A Conversation with Gemma Hunt: TV Presenter, Author and Actress

What is your earliest memory of Church or God? Were you a ‘Sunday school’ kid?

I remember going along to my mum's church in Trowbridge – Bethesda Baptist Church – and I remember sitting in the pews (because we had pews back in the 80s!). And I remember there being a massive organ at the front and lots of wooden panelling. I was always really intrigued to know whether I could actually play the organ. Some of us kids would sneak back into the church after a service when everybody was having tea and coffee and try and play it. But it was never actually turned on, so we never got a sound out of it. But I remember having lots of fun running around, getting up to mischief, and yes, I was a 'Sunday school' kid.

I was that irritating child in Sunday school, I think, because my parents separated when I was 4 and so I went along to church with my mum. Because the Sunday school teachers were so kind and gracious and lovely, I just pushed it with them. I couldn't get away with it at home. So, I was a little bit mischievous, but I really loved listening to the stories and getting involved in the crafts and singing songs. It was always such a joyful time for me.

Can you tell us about how you came to faith?

As I went along to church with my mum, I was at church every other weekend. I didn’t go to church with my dad – who was from a Christian family but didn't practise. I would love going along to church on Sundays with my mum. And it was when I was about 11, I went off to a summer camp: Old Hill House in Bridgewater. That's when I met lots of other young people who were of faith, and it just brought Christianity to life for me. Going to camp for a whole week away from family, staying in a tent with friends, with young leaders who were excitable and passionate for faith.

And I loved doing quiet times together and activities and sports and swimming during the day and then having a church service every single night. It was one evening when we were at a session that they showed the video of the crucifixion from one of the old Jesus movies. I'm not sure which one it was, but I remember sitting there and thinking, 'Wow, Jesus went through all that, he gave his life for me!' And yes, I may only have been 11 and may not have been a complete sinner, but I'd still sinned, of course, I’d messed up. I was that mischievous kid at school, I was a bit cheeky to my parents, and all the things that an 11-year-old would do, and I just wanted to say sorry. I wanted to make a fresh start. So, I came to faith. I asked Jesus to be my best friend and I have not looked back.

You had this incredible moment at Soul Survivor (a Christian camping festival in the UK) when someone prophesied over you. How old were you when that happened? Can you tell us about the impact it had on you?

I was about 16 when I was given this prophecy at Soul Survivor. It was a call to the front. I don't know who was speaking that night, but they talked about working in the media. I just had a real heart for getting into kids’ TV. I think I just wanted to be a Blue Peter presenter. And so, I went to the front.

I had a real conviction to go to the front and get prayer. Somebody came over to me and said, 'You will be salt and light in the dark place of the media.' That really stuck with me.

Could you share a moment or two where you feel like God has really worked through you in the media-world?

I remember being on a job where I'd been kind of, gently, witnessing to friends of mine that I was working alongside, and then somebody else joined our presenting team and she was really interested to hear that I went to church on our days off. And so, she asked if she could come and I thought, 'Yeah, great!'

Of course I hadn't even thought about asking her, but she wanted to come, and then she came and had this incredible experience with God and then came back to work the next day, raving about it. And then the other people that I'd been sort of gently witnessing to for the last couple of years, she then invited them to come to church the next week, and they did. So that was amazing.

Thousands of children know you as Gem from Swashbuckle. Do you often get recognized?

I do if I have my hair down. Often, I've got my hair up in a mum-bun and you can't always tell that it's me! But I quite like it when I do. I like the fact that people recognise me for doing something that they enjoy.

How do you attempt to be salt and light in those scenarios?

Do you know what? I just give people time. Because that's what I have in that moment. And if I do have the time, I will stop, and I'll chat, and ask questions. I'll ask them what they like about the show and offer to have a photograph taken with them. And that's really special because that's something then that they can keep, and they can put in their bedrooms. And I've often been told of children that have pictures of us framed in their room, which is very, very sweet.

The Alpha Course is used worldwide. How did you get invited into that project?

Well, it was a bit of a funny story, really, because I was away working on a CBeebies’ job and I kept getting these missed calls and voicemails from somebody who was talking about this 'Alpha Project,' and whether I'd consider getting involved. And to be honest, I ignored it because I was busy.

And then the producer working on the CBeebies’ job, he is also a Christian, and he got a phone call (because the Christian world is very small, and people know people). So, somebody from Alpha contacted my producer, who then said to me, 'Gem, I've had a call from some guys from Alpha. They're trying to get hold of you. I think you need to take their call. It's pretty important.'

So, then I did take the call. And, after auditioning, I was offered the job, and it was amazing. It was such a privilege to be a part of.

Did you have any idea it would be utilized the way it has been?

No, I just didn't even consider the fact that it would be used all around the world, translated into countless different languages, and would help people explore faith and answer some of life's big questions. I mean, I knew that Alpha was an international project, but I didn't really think of the size of it. I just wanted to be obedient to the call that God was obviously inviting me to, which is probably why I was so resistant to it. Because I was meant to do it.

You have a daughter, who is 7 years-old, and you began writing books for her to better represent the diversity of your family. In what way do you now think about other children through the lens of being a parent yourself?

I have a different type of empathy and love for children now. I appreciate just how important children's books are and how good literature being representative and diverse is so important as that is the environment, the climate, the society that our children are currently living in. So, therefore, they need to see their lives represented in books and I love the fact that I've been able to do that for other children. The number of parents that I meet, when I do church events or book signings, that say it's so good to see a mixed-race family – we're a mixed-race family – we never see ourselves represented and that is just so common. So, the fact that I've been able to do that now is just fab.

Let’s talk about your books! You’ve now published two children’s books (that are wonderful, by the way!), and I imagine you’ve got more in mind. What does your heart most want to convey to the kids (and grown-ups!) who read your work?

I really want to encourage family time: time to get off the screens, to spend intentional time together reading books, and whether that is a grown-up reading to a child or a child reading to their grown-up or just an adult flicking through a children's book and indulging that inner child in them! I think it's important to encourage time together and time to be creative in your imagination. So, I really want to be able to do that and if I can incorporate my faith into stories that will help and encourage other people and inspire children and families then, that's great.

And, in the two books that I have, you'll notice that the fonts in the book are different. There's not just one plain font all the way through. There are different ones that have different patterns or different boldness to them. And that's intentional because I also want to encourage adults in storytelling. I think some parents aren't confident when it comes to telling stories to their kids. And so being able to give them a book where, if a word is written in bold and you get that, you speak it with emphasis. I'm hoping that that will also help them to narrate the stories and really bring them off the page for their children.

Our audience is primarily children’s and youth ministry leaders. What is one piece of encouragement you’d give to them if you were sitting across a café table with them?

Ooooh! Okay, I'd say, 'Really listen to what the children are saying.' I think often as adults we can have other agendas, or we can manipulate what we want the children to do or how we want them to respond. And I think we need to just listen to them and find out what works for them, what doesn't work for them, what brings them joy, what fills them with fear, and we need to help them and to manage those big feelings. And do things to accommodate them to support them.

I think that children need to be heard. Do you remember that old saying when we were younger that children should be seen and not heard? Oh gosh, that absolutely breaks my heart that a lot of us were raised thinking that and I don't think that this society now necessarily endorses that, which is good. But children need to feel seen, and they need to feel heard. And so, if we can do things that they're telling us that they need then that's great because if they feel like they've been seen, they know that they're important; and if they feel like they've been heard, they know that their voice matters.

Gemma Hunt grew up in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, and earned a first-class degree in Media Performance from the University of Bedfordshire. Shortly after graduating in 2003, she joined the CBBC team, working on various CBBC and CBeebies shows. She is best known for playing 'Gem' on Swashbuckle, which has filmed over 200 episodes and earned her a Children’s BAFTA nomination. Gemma has traveled globally for her work, presenting shows like Smile, Xchange, and Best of Friends, and reporting from significant events. She now presents on Songs of Praise and is an ambassador for the Waterproofs and Wellies Foundation. Gemma also hosts a BBC Education Radio show and appears at festivals and events, including the Alpha Film Series. For more information, visit www.gemmahunt.com.