‘I'M THE FIRST TO WATCH MATCH OF THE DAY IN MY HOUSE!''

SPORTS PRESENTER SEEMA JASWAL TELLS OK! HOW SHE WENT FROM TV RUNNER TO FRONTING ITV’S COVERAGE OF THE EUROS

- KIRSTY HATCHER

For those of you who don’t know Seema Jaswal – you soon will. This summer the presenter is the face of sport, fronting ITV’s Euro 2020 coverage alongside the likes of footie legends Ian Wright, Gary Neville, Eni Aluko and Mark Pougatch.

Seema started out as a runner on Sky Sports News before cutting her teeth as a presenter on a shopping channel in the early hours of the morning. But her real career turning point came in 2015 when she was asked to present the Indian Super League and she and her husband Ajay upped sticks and moved to India for 18 months. From there she says her opportunities “snowballed”, and it’s safe to say she’s never looked back.

From presenting the World Snooker Championships and the Cricket World Cup to hosting the global coverage of the Premier League, the 36-year-old does it all and is thriving in a male-dominated industry.

Seema’s love of sport has not only led her to where she is today, it also helped saved her life. At the age of 16, while at college where she played tennis, netball and danced while studying for her A-Levels, she contracted meningitis and fell into a coma. After a stay in hospital she went on to make a full recovery, but doctors told her if she hadn’t been so sporty the outcome could have been “very different”.

Here Seema, who lives in London and is an ambassador for Meningitis Now, tells OK! about her proudest moments and the unwavering support she receives from her male peers…

Euro 2020 kicks off this week and you’re one of the main presenters for ITV. How does it feel?