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| Giving politics a celebrity boost | Giving politics a celebrity boost |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| By Jackie Storer Political reporter, BBC News There are not many places where you will find Kylie Minogue hanging out with Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti and model Lily Cole. | By Jackie Storer Political reporter, BBC News There are not many places where you will find Kylie Minogue hanging out with Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti and model Lily Cole. |
| Ms Sarpong has an MBE for services to broadcasting and charity work | Ms Sarpong has an MBE for services to broadcasting and charity work |
| But TV presenter June Sarpong hopes her new website, www.politicsandthecity.com, will be the cool place for all ambitious women to be. | But TV presenter June Sarpong hopes her new website, www.politicsandthecity.com, will be the cool place for all ambitious women to be. |
| The 31-year-old, best known to teenagers as the face of Channel 4's youth programme T4, reckons there is a gap in the market for fashionable young women who like celebrities and gossip - but also want to keep on top of current affairs. | |
| The result is a slick looking site which covers, politics, news, fashion, beauty, gossip and music. | The result is a slick looking site which covers, politics, news, fashion, beauty, gossip and music. |
| 'Boys' club' | 'Boys' club' |
| She promises celebrity blogs will be written by Tamara Mellon, Natasha Bedingfield, Kathy Lette, Baroness Amos and Kelly Hoppen. | She promises celebrity blogs will be written by Tamara Mellon, Natasha Bedingfield, Kathy Lette, Baroness Amos and Kelly Hoppen. |
| And she is keeping people hooked up with breaking news by linking her ticker to the BBC News website. | And she is keeping people hooked up with breaking news by linking her ticker to the BBC News website. |
| If it's only men, or mostly men, involved in the political process, that's no good June Sarpong | If it's only men, or mostly men, involved in the political process, that's no good June Sarpong |
| So what is the idea behind this fusion of politics and entertainment? | So what is the idea behind this fusion of politics and entertainment? |
| "I think women in this country feel disenfranchised, politically," she told The Independent. "It's such a boys' club. | "I think women in this country feel disenfranchised, politically," she told The Independent. "It's such a boys' club. |
| "It makes no sense that it's such a male-dominated area when it's something that affects us all. If it's only men, or mostly men, involved in the political process, that's no good." | "It makes no sense that it's such a male-dominated area when it's something that affects us all. If it's only men, or mostly men, involved in the political process, that's no good." |
| She says she wants her site, which has the backing of two private investors, to keep women informed.Kylie Minogue is set to write a blog for June Sarpong's site | She says she wants her site, which has the backing of two private investors, to keep women informed.Kylie Minogue is set to write a blog for June Sarpong's site |
| "So many of my girlfriends, who are smart, successful women, don't have a clue about politics - and it's not because they don't want to," she says. | "So many of my girlfriends, who are smart, successful women, don't have a clue about politics - and it's not because they don't want to," she says. |
| "Often they don't feel confident speaking up because they don't feel knowledgeable enough. Newspapers assume an awful lot of knowledge. | "Often they don't feel confident speaking up because they don't feel knowledgeable enough. Newspapers assume an awful lot of knowledge. |
| "On the website, we have a box with each subject that will explain things clearly - you know, this is all you need to know about the Lisbon treaty." | "On the website, we have a box with each subject that will explain things clearly - you know, this is all you need to know about the Lisbon treaty." |
| To keep the content mix right, Ms Sarpong, who was awarded an MBE for her work for the Prince's Trust, has hired four journalists - two specialising in politics and two from glossy magazines. | To keep the content mix right, Ms Sarpong, who was awarded an MBE for her work for the Prince's Trust, has hired four journalists - two specialising in politics and two from glossy magazines. |
| While she is an old hand at interviewing politicians, including world leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Gordon Brown - there is still one man who eludes her... David Cameron. | While she is an old hand at interviewing politicians, including world leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Gordon Brown - there is still one man who eludes her... David Cameron. |
| Cut-off date | Cut-off date |
| "I'd love to interview him. I've met him. I think he's got that Blair factor, in terms of making you feel very important," she says. | "I'd love to interview him. I've met him. I think he's got that Blair factor, in terms of making you feel very important," she says. |
| JUNE SARPONG Aged: 31Born: Leytonstone, east London to Ghanaian parentsWorked for: Channel 4's T4; BBC Three's Strictly Dance Fever; ITV2's Wags' Boutique and Kiss FMCharity work: The Prince's Trust, Kids Company and Make Poverty HistoryInterviewed: Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Gordon Brown | JUNE SARPONG Aged: 31Born: Leytonstone, east London to Ghanaian parentsWorked for: Channel 4's T4; BBC Three's Strictly Dance Fever; ITV2's Wags' Boutique and Kiss FMCharity work: The Prince's Trust, Kids Company and Make Poverty HistoryInterviewed: Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Gordon Brown |
| "I like what he's doing on family and in making the Conservative Party more fashionable. But you have to wait and see. You don't know what people are really like until they're in power." | "I like what he's doing on family and in making the Conservative Party more fashionable. But you have to wait and see. You don't know what people are really like until they're in power." |
| But the former girlfriend of skills minister David Lammy believes politicians should not be allowed to be in power forever. | But the former girlfriend of skills minister David Lammy believes politicians should not be allowed to be in power forever. |
| "I like the American system of eight years maximum for a president - I think that's enough for anyone. | "I like the American system of eight years maximum for a president - I think that's enough for anyone. |
| "Even if you go into the job with the best intentions, leaving [No 10] must be very difficult. That job is so all-consuming - what else are you going to do? | "Even if you go into the job with the best intentions, leaving [No 10] must be very difficult. That job is so all-consuming - what else are you going to do? |
| "There aren't many jobs that give you the adrenalin of being prime minister - I think they get addicted to the adrenalin more than anything else." | "There aren't many jobs that give you the adrenalin of being prime minister - I think they get addicted to the adrenalin more than anything else." |