AOS Alumna Crowned Channel 4’s Alternative Prime Minister
We are pleased to share the recent success of one of our alumni, Natalie Balmain (1997-2002), who emerged victorious on the hit Channel 4 show, ‘Make Me Prime Minister’. Hosted by Alastair Campbell and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, the show offered ordinary yet opinionated Brits the chance to experience the challenges and demands of political leadership.
Natalie was one of twelve contestants who embarked on a six-part journey to explore the intricacies of being a Prime Minister. From tests of leadership to assessments of integrity, the participants faced a series of political tasks that pushed their skills and abilities to the limit.
From the start, Natalie made an impression by taking the lead role in the first episode, where she proposed a policy to reform Primary Education. Her early success set the tone for her journey, as she tackled subsequent tasks focused on critical areas such as Health, Energy, and Crime.
The final stage of the competition saw Natalie engaged in a model election campaign and a heated debate against the two other finalists. The contestants had the opportunity to showcase their knowledge and persuasiveness whilst being interviewed by Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy. With an impressive display, Natalie secured an outstanding victory, with 52% of the audience choosing her as their alternative Prime Minister.
Reflecting on her time at The Alice Ottley School, Natalie fondly recalls the warm memories and personal growth she experienced during her education. She expresses gratitude for the moments of joy, laughter, tears, and lifelong friendships that were forged during her teenage years. Natalie highlights that her academic learning was complemented by real personal growth, shaping her into the individual she is today.
Natalie said, “My time at The Alice Ottley School is full of all of the warm memories and strong emotions that you would expect from those treasured teenage years; joy, laughter, tears, lifelong friendships formed and of course a huge amount of learning – not just academic learning, but real personal growth,” Natalie shared. “I’m so grateful for my time at The Alice Ottley School because even the moments I found most challenging at the time have come to be the moments I have grown most fond of as time passes”.
On behalf of the RGS community, we extend our warmest wishes to Natalie and congratulate her on this achievement.