Former BBC newsreader Kate Silverton has opened up about swapping her successful news career for becoming a qualified child therapist.
In 2021, Silverton left her role as a newsreader because she was inspired by her “love” for child psychology.
“My academic background is in child psychology, and becoming a mum really inspired me too,” she told the PA news agency.
She continued: “My journey has really been decades long, both in understanding more about children’s mental health, and as a parent really benefiting from all the interviews and access to advice that I was given by incredible people.”
The 52-year-old, who currently works in a primary school supporting young children with complex needs, admitted that when she competed in BBC’s ballroom dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 (she was paired with professional dancer Aljaž Škorjanec and finished eighth), it was with a view of leaving journalism to train as a child therapist.
“My interest has been long-held, and I’ve now qualified, and it’s absolutely my life’s passion. So I’ll be using journalism and all my presenting experience to raise awareness around children’s mental health and really to support parents.
“I’ve had an incredible life in journalism [presenting BBC News at One and BBC Breakfast, among other high-profile TV and radio roles], and many, many years that have been really fulfilling. I think you’re always drawing upon the experiences you’ve picked up before, but as a mum especially, for me, this is now where home is, and will become my life’s work.”
Silverton’s two children, Clemency, 11, and Wilbur, eight, are now aged 11 and eight, and were conceived naturally after Silverton and her husband, Mike Heron, tried IVF but it wasn’t successful. She continued to work as a journalist after Clemency was born, but took two years off when she had Wilbur in 2014.
“I was freelance, but it got to the point where I thought I can’t physically do this – you know, I’m an older parent as well,” she said.
“I had to make a judgement call – and I can only ever speak for myself, there’s no judgement for others. But I took two years out because I just couldn’t see any other way of doing everything, and doing it the way I hoped to.
“It’s really, really hard for parents now, and I say to a lot of the parents I speak to in my clinical work, ‘Please, please, please do not berate yourself, we are living in a very challenging time’. We’re pulled in so many ways, we’re still doing a lot of work at home, and we’re expected to be present either at work, and/or at home.
“So there’s no easy answer. But I think we owe it to our children to start asking, is this really working for us as parents? And is it working for our children?”
Silverton, who is currently working on her second parenting book, added that she sees her career change as a “second act” in her life.
“Ultimately, I thought I don’t want to be doing this, I don’t want to be in the newsroom on a Saturday night when my children are at home with my husband,” she said.
With additional reporting from PA.
