Lucy Mills: Learning to Own the Room

It all started when Lucy was 17, driven by a fascination with the media and music industries. ‘I wanted to be amazing like Fearne Cotton,’ she recalls. ‘I was obsessed with the idea of being on camera, (this was in 2010, so to relate to 2025 at the time this was same as wanting to be what is considered a valued content creator with 1m followers) of telling stories, of connecting with people.’ At college, she became the self-appointed manager of a local band, selling tickets, organising Battle of the Bands and gaining a reputation as the girl who could get people through the door.

The hustle continued when she joined Express FM, a local radio station in Portsmouth. ‘I didn’t really know how to do anything,’ she laughs, ‘but I did know how important it was to be in the room and absorb what was going on.’ That relentless drive to learn led her to opportunities with NBC News, Blue Peter and eventually the Olympics, and all by the age of 19! ‘I remember working as a runner for NBC during the (2011) royal wedding,’ she says. ‘That moment made me realise how much I loved the adrenaline of live broadcast and live events.’

One of the hardest lessons came when a producer at Blue Peter dismissed her dream of becoming a presenter before she even voiced it. ‘Before I’d even had the chance to say it, they said, ‘Everyone always says presenter, so don’t say that.’ From that moment on, I didn’t tell anyone of my fantasy of becoming a presenter. I thought, Maybe it’s not for me. Maybe I’m not good enough.’

For years, Lucy buried that dream, focusing instead on production roles. But as she built her career working on some of the biggest events in sports – from London 2012 to Paris 2024 – the desire to step in front of the camera refused to disappear. ‘I no longer wanted to deny my passion to be on camera,’ she admits. ‘I felt the performance element was always there, it just needed a stage.’

Now, Lucy is redefining what it means to be a woman in sports media – and she’s doing it her way. ‘I have always worked in a male-dominated industry but having started my career young and learning A LOT I fortunately don’t see myself as less than [men]’ she says. ‘I see myself as someone who can bring a different perspective, a different energy.’

For Lucy, emotion isn’t a weakness; it’s her edge. ‘Women shouldn’t feel they can’t use their emotions,’ she says. ‘They can still raise their voice or cry while making a professional decision and I encourage my male counterparts to give it a go! I’m also aware that there is some neurological mastery at play because when I am passionate about a job, or an idea I will walk into the kitchen and have come up with a new approach or business plan instead of doing the dishes as originally intended, I have never been diagnosed with ADHD but random strangers will occasionally point it out – good for them I guess ha!’

Having grown up in a military household, Lucy was raised to often ‘speak only when spoken to’ in certain formal environments.’ But today, she’s learnt to give herself the green light to speak up – and she’s using her platform to encourage other women to do the same. ‘I use a mantra: ‘Lucy, you give yourself the green light. GO. FOR. YOUR. LIFE.’ That’s my reminder to not hold back.’

Lucy says she still faces moments of self-doubt. ‘I know a lot of people meet me and think, Oh, she’s really confident, but there’s a filter all the time that’s checking if what I’m saying is right or wrong, is this the right audience for what I have to say or often what is it that I can do or say to entertain or make things better!’ But now, instead of second-guessing herself, she’s leaning into her emotions as a source of power. ‘Emotion gives you insight; it makes you relatable. Without it, you’re just going through the motions.’