A graduate of the University of Cambridge, Radio 1 star, and now the new host of Countryfile. When it comes to Vick Hope, it appears there is nothing she can’t do.
The 35-year-old broadcaster sat down for an exclusive conversation with HELLO!, during which she revealed her deep-rooted affinity for all things country and how that translates into her life at home with her husband, the world-famous music artist, Calvin Harris.
© WireImage, GettyThe star has just been named the latest host of the hit BBC One show, and whilst she confessed the move may “seem a bit left-field” for her, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Not only did Vick grow up stomping through the bushes and climbing trees in Northumberland, but she and her musical beau even own a sprawling countryside home in the Cotswolds.
© Instagram“I love having that balance,” she said of splitting her time between her city abode in London and her Cotswolds country haven.
“Obviously, my job often requires me in London and so this is part of my life because I love what I do. I’m very lucky to get to do it, but being able to have that balance is important.
“Just like with music, I take great solace from the natural world and just being outside. I grew up able to climb trees and run around the forest. There were lakes and fields. We have this beautiful coastline as well, but people don’t know,” Vick said, referring to her childhood home.
But whether it’s an appreciation for the natural world or all things music, she and her DJ husband, whose real name is Adam Wiles, couldn’t be more aligned, as they both share similar music tastes.
“[Adam and I have] very similar tastes in music. We’re always on the search for new music. We both love old music, and what can happen—I know this happens in a lot of households, like my friends’ households—is that you play a lot of the same music that you’ve always listened to, and you don’t kind of get out of that. A lot of stuff from the ’60s and ’70s gets played in our house.
“The nature of my job—and I love this part of my job—is that on Radio 1, we have BBC Introducing, so we get to play an unsigned act every week.
© Getty Images“We’ve got our Tune of the Week, which we get to choose ourselves. It’s a brand-new song from an artist that we love, whoever that may be, whether big or small, and I’m always on the lookout for what’s coming up, who’s coming up—as is Adam, because he’s surrounded by music all the time.
“So every Friday, we’ll make a point of sitting down, having New Music Friday on in the kitchen over breakfast, to hear what’s come out this week. I think it’s just a really nice thing to do—it’s like reading the news, isn’t it? I don’t know, it makes it sound kind of lame actually. You never know what gems you’re going to find.”
Vick also revealed the unexpected way her role in the music industry has been a serendipitous segue into her exciting new role on Countryfile, noting that she’s noticed a lot of young farmers tune into the radio.
© Instagram“We hear so much from young farmers on the radio. So many of our listeners on Radio 1 are young farmers or part of the Young Farmers’ Association. We always get messages from them, and we know them so well.
“When I was doing Life Hacks as well, they would get in touch so much because they’ve constantly got the radio on when they’re working—and they are long days.”
She added: “Actually, when we’ve talked about loneliness and mental health on Life Hacks, quite a lot of young farmers have got in touch.
© Instagram“I think it can often be forgotten that they are doing incredibly important work that’s the cornerstone of what we should be proud of here in the UK. Hopefully, in the future, I will be able to meet some young farmers and talk about what it is that they’re going through and what it is that they do.”
Now, just hours before the 2025 BRIT Awards, Vick has shared details of another incredible project she has been working on with singer-songwriter and BRIT School graduate Ella Eyre.
The pair have teamed up to launch Mastercard’s Mic Drop Talks, an outreach initiative that enables children from disadvantaged areas across the UK to learn about careers in the music industry that don’t just revolve around the performance side.
© Andrew Timms/MastercardVick jested: “When I was 16 and working out what I wanted to do with my life, I knew I loved music. I knew I loved the arts. I knew I loved culture. But I guess you just think, ‘Well, can I be a singer? No, because I have no discernible singing talent.’”
Mic Drop Talks will see Vick host Q&As with professionals in the music industry, such as music lawyers and sound engineers, to share their knowledge.
© Andrew Timms/MastercardTalking about visiting a school in Walthamstow as part of the initiative, Vick said: “There was one boy in particular who I really noticed kept asking questions about sound engineering. I think that’s really great because I know we have an oversaturated market when it comes to singers. We need more sound engineers.
“The boy was really excited to learn about sound engineering, which he had clearly heard about but wasn’t sure how to get into. We had a sound engineer there on the day because Ella was doing a performance, and we had Mastercard mics for our Q&A.
“So we had a sound engineer at the back, and I think it must have been like 20 to 30 minutes afterwards—we were taking photos and having chats with the kids—and this boy was deep in conversation with our sound engineer. And I just thought, That means the world, because that is the whole point.”
