Gracing our screens on the Netflix spinoff, Buying London, Olivia Wayne captivated every scene with her inquisitive personality and flawless style. And her ease in front of the screen shouldn’t come as a surprise from a woman who had an impressive career as a journalist for Sky and as a content creator in property, fashion and the health & wellness industry. 

We got the chance to speak to Olivia about her ability to be a force multiplier on the show, her favourite neighbourhoods in London and why, if she could film inside anyone’s home, it would have to be Octomom.

Do you remember where and how you found out about doing Buying London?

I remember exactly where I was when I found out about Buying London. I was in the gym and I was doing a workout and my phone rang and normally because I only do a 20 minute workout I'll pick it up after but it was a random number so I thought I'd pick up just in case it's something important or it’s a delivery that can’t get in or whatever. 

I picked it up and it was this lovely girl saying, "Hello, I work at Naked TV", which is a production company, ’and I've been given your number by Daniel Daggers and we’re doing a show and wanted to talk to you about it’ and thus began my Buying London journey.

In Buying London you came across as something they like to call in the reality tv world as a ‘force multiplier’ — someone who helps to push the story by asking questions to elevate a scene. Do you think that came naturally?

I absolutely love that term force multiplier! I've never heard of it but I love it. I always want to be a force to be reckoned with so that fits nicely for me. That part of my character and personality was highlighted in the show very well, lots of things didn't make the cut but that part I think was very authentic and truly me. 

I do like to be someone that chats to people especially during their problems, discusses things and tries to make them question, debate and see the other side or help them through an issue - it’s something I try and take seriously, especially for my friends.  I want to be a good sounding board and I want to help them reach a good decision for themselves. I do also feel it's important to speak up if I don’t think something is necessarily right, so love that role, love that term and yes it’s very me.

If we take it back to before we knew you on Netflix, how did you get into being a journalist at Sky Sports?

Before I was on Buying London my career started predominantly in fashion actually, running around fashion weeks, producing and presenting content for really big online destinations like l.com and Net-a-Porter and from there I had a great showreel like interviews and the most amazing fashion designers and models and I guess celebs of the time who were at the shows. I then got invited to a screen test at Sky where I thought I would give it a go because it seemed so much  fun to sit at the live TV presenting set up with someone talking to me in my ear and I just went in really excited, really up for it and ultimately I got the job.

A caveat to that is that I then had to go and do a journalism degree. I had to train and learn a lot about how to be a proper news presenter not just kind of like a run around grabbing snippets from people kind of presenter. It was live television so I did a lot of training and a lot of work, but the boss when he hired me, I will always be forever grateful to him but he said we can teach you presenting, you can learn journalism but you can't teach that connection down the lens, and when I look at you on the screen its like in in the pub with a friend catching up and that's what it should be so that was very generous and kind of him to say that. I think that's ultimately what being a presenter is, it's about that connection with your audience and also delivering information in a relatable, likeable and easily digestible way.

You’ve mentioned in the past that property felt like the next exciting course for your career after being a journalist at Sky Sports and you’re also part of the fashion and wellness world. What’s the biggest challenge and difference when it comes to creating content for these areas?

I'm definitely more ‘in front of the camera’ than ever behind it. In the show it was sometimes hard to get that role across in a timely kind of way, so yes I am kind of in marketing but more ‘the face of’ rather than behind the camera. But in properties, it is completely different, because it's very hard to show the scale and scope of the place, the feel of a home, the vibe and energy of a property so that's why really having someone to talk to about it, talk to the interior designers, the planners, the builders and the developers about it is so important to give context to the space and the vibe so it's definitely a different thing to interviewing a person or talking about clothes. Just the scale, the craftsmanship the area, the feeling, the history and the culture it’s all quite different but really exciting.

What’s your favourite neighbourhood in London?

That’s such a hard one, but it has to go to Hampstead. I think the vibe, the high street, the village feel, the community, the charm and everything about it is just my dream neighbourhood. If there is only one place in the whole country I could visit all the time it would be there. My second is Marylebone Village. I love it. I love the shops, I love Regents Park, I love the buildings and I love the properties in Regents Park. I think Marylebone is absolutely beautiful and the best day out.

If you could film inside anyone’s home, who would it be and why?

That’s literally the hardest question! I could think of 1000 people. Part of me wants to say Octomom. How does she juggle and manage 8 children and washing and cleaning up, and mess and food and toys. I just don't understand it. So Octomom really stands out to me. But equally I would love to go in the home of football manager Pep Guardiola, like how chic and elegant is his home? And all the trophies and culture and football history in there. But then what about amazing fashion designers or like Charlotte Tilbury. I bet her house is so beautiful and quite magical and spiritual. I bet she’s got loads of stunning precious rocks and trinkets - oh it's too hard to choose. But what about 10 Downing Street, that would be quite cool to go in, like how does each Prime Minister decide to decorate it? Do they get to redecorate? like how does it work? Buckingham Palace? 

I mean the list is endless, I'm so nosy, my dream show would basically be Through The Keyhole, like Loyd Grossman did, but a new modern version, I would love to get that going.

What’s the best career advice you’ve ever been given?

Oh I've been given so much and it's all so good. I think ultimately ‘there's enough for everyone’, in competitive industries of which basically all industries are. It’s really easy to get on that comparison train and feel like others are better, or doing it differently. There's enough space for everyone with their own styles. 

Just be authentic, be the best version of you, work hard, be kind to people and remember, you don't know who you're going to meet or when your paths will cross, so treat everyone as you'd like to be treated.

Buying London is streaming on Netflix.