Fora Presents is our new curated events series for fresh initiatives and big ideas. Join some of the best minds, household names and industry experts as they share their knowledge and insights through a monthly series of exclusive talks.

Join two of TV’s best-known faces, June Sarpong OBE and AJ Odudu in this engaging discussion about this year’s International Women’s Day theme, ‘Inspire Inclusion’. This year’s campaign is designed to inspire others to understand and value the inclusion of women in all areas of life.

Hosted by June, AJ will explore the importance of inclusion, diversity and empowerment, with a particular focus on the context of gender equality. Through personal reflections and anecdotes, they’ll share their career highs and lows, offering inspiration and insight on how to navigate your own career path with resilience and purpose.

Can’t join us in person? Select online ticket in the checkout to receive a streaming link to watch live.

About our speaker:

AJ Odudu is one of the nation’s most recognisable broadcasters. With bags of energy and her Lancashire charm, she has made a name for herself over the years and fronted a number of successful programmes. Born to Nigerian parents, AJ grew up with her seven siblings in Blackburn and has a degree in English & Politics.

She was most recently the co-host of the Big Brother reboot, alongside Will Best, which broadcast on ITV1, ITV2 and ITVX. She will return as host alongside Will for Celebrity Big Brother in March this year.

Further career highlights include reaching the final of Strictly Come Dancing 2021, featuring in the February 2024 issue of British Vogue, co-hosting C4’s The Big Breakfast special reboot alongside Mo Gilligan – winning two RTS Awards and the Edinburgh TV Award for Best TV Presenters – and hosting The Bridge, which aired on HBO Max and Channel 4. AJ was the UK spokesperson at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, making history by announcing the Jury votes live from Salford for the first time ever, and she also took part in the Late Queen’s ceremonious Platinum Jubilee Pageant.

Recent brand campaigns include Google Pixel, McDonald’s, The Perfume Shop and Sure. AJ has also written for outlets such as Vogue and Grazia, covering a range of topics she is passionate about and graced the front cover of Women’s Health Magazine in May 2022.

About our host:

June Sarpong OBE; TV Presenter, Diversity Expert, Award—Winning Author and Former Director of Creative Diversity at the BBC

June Sarpong OBE is one of the world’s leading inclusion speakers, educators, and Top 10 D&I executives with over two decades of professional experience in the UK and the U.S. Formerly Global Director of Creative Diversity for the BBC and the first Black woman to sit on the corporation’s Executive Committee, June led the D&I strategy and implementation for the BBC’s 500-million plus global audience as well as internal creative teams and external production supply chain.

June has enjoyed a 25-year career, which has already seen her become one of the most recognizable faces of British television, as well as being one of the UK’s most intelligent and dynamic hosts. June is a media phenomenon and is the only host of her generation who is equally comfortable interviewing politicians, celebrities and members of the public. June has also taken on the world’s most challenging live audiences, hosting Make Poverty History in London’s Trafalgar Square and presenting at the UK leg of Live Earth, as well as Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday celebrations in front of 30,000 people in London’s Hyde Park. From 2015-2020, June was the co-host of Sky News’s flagship weekly current affairs show ‘The Pledge’.

June is the author of three award-winning books published by Harper Collins on the subject of DEI, the first being ‘Diversify’. Diversify shines a spotlight on groups that are often marginalised in our society, including women, ethnic minorities, those living with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community. Diversify uncovers the hidden cost of exclusion and shows how a new approach to how we learn, live and do business can solve some of the most stubborn challenges we face.

June was awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) on the Queens 2007 New Year’s Honours list for her services to broadcasting and charity, making her one of the youngest people to receive an MBE. In Nov 2020 she was awarded an OBE for her services to diversity and inclusion in the creative and media industries. June was awarded ‘Lifetime Fellow’ by the RSA (Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) and voted three years running as one of the Top 10 D&I Leaders in the Global Diversity Index.

Event timings

6pm – Doors open, drinks and networking

6.30pm – Discussion begins

7.15pm – Q&A

7.30pm – Discussion ends

7.30pm – 8pm – Drinks and networking

*Please note that filming/photography will be taking place on site for the duration of this event for promotional and archival purposes. The photographs and recordings made are likely to appear on our website. If you would prefer not to be photographed please let Fora know on arrival to the event.

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