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Member profile: Will Evans

By 25th August 2018July 27th, 2023No Comments
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Farmer-turned-podcaster Will Evans shares the horror of listening back to his own voice, his dream Rock’n’Roll podcast interviewee, and why he’ll always look at his wellies with a tinge of sadness.

What time does your alarm go off in the morning?

6.30am. We used to milk cows here, & whilst there are many things I miss about dairy farming, the 5.30am starts aren’t one of them! 

Describe your job in a sentence

I produce beef cattle, free range eggs, and cereal crops on our family farm, whilst dabbling in a bit of podcasting on the side.

How did you get into podcasting, and what new skills have you had to learn?

I heard some farming podcasts in other counties, and thought why isn’t there one of these here in the UK? I could do that! I feel like I’m making it up as I go along most of the time, but it’s brilliant fun and I’ve had lots of new experiences through it. It’s also an absolute pleasure to show off some of the amazing people involved in UK agriculture. 

I had to learn it all from scratch, but it’s not that difficult really. Anyone could do it.

Have you got over listening back to recordings and cringing at the sound of your own voice? 

I’ll never get over it, it’s awful! I never realised that I had a laugh like an over-excited school girl before I started the podcast. 

Do you listen to other podcasts – if so, which are your favourites?

They’re the only things I listen to now apart from Test Match Special. BBC Farming Today, The Shark Farmer Podcast, History Hit, and Stuff You Should Know are probably my favourites, but I listen to lots of others too.

Who’s been your favourite person to interview?

[Spinal injury fundraiser] Colin Javens. Easily the most inspiring man I’ve ever met, and I’m proud to call him a friend. Sharing his incredible story with the wider world was a privilege. If anyone’s going to listen to just one of my podcasts, make it that one.

Who’s your dream podcast interviewee?

Bruce Springsteen. I love the guy and his music is the soundtrack to my life.

What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done in the name of work?

I don’t really get embarrassed, I like making people laugh too much for that! Though I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my farming career, hopefully I’ve learnt from them though. 

Tell us something not many people know about you

I’ve struggled with social anxiety all my life. In fact, that was one of the many reasons for starting the podcast. I wanted to force myself to speak to people I don’t know very well, and it’s really helped me with it. It’ll never go away, but most of the time I can control it. 

Evans in a minute

How do you unwind? I run. A lot. I’m doing the London Marathon for Farm Africa next year. 

What colour are your wellies? Dark green Dunlop’s. Though I lament the fact you can’t get the ones with frog eyes on in adult sizes on a daily basis. 

What’s your favourite dunking biscuit? This may be controversial, but I don’t think I’ve ever dunked a biscuit. If I was going to though, it’d be a ginger one. 

What topping should never go on a pizza? Pineapple. There’s absolutely no place for fruit on pizza. 

What one thing are you better at than anyone else? I’m an absolute champ at poaching eggs. I’m fairly average at most things, but I’d back myself to cook poached eggs for the Queen. 

What was the last TV show you binge-watched? Suits. I love the characters.