Dawn Maria France was only 16, living in the Yorkshire city of Leeds, when she marched against South Africa’s apartheid system. At the same time, she was told in her own country that she could not be a journalist because she didn’t look the part as a Caribbean/Asian woman. She did it anyway.

France is a broadcasting veteran with the likes of BBC, Sky News, and some of Europe’s largest stations. She campaigns for mental health, women, civil service diversity training, poverty, and so much more. She is an award-winning children’s author and throughout her career has interviewed scores of prominent public figures and celebrities.