12
WORK
LIF E
9 3
A�ONE-DAY�DIARY��
FROM�MORNING�LATTE
TO�LIGHTS�OUT
Gloria de
Piero, political
correspondent
Gloria de Piero, 36, works for GMTV.
She lives in South London with
her boyfriend James Robinson, 37,
a writer for the Media Guardian
My working day starts at 3.30am. I set
the alarm for 4am, but infuriatingly
I always wake up before. I lay out my
clothes the previous night
and blow-dry my hair so
that all I have to do is have
a shower, re-style my hair,
throw on my clothes and
leave. A lot of my work is
outside so I have to dress
warmly. I have more than
30 coats because that’s what
the viewer sees me in, and
I wear a mix of high street
and designer. I love Wallis
and Marks & Spencer, but I
have some Diane von Furstenberg
pieces and a Hervé Léger dress, too.
A car comes at 4.20am to take me
to the GMTV office in Westminster. I
have cereal and coffee then spend the
next hour going through my notes and
I’d have loved to be a university lecturer. Isn’t uni everyone’s favourite time? I was quite good at studying; I got
a First from Westminster and went on to do an MA at Birkbeck. I wouldn’t be a tweed-wearing, bike riding
lecturer though; I’d be one that tries to look like the students in a sad but endearing way. I think I would have
taught something like women’s studies or social policy. Obviously the holidays would be incredible and it would
have fun to be in the company of young people all the time. I used to have one lecture which started at 9.30am
which I always thought was insanely early, and I now get up at 3.30am! How things change. If I were a lecturer,
I’d be more rested but it would probably be less exciting that what I do now.
����WWW�STYLIST�CO�UK
6
SHE STILL GETS
NERVOUS APPEARING
ON CAMERA
thinking
about what
I’m going to
say on that
morning’s
broadcast –
I write them
all myself. At
5.30am, I go into make-up. I’ve learnt
how to do my own because it gives me
an extra 15 minutes in bed. You have to
cake it on to look even slightly normal
on TV. There are a few basics I rely on:
Chanel Vitalimière Satin Smoothing
Fluid foundation, Lancôme Hypnôse
Drama mascara and Clarins Colour
Quench lip balm.
Once I’m presentable, I walk to the
House of Commons and put my mike
on for my first bulletin at 6.30am. I’m
in front of camera every half hour till
8.30am. I still get nervous – it feels like
staring down a barrel and talking to
no one. I’m on stand-by till 9am and
then I wander back to the office. I get
pushed along by the crowds just
beginning their working days when
I’m already finished.
I go back and brief the team with
any leads, have a sandwich and then
MY�PLAN�B��A�UNIVERSITY�LECTURER�
GLORIA FINISHES HER
WORKING DAY JUST AS MOST
PEOPLE HEAD TO THE OFFICE
go home. I’ve got a thing for naff crime
dramas, so I crawl into bed at 12.30pm
and watch Cracker or Criminal Justice
until I fall asleep. After a quick nap,
I either go for a swim or do a crazy
exercise DVD like Natalie Cassidy’s
to wake me up.
At about 4pm I start work again
– chasing interviews and keeping my
office in the loop for the following day.
I’m sent memos from the political
“I’m on first-name
terms with half the
cabinet now – how
amazing is that?”
parties at the beginning of each week,
so I know what I should be chasing
up. Then it’s just a matter of keeping
my ear to the ground. I take politicians
out every Thursday night to J Sheekey
or The Cinnamon Club. Politicians are
best when you treat them as human
beings. If you question them about
politics, they always give you preprepared
replies, but make it real life
– their kids, education, experiences –
and it becomes hard to filibuster an
answer. I’m on first-name terms with
half the cabinet and half the shadow
cabinet now – how amazing is that?
I have dinner at around 5pm – just a
bowl of pasta or a jacket potato. James
is the cook at home. He makes a mean
Sunday roast. At the weekend, work
tends to creep in as I have to watch
all the political shows and read the
papers. We spend all of Saturday
together though, and Friday is my
night for going out with my friends
– I was out with Kate Garraway last
Friday at the Ivy, it was a blast.
James is very supportive of my
work. He’s a journalist too, and we’re
forever debating politics. I’ll never stop
being interested in it. I blame my dad,
Giorgio. He used to watch This Week
and it sunk into me via osmosis. It’s
such an exciting time. The conferences
were fascinating, although I’m a bit
too ‘experienced’ to enjoy the parties
– I’m in bed by 10pm. Then there’s the
election. People act like it’s a foregone
conclusion, but as Harold Wilson said:
“A week is a long time in politics.”
I haven’t seen a race this close since
I started working in politics.
GLORIA: DREAMING
OF SWAPPING HER
MICROPHONE FOR CHALK
WORDS��AMY�GRIER���PHOTOGRAPHY��DEAN�BELCHER��GETTY�IMAGES���HAIR�&�MAKE-UP��SOPHIA�KNIGHT
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