, she continues to demonstrate exceptional talent, commitment, and versatility.

With a decade of experience, numerous awards, and expertise across production, planning, and editorial leadership, Ella West is a name to watch in the future of UK sports broadcasting.

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