FLAVOUR OF THE WEEK – ANNIKA ALLEN INTERVIEW!
BROWN EYEZ caught up with the editor of Flavour Magazine Annika Allen. Read what this former Miss Jamaica UK has to say about how it all started and her difficult interview with Bobby Valentino!
How did you get into journalism?
If you ask my mum she will say that since I was 8 years old I wanted to be a journalist . I have been writing since I was a teenager for a local news paper and magazines in Birmingham and I have been interviewing celebrities since I was 15. But I went to University and have a degree in Journalism.
What made you start Flavour Magazine?
Flavour wasn’t started by me but my business partner Leonard Foster. But basically, I was freelancing as a journalist and realised that there was a gap for things that I was interested in as a writer and my friend told me about Leonard Foster who had printed a copy of the first issue of Flavour Magazine, but he needed help with the editorial side of it. We met up and went from there.
I have noticed that on the front cover of your issues you only have UK celebrities. Why is that?
There are so many magazines and websites that always look out to America for talent when we have so much talent in the UK. We need to start supporting our own industry and our own creative talent and so we made a conscious decision that on the front covers of Flavour Magazine it will only be UK talent. If it’s non UK talent then they need to be featured along UK talent to show that we are supporting our own.
Who has been your favourite interviewee?
I don’t think I could pin point one interview over another. I did enjoy doing Alexandra Burke because she was really fresh, really exciting and I was one of the first interviews she did since finishing the X Factor and going on tour. But I also enjoy interviewing normal people as we have a section called “young and ambitious” were people have done so much at such a young age, so I wouldn’t pin point one interviewee I just love journalism and learning about people.
Tell us who has been the most difficult?
The most difficult was Bobby Valentino. I’m not sure why that was, but I think it was because I was allot taller than him ( I’m 5’9), he could have been intimidated by my height. Throughout the whole interview he made everything really awkward and kept messing around trying to show that he was in charge.
What was it like diverting into the beauty industry with Miss Flavour? Why did you start up Miss Flavour?
It’s not that difficult as one of the other things I do is events. I have organised events and award shows parties and I have attended a few events so I know what does and what doesn’t work. Plus in 2002 I entered and won Miss Jamaica UK so I know what it takes to manage one if those events as well .
We were being inundated by girls that wanted to be featured on the pages of the magazine and we cant accommodate everyone and also we thought there was a gap in the market for an event like this one that’s fresh one that’s fun. It’s not miss world but you are going to get something out of it. You are going to be featured in the magazine, win prizes and people within UK industry will see your face and know who you are.
Images below from Miss Flavour 2009
Where can you see yourself in 5 years time?
For most people that know me know that I say I want to be the UK version to Oprah Winfrey, to have my own magazine, TV show, production company and write a book. I want to inspire others. I want to be a all round media girl.
Is there anything else you would like to say?
Thanks to everyone who has been involved so far, I have a fantastic team and thank you to the readers for supporting Flavour Magazine.