Made in England by Nigerians. Femi Oke is a British-Nigerian journalist who was born in London, and spent her formative years being fostered by the Cheeseman family in Kent. Femi often attributes being raised by a black Nigerian family and a white English family as her superpower, because she’s completely comfortable talking to people from all cultures and backgrounds.

There were some pretty big clues about what Femi would be when she grew up. At age 8 she spent her week collecting “news” from family members. The ten-minute Oke Bulletin was presented over steaming plates of Jollof rice and stew.

By the age of 25 Femi was a presenter on the legendary U.K music show Top of the Pops. She’s worked for major networks including BBC television and radio, Sky TV, ITV, National Geographic Channel, CNN International, Al Jazeera English and National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States. Her pro-tips for longevity in the media are:

“Don’t let rejection put you off. Treat a no as the scenic route to yes.”

Femi can currently be heard reporting and narrating “CURSED” a true crime 10-part documentary series for Audible, and Season 5 of The Negotiators podcast for Foreign Policy and Doha Debates. 

Based in Washington, D.C. where she hosted the live interactive news and current affairs show “The Stream” on Al Jazeera English for a decade, it’s rare to catch her in America’s capital. Typically she’s moderating conferences around the world, and leading the talented team at Moderate The Panel, the diverse global events company she co-founded in 2018.

Decades after she started out as a young reporter Femi is loving that she’s busier than ever, and attributes her long career in the media to a passion for journalism and excellent moisturiser.