June Sarpong was the youth TV presenter with the infectious laugh. Now she’s a renowned opinion maker and author with serious political clout. But, she tells Nosheen Iqbal, her real skill is being better at listening than talking
June Sarpong has only been drunk precisely once. She was 20, working for Arista Records, and had helped organise the launch party for Janet Jackson’s 1997 album, The Velvet Rope. “Everyone was there –the Spice Girls. Naomi Campbell.” Sipping on a cup of hot water and lemon on a canalside terrace, she lets out a tickled “Whew!” at the recollection.
Several tequila slammers and some pink champagne later, she pinballed home, woke up the next day “with zero hangover” and decided there and then that booze wasn’t for her. “But parties, I like. The Janet one is still one of the best I went to.” When pressed, Sarpong will admit that a do at Elton John’s mansion, a
fashion party in Monaco with
Hollywood A-listers, Ibiza’s Manumission in its live sex-show heyday and a charity event with Bono all rank fairly high on the list. “Wild,” she says, eyebrows raised but gossipy secrets sealed.