I worked in a pet shop and Sports Direct – now I’m one of the UK’s best commentators working for ITV and Sky Sports
BECOMING a football commentator is no easy feat, as Seb Hutchinson can attest.
Fans may recognise Hutchinson’s voice when they tune in to watch ITV or Sky Sports.
The 39-year-old worked across both the men’s and women’s World Cups and was the lead commentator on the latter.
His portfolio also features work on the Rugby World Cup and Olympic Games, as well as a total of FOUR World Cups.
He also features across Sky’s Premier League, League Cup and Women’s Super League coverage, with his voice work being heard over Manchester United‘s dramatic 2-1 win over Brentford.
But Hutchinson, who hails from east London, has now revealed the inspirational story it took him to get there.
Speaking to The Athletic as part of their series on UK Black History Month, Hutchinson revealed how he got started in the industry and the daring leaps he had to make in order to fulfil his dream.
He said: “I was a producer for ITV. Then I said, ‘I need to focus on my commentary.’ It was always ticking away at the back of my mind.
“Being a producer was great, but I needed to follow my childhood dream. I went freelance; which was a massive risk, but I was young, had no responsibility, so I was able to do it.
“Some people felt I was making a silly decision but I didn’t feel that way. I was confident in my ability to get work.”
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Hutchinson had been telling friends and family about the dream he held of becoming a sports commentator since he was 10 years old, but admitted he received little help from career advisers in school.
Even Hutchinson’s footballing father Ray – who starred in Leyton Orient‘s academy before an injury-ravaged career saw him become a coach – was unable to provide much assistance.
However, the splitting up of his parents pushed him even harder to achieve this dream.
Prior to heading to Staffordshire University – where he graduated from in 2009 – for a sports journalism course, Hutchinson had held down jobs at a pet store, at Sports Direct and as a security guard.
He said: “When my parents split up, that pushed me even more. I did a sports journalism course at Staffordshire University and that helped me get closer to the industry.
“From that, I sent out 20 letters asking people for a job, but only three got back to me — a club TV channel, ITV and BBC Sport regional.
“The people who rejected me would often say, ‘We don’t have this position available’.
“You could look at that in two ways: one, they’re lying to me, or they actually don’t have that position available. But I started to adopt the mindset that they’re just not ready for me.”
Hutchinson revealed to The Voice in 2021 he has drawn inspiration from stars he watched and listened to such as Frank Bruno, Linford Christie, Harry Carpenter, Brian Moore and David Coleman.
Being a producer was great, but I needed to follow my childhood dream. I went freelance; which was a massive risk. But I was confident in my ability to get work.
Seb Hutchinson
Despite now throwing his weight around with the big boys of commentary, Hutchinson remains diligent in his pre-match preparation, arriving at the stadium three hours early.
He said to The Athletic: “Voice is the one of most important things. My style might not be for everyone but the way I look at it is, it’s not about accent, it’s about delivery.
“When my family and close friends heard me on TV for the first time, they said, ‘I knew you’d do it’. I looked up to Brian Moore, because he kept it simple but had emotion in his voice. That’s how I try to be.
“The last game I did was Manchester United against Brentford. You’re coming towards the end of a game like that and you have to think about the bigger picture.
“Scott McTominay scoring twice would’ve felt big for Manchester United.
“People talk about ‘Fergie Time’ but that day was (when United honoured) the passing of Sir Alex Ferguson’s wife, so I thought, ‘It’s not the right moment to talk about Sir Alex.’ You have to be sensitive to certain things.”
In a similar vein to Alex Scott for women’s representation, Hutchinson can be considered somewhat of a trailblazer in the sports journalism industry as one of few the black commentators in the UK.
But Hutchinson admits it was never his explicit intention to be one, and was rather just focused on making his dream a reality.
He added: “I never looked at it as trying to be the first Black commentator. I look at the England team and the players in the Premier League and a good majority are Black.
“My mind goes back to university days, when there were hardly any Black people, but I felt comfortable and I didn’t feel out of place.
“I guess my mindset comes from my parents, because they always made me believe in myself. They didn’t stop me from pursuing my dreams.”