How do you stay up for 33 hours straight to cover a general election live on TV?
Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby says she got up as normal at 7am on Thursday, 4 July and survived until 2.30pm the next day with the help of Diet Coke, sushi, and her lucky red lipstick.
Here she reveals what life was like behind the scenes during the six-week election campaign.
My first reaction to hearing an election had been called was: “I’m going to have to tell my daughter I can’t go camping with her next week”. I felt really bad about that, as I don’t like letting my kids down.
Then, as reality sinks in that you are about to begin the campaign, you go through this big adjustment of “okay, my life is written off for the next six weeks”. It impacts the promises you’ve made to your family and friends because you go into a tunnel and you can’t switch off. You work non-stop. There is rarely an off button in politics as it is – in elections you are always on.
The campaign is like the Olympics for political journalists – your task is to win gold. It’s the moment we all train for and it gives you a chance to test your mettle and push yourself to your limits. It’s incredibly satisfying if you can end the day with a win.
An election is the moment the whole nation tunes into politics, you’re telling a national story and part of a national conversation. That comes with a weight of responsibility, and you want to give your absolute best to the job.
I gave up alcohol for most of it and tried to make sure I was in bed for six hours every night even if I didn’t sleep. I made sure I went for runs and tried to eat well. The only thing I was determined not to miss was my dad’s 80th birthday which was in the middle of it. I didn’t get him a cake or a present – my brother sorted all of that – but he got me.
Beth spent six busy weeks on the campaign trail
On the road, you get to see the prime minister and the leader of the Opposition almost daily. They’re there to sell themselves to the public, and it’s a moment when journalists really matter to them because we are the means by which they try to get across the message. But it’s relentless, you need a lot of stamina, and you also need to work very hard. You make your own luck by putting in the extra miles.
There is definitely more scrutiny when it comes to female broadcasters’ appearance. TV journalism is more performative than my old job in print because you’re in front of a camera. So I put on a bright-coloured suit, gold jewellery, make-up and red lipstick – it’s a costume I wear.
When I started at Sky News, I got a call to say someone might talk to me about growing out my fringe. I just told them my fringe was non-negotiable and to never talk to me about my hair again.
Beth and her colleagues prepare for the special programme from Grimsby
At these big points in the political cycle, I have to land my points with authority and gravitas. Everyone is always looking to see if I’m biased towards either side. But you can’t let that get into your head. It’s not personal, it’s just part and parcel of the job, especially for women.
Presenting the Sky News Leaders Special programme was a huge challenge. I’d never done something on that level – in a general election and in front of a live audience. Failure was not an option.
It was a massive team effort to get it on stage but I had to lead it for the channel and my colleagues. There was a lot of discussion about how I should do it, but in the end I knew that, while everyone had ideas, I had to do it in the way that felt natural to me.
Beth Rigby led the Sky News Leaders special programme
I was extremely nervous three weeks out, very nervous two weeks out and quite nervous a week out. So, I just did the work. The more prepared I became, the less nervous I became. Then on the day, about an hour and a half before the show, I went to meet the live audience and they were so excited that we were hosting this national event in Grimsby, their town. At that point, I thought: “I have to give these people a show”. It relaxed me because I realised that the audience wanted it to be a success. That helped a lot.
On election day, I got up at a normal time, about 7am, because my kids leave the house to go to school at 8.15am, so I have to get up. Then Jonathan Levy (Sky News’ managing director) and I went for breakfast to talk about how I should frame the exit poll, the pattern of the night and to generally make me feel good.
In the afternoon, I went for a run and then to a hotel to have a rest and calm my mind. I tend not to eat that much beforehand because it’s better not to be full of food and sleepy when you go on air. During the live show, there are snacks and drinks under the desk, like cups of tea and Diet Cokes. I had a bit of sushi and lots of Haribos.
I’m a little bit superstitious. On election night in 2019, I wore a piece of my late mum’s jewellery. This time around I made sure I wore my original “lucky” red lip colour from my first TV appearance in 2016. It’s called Icon by Hourglass and it’s still the best shade of red I’ve got.
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I didn’t sleep from 7am on election morning until 2.30pm the next day. I stayed awake for 33 hours – 10 hours doing the live programme, then I headed to Downing Street three hours live covering the handover of power. It was important to get the tone right, and so it required a lot of thought on no sleep. But adrenaline is great for sharpening your mind. After that, I had a power nap for two-and-a-half hours before getting up to record our Electoral Dysfunction podcast, and going back into the office to get the report of the day ready for the 10pm news. I finished the day where I began, outside No 10 doing a live hit for our flagship News at 10.
Sir Trevor Phillips, Beth Rigby and Kay Burley
It’s a crazy schedule. When people ask me how I do it I say: “I have a stay-at-home partner who has endless patience, that’s how I do it.”
When I woke up to do the podcast at 5pm I felt absolutely wrecked. But you get up and get on with it because that’s the job and my job is a massive privilege, even when it pushes you to your limits.
Decompressing after such an intense period is difficult. The adrenaline is addictive.
Beth admits she gets nervous before a big moment
During those six weeks you spend more time talking to your colleagues than you do your family. You’ve just covered the handover of power and then your partner asks you where your daughter’s socks are. It’s really hard. But slowly you get used to the groove of being at home. There is nothing more I like than just pottering around at home. After an election, that feels like a gift.
I’m not sure how long Labour’s honeymoon period will be with the public. I think, as George Osborne did in 2010 to Labour, there will be a lot of blaming any difficulties his government has on the Conservatives. But they’re under a lot of pressure.
Interviewing Sir Keir Starmer in Grimsby. Pic: PA
The reason their majority was so big was the dozens of seats where they managed to survive because the Tories stayed at home or voted for Reform UK. That could easily flip the other way in the next election. It’s all about delivery now.
Election: Behind The Scenes At Sky News will be on Sky Documentaries on Thursday 18th July at 9pm, 10.30pm on Sky Showcase and Friday 19 July at 9pm on Sky News