TV presenter returns to old school for lecture

TELEVISION presenter Matt Allwright spoke to students at his former school, Reading Blue Coat in Sonning.

Allwright, who was head boy in the Eighties, spoke at the school’s weekly Sixth Form Special on the topic “The collapse of trust in modern society”.

About 250 students attended the talk and were able to ask questions of the

Watchdog and

Rogue Traders presenter. Allwright said he was inspired to become a journalist after reading

Heroes by John Pilger while working as a teacher in Japan.

He said: “[It] inspired me hugely to be a journalist because of the idea of telling stories that could change people’s lives — that could improve things. Trust is such an important part of our lives but it’s very, very hard to get, especially as a journalist — even with 20 years of experience.

“The idea of maintaining trust, for anybody, is incredibly difficult now.

“Because of social media, everybody feels they have the right to comment on anything anyone does or says. Trust is so easily eroded.”