Jake Humphrey on starting out at the BBC and being a modern man Jake Humphrey, 34, started as a BBC children's TV presenter in 2002, before moving into sport. He has presented the BBC's Olympics coverage, Match of the Day and Sports Personality of the Year. In 2009 he began hosting the BBC's Formula One coverage. His book The Inside Track (£18.99), about life behind the scenes in F1, is out now. He lives in west London with his wife, Harriet. Modern man My mum was a home economics teacher at the local secondary school. When my sister and I finished for the day at primary school we would walk 100 yards over to Mum's school and sit in on the last lesson of her day. As a result I can sew and cook. First job I did a paper round from the age of 11 until 17. My dad was great. He'd get up every single morning, make me a cup of tea and help me sort my papers. Dream job It was always my dream to be a policeman. But I took an eye test at school when I was six and it turned out I was colour blind. They gave me a letter with all the jobs I couldn't do. I scanned down the list and there was "policeman." I went home and cried. I still applied for the special constabulary when I was 19 - I hoped my eyes had sorted themselves out - but they found me out. Starting over In 2007 I had a meeting with someone in BBC Sport because I was keen to move on from children's television. She asked me, "What are your journalistic qualifications?" I told her I hadn't got any - I hadn't been to university, I had just started working in television while retaking my A-levels, and had been at the BBC for years by then. She said, "You'll never work for BBC Sport." But Niall Sloane, who was head of football at the BBC, let me go out and report from lower league football games around the country. It was like I was on work experience again. Clock Harriet and I met in 1999, and got married in 2007 in our village in Norfolk. This cottage longcase clock (pictured below) was a wedding present from my mum and dad; it was made in Norfolk by a guy called John Wells in, we think, 1822. I love to hear the chime every hour. It connects me with home. Lotus Amazingly, in 2008 I was offered the Formula One contract. I'd seen big names bandied around for it, but never thought they'd give it to the guy who was presenting Mobster Lobster on children's TV. Growing up, I'd always been into F1. Living in Norfolk we all supported Lotus, because it was based about 10 miles from my house. Ayrton Senna was one of my heroes - this is a replica of him in his Lotus car (pictured below). Photographs by Frantzesco Kangaris