Swarzy Macaly

Swarzy is a powerhouse in both radio broadcasting and public speaking.

Based in London, Swarzy hosts the BBC Radio 1XTRA Weekend Breakfast Show every Saturday from 7-10am. Her radio journey has come full circle after she won a competition to become a radio presenter at KISS FM in 2016 to now being the voice of BBC Sounds. Along the way, her love for community and social justice has led to her contributing to various shows on BBC Radio 5 Live, Paddy O’Connell’s Paper Review on BBC Radio 4, and the Daily Service programme on BBC Radio 4 as well.

As a BBC Radio 1XTRA Presenter and former KISS FM Presenter, Swarzy captivates audiences with her engaging style and ability to tackle a wide range of topics. Her passion for social change, sustainability, and climate issues has led to notable opportunities, including hosting panels at COP26 and most recently at the BBC Climate Creative event where Swarzy interviewed commissioners across the major TV networks to discuss storytelling and the importance of seeing the global majority on screen. She’s also a sought-after Moderator, Keynote Speaker, and Event Host, known for her impactful presentations on racism, diversity, womanhood, and inclusivity and has moderated discussions and panels for companies such as Unilever, OfCom, Group M, ITV, and CICC to name a few.

Swarzy can always be trusted to bring the fun and energy into every event she hosts, making her a popular choice for brands looking to elevate their company away days, panels, and creative sessions. Her dynamic presence has graced events for NIKE, JCDecaux, TikTok, BBC Studios, The Podcast Show London, Commonwealth Games 2022, BBC Bitesize Tour, Somerset House, The Barbican, BOXPARK, SOHO House, and Limitless Live held at the Roundhouse in London where over 1,000 young people gathered to celebrate the power of music. As well as her speaking engagements, Swarzy’s passion for sports has led her to host sports days and youth bus events for NIKE; moderate regular panel discussions around community and culture at BSTN’s flagship store in Brixton; host a weekly chat show on all things boxing for DAZN; cover British basketball for Midnight Madness; and emcee the NEC Stadium during the Badminton events at the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Alongside radio and in response to Covid-19 and the first national lockdown in 2020, Swarzy became the official presenter for My Life My Say’s Quarantine Question Time. Through this platform, she hosted a range of conversations with special guests, including Sir Keir Starmer, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, comedian Munya Chawawa, Reverend Al Sharpton, as well as Former White House Chief of Staff and Counsellor to President Obama, John Podesta. In addition to hosting MLMS’ annual Next Generation Conference, Swarzy later became a trustee of the charity and joined forces to launch their first live chat show, Make It Make Sense.

In 2017, after feeling disappointed by the lack of representation across all industries, Swarzy took action and established her own platform called Too Much Source – an annual exhibition with live events dedicated to celebrating Black British creatives who are making history today. To commemorate the fifth anniversary of Too Much Source, Swarzy collaborated with the Barbican to host an exhibition featuring panel events focussed on the themes of ‘rest and resilience’, while also providing young people with career opportunities to break into the creative industries. Previously, Swarzy has curated her exhibitions and live events in partnership with renowned brands and companies such as Roundhouse, KISS, BBC Creative, and BOXPARK.

Swarzy’s accolades include winning Best Presenter at the UK Entertainment Awards and being named one of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Black History Month Next Generation Trailblazers in 2020. She continues to captivate audiences, most recently hosting the London New Year’s Day Parade on live TV in 2024 and 2022 with millions of viewers tuning in across the UK and USA.

The recurring feedback Swarzy consistently receives is how she “brought the energy”; a testament to her charisma and ability to effortlessly lift the room and ensure a memorable experience for all attendees.