Category: Personal Posts

On Reaching D2: Tonight I’ll Be The US Commentator For The Eurovision Song Contest

Posted on May 12, 2018May 12, 2018 by Ewan Spence

Not long after attending my first Eurovision Song Contest (Moscow 2009) I wrote this: Terry Wogan’s continuous thirty-year run as Commentator for Eurovision started in 1980, when he was 42. Graham Norton started commentating on Eurovision in 2009, aged 46. Paddy O’Connell started commentating on the Eurovision Semi Finals aged 38. Ken Bruce started commentating on Eurovision for Radio 2 aged 37. For the record, I’ll be 35 in May next year, which gives me some time (not that I’m counting) but if anyone down at Wood Lane [Television Centre] wants to give me a call… So, let’s add a

An Update With Some Good News About My Epilepsy

Posted on March 13, 2018March 13, 2018 by Ewan Spence

It’s coming up on six weeks since my last ‘full body’ seizures and ‘just the leg’ tonic clonic seizures. Things are going well. As I noted in my last post on the subject, I have been diagnosed with epilepsy and there’s been nothing since to suggest otherwise. What’s not know yet is what triggers my brain into electrical overload, and that may never be known unless the seizures start up again (something I’d like to avoid). In general my Doctor says I’ve to avoid alcohol, keep to regular sleep patterns, and avoid getting over-tired. What is not a trigger is

What’s Going On With My Body

Posted on February 15, 2018February 18, 2018 by Ewan Spence

I had posted this on Facebook, but of course it’s now a week later so is impossible to find. And you wonder why old hands like me prefer our own blogs on our own servers… TL/DR: I’ll be fine. I’m staying at home for a bit to get the right level of medication in my body, and then I’ll be back out reporting on the real world. Thursday 18 January, I was rushed into hospital following an unexpected full body seizure/fit and loss of consciousness for 12 minutes. Although discharged the same night with a referral to ‘first fit’ clinic

On Publishing Five Hundred Podcasts

Posted on September 26, 2017 by Ewan Spence

Last Friday saw one of the moments where numbers conspired to mean something. Over on ESC Insight, I posted the five hundredth episode of my Eurovision Song Contest podcast. There was nothing particularly special about the contents, it was a regular episode of ‘ESC Insight News’, covering the last two weeks of news in the world of the Song Contest. The only concessions to the episode number was a sad party twizzler sound effect at the end of the show, and the subtle use of a Fiat 500 as the key image in the post and shared social images. And while

I’ll Be Hosting Overnight General Election Results Coverage

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Ewan Spence

When the snap General Election was called in May, I wrote at the time that my first thought was about the result. Or at least how to cover the result. It was this. “I need to get behind a microphone to do the results show from 10pm on June 8th.” Since then I’ve been working on how to do just that, from finding studio facilities, co-hosts, guests, statisticians, the odd politician or two, and some broadcast partners. I’m delighted to announce that I will be hosting a General Election Results show on Thursday night… not only will you be able

Planning A New Kind Of UK General Election Results Show – Can You Help?

Posted on April 19, 2017April 19, 2017 by Ewan Spence

Tuesday’s announcement of a General Election in the UK for June 8th caught me a little by surprise and set off a riot of emotions. I tend not to talk about politics too much online, so many of the thoughts I had yesterday are mine, or for friends and family. But I’ll happily tell you my very first thought, because it’s one you can all help with. “I need to get behind a microphone to do the results show from 10pm on June 8th.” I’ve anchored a number of overnight election shows on community radio here in Edinburgh since 2010. These