Alex Jordan has always had her sights set on the big world and doing big things. We knew her as the voice that woke us up on Slam FM on weekday mornings with her partner Salt during the “Alex Jordan Morning Show”.
But since her sign off from the station in 2014, after spending four years there, Alex has been doing bigger and better things.
She’s now a host on Sportsmax TV, and does the SportsMax Zone with sports journalists Lance Whittaker and George Davis.
With such a vivacious personality and spirit, moving to Jamaica was the perfect fit for Alex.
“I’ve been doing great. I’ve been in Kingston almost four years. That’s a long time. The time flies faster and faster. Kingston is a vibrant city. Jamaica is a lovely place to live. Much of the world has a bad impression of Jamaica and it’s not really justified. I would say it’s the heartbeat of music and sport and those are the two of my favourite things, so I’ve been enjoying it very much,” Alex said.
As for her new gig at SportsMax, Alex said it’s like a dream come true for her.
“A sports lover working in sports, sometimes I have to pinch myself and ask, is this a job? I get to work alongside two great sports journalists. I’m enjoying it,” she added.
But the transition from radio to TV wasn’t a completely smooth one for Alex, but with such a determined attitude as hers, she overcame.
“Radio to TV transition has been tough. That’s been the hardest part for me. When you’re on the radio you can be your most organic self. No one is looking at you so when you’re expressing yourself you can be using your hands and your face and so on . . . . It doesn’t matter because your voice is the key thing. Whereas on TV, how you look and how you present yourself physically is crucial. So it was a big transition for me. But I think I’m getting the hang of it and doing a lot better on screen,” she explained.
This past summer though, she was given the opportunity of the lifetime to join the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) team as a TV reporter.
“It’s a lot of cricketing action and party action and just a big Caribbean vibe. I couldn’t ask for more. This year CPL brought me on with a production crew called Sunset + Vine. They’re the ones who make the TV production for CPL.
“Sportsmax has lent me out for the summer. It’s a great opportunity for me. Two hundred million people across the world watching this broadcast. So my role is reporter on Crew A. I report from the field and will speak to fans and players and so on. It’s a new skillset. Live TV on the ground on the fly, it’s been a magnificent experience,” Alex added.
For her, the highlight of the tour was coming home to work at Kensington Oval with the team.
“Coming home to Barbados is always a pleasure. I’m delighted to be at home. I remember when I bring the crew here just how gorgeous it is. We are staying on the South Coast. Barbados as a physical place is so beautiful. A lot of Bajans have been reaching out telling me they are glad to see me on TV and so on, so it’s great,” Alex said.
But as much has life as been on the up for her career wise, personally, she was dealt a blow that she’s admittedly still trying to recover from.
“Life is an ever-shifting goal post. We lost my father in 2016 [Dr Oscar Jordan] and that has been a real struggle to recover from because I miss him. That plays a bit with my happiness. But my professional life is really thriving and I’m enjoying it and I feel great job satisfaction. So that’s one part of my life covered, still working on the others. But overall life is good,” Alex explained.
As for the future, Alex said “the sky is the limit”.
“I’m very excited about what the future holds. I’m getting this opportunity in cricket now and it’s great. We have the Women’s World Cup coming up. I don’t know what the plans are but I would be very keen to get involved in that. I’m very excited. All types of projects popping up but for the moment I’m quite happy where I am,” she said.
And Alex, who plays squash, is quite appreciative of those who have helped her and all who continue to support her along her journey.
“I just want to thank Huw Bevan and the team from Sunset + Vine and Oliver McIntosh from SportsMax. I got this opportunity to work with the CPL team. That’s been great for me. Thanks to Barbados for being so welcoming to me, and my friends and family for always supporting me. I appreciate all of the support,” she added.
Alex Jordan is getting used to the on-field interviews as a TV broadcaster. Here she interviews Shimron Hetmyer of Guyana Amazon Warriors. (GP)
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