Features | Ian Stringer’s Broadcasting Career: From The Apprentice to Sports Commentator

Aleksandra's interview with acclaimed sports broadcaster Ian Stringer entails a journey from a tough upbringing to a successful career. While many know him from The Apprentice, Ian has built a robust and award-winning career in broadcasting, using the platform he gained to transform his professional life.

The Apprentice: A "Life Changing" Launchpad

Ian Stringer appeared on The Apprentice and described the experience as a "moment in time in my life" that was both a "bit of fun" and ultimately "life changing". The show's visibility, which reached an audience of around 8 million people, initially helped his profile.

• Career Crossroads: The show generated enough public recognition—or a "Profile," a word Ian admits he dislikes—to force a choice between his software sales business career and broadcasting.

• Media Scrutiny: The notoriety came with a challenge: dealing with "media scrutiny" from "salacious red top newspapers". Ian noted that this was part of the price of the spotlight, but also a crucial part of "resilience building".

The Evolution of a Sports Journalist

When Ian applied for the apprentice, he had already been immersed into the world of sports journalism and commentary: 

"I was already a football reporter when I applied... I was working Monday to Friday, nine to five in software sales... And then at the weekend, on a Saturday, I was football reporting."

The show gave him the opportunity to "double down" on his passion, which he did. Today, Ian has had a highly successful career, winning the highly commended award for Commentator of the Year at the Sports Journalist Association (SJA) Awards—the industry's equivalent of the Oscars. His career includes commentating on a thousand professional football games, with one of his most fortunate moments being covering the Leicester City story when they won the Premier League in 2016. Currently, Ian works as a freelance football reporter and commentator for major broadcasters, including Sky Sports, Talk Sport, and ITV.

Facing the BBC Tribunal

Ian’s career included 20 years with the BBC. Following his dismissal, he pursued a tribunal case against the BBC because he "believed I was wrongfully dismissed".

"My lawyer in the first week of dealing with him advised that I never try and understand the why because you'll never get to it."

Despite his belief that he was treated unfairly, he ultimately failed to prove wrongful dismissal, choosing to "draw a line and we move on". He stated, "I thoroughly enjoyed the 20 years I had with the BBC" and views the experience as a further lesson in resilience.

The full episode is and many more inspirational stories are available now on the Aleksandra King YouTube Channel or learn more about Stringer's difficult upbringing and how he recovered and learnt.