• 88,961 students trained to date in public speaking and effective communication. 430,404 have heard them Speak Out
  • "Great, great, great! This Challenge has built up my confidence massively!" Michael, Barnet
  • £15,000 prize fund including 36 iPods and thousands of pounds worth of iTunes vouchers!
  • "I've never had an iPod so thanks so much! It does so much more than I realised!!" Rianna, Chelmsford
  • On track for 50,000+ unique website visitors this year
  • "I completed the workshop at Mill Hill County High School in 2008. All the skills I learnt that day have helped me during sixth form and now university." Sara, Harrow
  • Increase in confidence grows to 59.5%
  • "Thank you ever so much for such an extraordinary experience and essential life skills training. It was certainly worth it!" Olumide, Newham
  • 100% of teachers recommend the day to colleagues
  • "A wonderful GCSE speaking and listening tool!" - Mr Fowler, Teacher, Islington
  • 70% of schools now holding "Speak Out "Assemblies! - Over 50,000 students spectating.
  • "The public speaking tips cascaded down to all Year 10 students" - Vinsia Mc Queen, London
  • Students have spoken out on over 2000 topics and issues from Alcoholism to Xenophobia - here are the most recent top 5
  • Stereotyping of young people, achievements, parents, knife crime and size zero
  • "What we say is important... for in most cases the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." Jim Beggs

Grand Final Judges 2011



We are pleased to confirm our judges so far:


Mr Speaker, Rt Hon John Bercow MP


We are delighted to announce that Mr Speaker, John Bercow MP has agreed to be Head Judge at the Gala Grand Final to be held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, London on Friday 8th July 2011. Mr Speaker is a keen supporter of the "Speak Out" Challenge and no doubt, his presence on the evening will be invaluable. We are thrilled to have him on board as Chief Judge.		Mr Speaker
Mr Speaker


Virginia Ironside


Virginia started off her career as a journalist – after a book of hers, Chelsea Bird, was published when she was twenty. In the ’sixties Virginia wrote a rock column for the Daily Mail. But after suffering long bouts of depression, she decided to apply for the job of agony aunt at Woman magazine. Virginia stayed there for ten years and since then has worked as problem page editor for the Sunday Mirror and Today – and at the moment she writes the Dilemmas column for the Independent every Monday, and a monthly column for the Oldie.		VirginiaIronside
Photo by Catherine Shakespeare Lane


Garry Bushell

Garry Bushell is one of Britain’s best-known newspaper pundits. His hard-hitting column has been published in four nationals – The Sun, The Daily Star, the People and the Daily Star Sunday and he has appeared on more than 2,000 TV and radio shows. Born in Woolwich, South East London, Garry began his career as a rock writer and band manager. He was the first to write about the Specials and U2, travelled the world with Ozzy Osbourne and discovered the platinum-selling heavy metal group Twisted Sister.  Garry has contributed to Kerrang, Classic Rock, the Modern Review, the Independent, Mensa magazine, Auto Express and Mojo.

Garry Bushell
Garry Bushell


Jeremy Nicholas

Jeremy Nicholas is an award winning TV and radio broadcaster. He’s presented shows on BBC and ITV. An accomplished after dinner speaker he also teaches others how to use humour in speeches. A lifelong West Ham United fan he has worked for the club on match days since 1998. Jeremy is used to speaking to large crowds, he has also announced at Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium. He’s ridiculously excited to be on the shortlist for stadium announcer at the London 2012 Olympics.

Jeremy Nicholas
Jeremy Nicholas


Mark Easton

Mark Easton is the Home Editor for BBC News broadcasting on national television and radio news. He also writes a blog for the BBC, 'Mark Easton's UK' which was a finalist at the Online Journalism Awards in 2009 and winner of the Royal Statistical Society award for statistical excellence in journalism in 2010. His programme "Judges in the Dock" for Channel 4 Dispatches saw him named Bar Council Legal Journalist of the Year (Broadcast) 2003-04.

Mark Easton
Mark Easton


Janet Ellis

Janet began her acting career in Jackanory Playhouse for BBC TV. She worked in many theatres around the country and TV appearances included everything from Doctor Who to The Sweeney, and four years in the award winning children’s programme Jigsaw. She presented Blue Peter for four years, and went on to a varied presenting career, appearing on programmes covering topics as diverse as cars, childcare and gardens. She is now a regular weekly panellist on Five’s topical daily show The Wright Stuff.

Janet Ellis
Janet Ellis


Gemma Cairney

Gemma Cairney co-hosts the BBC 1Xtra Breakfast Show with Trevor Nelson every weekday from 7.00 to 10.00am. She is also BBC Radio 1's fashion expert and is a regular contributor to Jo Whiley's Show (weekends 1pm-4pm), dishing out fashion advice to listeners. Gemma is also a presenter on the T4 series Frock Me, alongside Alexa Chung and Henry Holland, has presented Channel 4's coverage of the 2010 Snowbombing Festival and was roving reporter for BBC Three's coverage of 1Xtra Live and the BBC's coverage of the 2009 and 2010 Glastonbury Festivals.

GemmaCairney
Photo by BBC


Tracy Brabin

Tracy Brabin is an English actress and television writer. Brabin is best remembered for her roles as clumsy waitress Sandra opposite David Jason in A Bit of a Do (YTV), Tricia Armstrong in Coronation Street from 1994 to 1997 and Ginny in Richard Harris's Outside Edge. She has also appeared in EastEnders as Roxy Drake, The Ghost Hunter as Mrs Oliver (BBC television), and Love + Hate directed by Dominic Savage. Brabin has written for Heartbeat, Family Affairs, Crossroads, Tracy Beaker, and was team writer on Hollyoaks for two years.

Tracy Brabin
Tracy Brabin


Ann Slater

Ann Slater is the Dean of the Cass School of Education at the University of East London Ann joined UEL in 1992 to work on the primary PGCE and prior to this was the acting head teacher of a large local junior school. Since joining UEL, Ann has been co-ordinator for teacher education and the programme leader for the primary PGCE. UEL trains more than 500 primary, secondary and post compulsory teachers every year.

Ann Slater
Ann Slater


Malachi Talabi

Malachi Talabi is a dynamic speaker, author, youth mentor and the current Toastmasters International UK and Ireland public speaking champion.  Malachi’s passion is to empower individuals to use their gifts and talents to its full potential. He will be travelling to Las Vegas in August to represent the UK and Ireland in the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking competition.

Malachi Talabi
Malachi Talabi