It was at the height of the pandemic last year that the man now anchoring @BTSport’s coverage of the #Ashes decided to apply to Tesco for a job as a delivery driver
thetimes.co.uk/article/bt-spo…
thetimes.co.uk/article/bt-spo…
"I’m going to have to call my husband because you look and sound exactly like that sports presenter off the telly,” one customer told him as she answered her front door
Matt Smith (@msmith850) smiled. “Actually, I am that sports presenter off the telly"
Matt Smith (@msmith850) smiled. “Actually, I am that sports presenter off the telly"
“I’ve found the experience quite grounding, really. It puts things into perspective”
Smith now juggles three jobs, his other gig being a part-time lecturer in journalism at @StaffsUni
Smith now juggles three jobs, his other gig being a part-time lecturer in journalism at @StaffsUni
“At one stage I was doing about 20 hours a week for Tesco but I’ve had to cut it back to just a couple of shifts. I’ve explained to the manager at my local branch that I won’t be around for the next couple of weeks because of the cricket, but he’s fine with that” 
Smith receives no special treatment. “I applied the same as everyone else and within a couple of days I’d been invited for an interview down in Stoke”
“So I went and, yes, they recognised me, but they were fine. I explained why I was there and they were like, ‘great’”
“So I went and, yes, they recognised me, but they were fine. I explained why I was there and they were like, ‘great’”
As you can imagine, Smith has a few stories to tell
“You do sometimes notice the way people treat you.
The majority are lovely, but from time to time someone in a bigger house will talk to you like you are staff. That can be interesting”
“You do sometimes notice the way people treat you.
The majority are lovely, but from time to time someone in a bigger house will talk to you like you are staff. That can be interesting”
He says he feels a sense of loyalty, not just towards his local branch but the customers
“One of my customers is a blind guy who was missing going to Buxton games when the football was off. It was good to be able to chat with him. In that sense the job can be very rewarding”
“One of my customers is a blind guy who was missing going to Buxton games when the football was off. It was good to be able to chat with him. In that sense the job can be very rewarding”
For the next few days, of course, Smith’s focus is back on a different style of delivery 🏏
“It’s an honour to be working on the #Ashes again,” he says. “Obviously it would be preferable to be in Australia. But these are the kind of challenges we all face at the moment"
“It’s an honour to be working on the #Ashes again,” he says. “Obviously it would be preferable to be in Australia. But these are the kind of challenges we all face at the moment"
Which, of course, means he will be in London on Christmas night
“I did suggest to my wife and kids that we make a virtue of it and spend Christmas in London; something different,” he says. “But they just looked at me and said, ‘nah, you’re alright’”
“I did suggest to my wife and kids that we make a virtue of it and spend Christmas in London; something different,” he says. “But they just looked at me and said, ‘nah, you’re alright’”
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