Many of my guests in this series have chosen Le Bistro at the Radisson SAS Baypoint Resort and I always enjoy coming here, not only for the food, but the beautiful view of the sea. Malta never looks so beautiful than at this time of year, when the season is changing.

“Apart from the great food and the amazing view, I think the staff here are wonderful, they are polite and really go out of their way to make your meal enjoyable. I hate going to a restaurant and someone just bangs a plate in front of me or speaks to me in a gruff tone. Here they are very warm and welcoming,” Rachel says.

With her quiet self-assurance, Rachel Attard possesses a maturity that makes her seem older than her 24 years. As the “plus” in Bondiplus, she has lasted longer than many of her predecessors and after her first successful year she is now busy preparing for the new season.

Looking back, she describes it as “an amazing experience” which has challenged all her abilities as a journalist.

“This is the job I’ve always wanted. Of course, the work is very demanding – you have no weekends, nothing.”

There are no summers either. Contrary to public perception, TV producers don’t necessarily have a three-month hiatus when the official season finishes in June.

“Summer is crucial because we use it to plan the entire schedule from October to July – we don’t even know how the time flies. When we have to go abroad to film, we have to make sure we have a pre-recorded programme to transmit while we’re away, so we are always planning ahead. This year we are going to have a few investigative programmes that will take us to other countries, for example, the first programme is about the purchase of Dar Malta in Brussels. Another programme that we filmed in the summer was about the Maltese MEPs at the European Parliament.”

Because Bondiplus prides itself on being very topical, there are times when a programme that has been planned has to be scrapped if a controversial issue comes up at the last minute.

And in Malta, controversy is never lacking...

“In that case, we have to change the programme completely, you have to do the research in a shorter span of time and sometimes we even have to literally sleep at the office. You have to when it’s a current affairs issue. For example, the first programme last season was like that, it was going to be about the landfill and we had to change it at the last minute because the child abuse case at St Joseph’s institute came up.”

This is the stressful side of journalism, when you are racing against the clock to meet a deadline, but it is also what makes it exhilarating. Rachel, who came from a radio newsroom background working with RTK, says the difference is that a weekly programme allows you time to go more in-depth.

“You become a kind of ‘mini expert’ on the subject and you establish a lot of contact with the people involved. In a daily newsroom you don’t have time for that, the story has to go out immediately.”

Her baptism of fire with the child abuse programme was a quick introduction to yet another aspect of televised journalism: when questioning the abused young men, she was the only one in vision so she had to make sure her facial expression remained detached and devoid of emotion. Quite a test, considering the delicate subject matter and the horrible things she was hearing.

“It was very difficult; I had to remain cold because a journalist cannot express her feelings. The whole scenario was tough because these boys had already been unfortunate enough to be rejected by their own parents, and then these people that were supposed to be there to take care of them...” she shakes her head.

After the camera stopped rolling, Rachel went off by herself and had a good cry.

“Even though it was very hard to do, that programme was very satisfying for the whole team because we managed to bring this story out into the open.”

Then there’s the other side of the coin when, instead of being given a pat on the back, the producers are harshly criticised.

“What bothers me is when you have done your research, you are on the right track, you know you’re telling the truth and then someone accuses you of being biased. My principle has always been to get the facts and to give them to the people. People want the truth and if we can convey it, then the programme has succeeded. However, controversy about our programmes as such does not bother me one bit because I think it’s healthy.”

Apart from coping with critics, Rachel has also had to handle the transition from being anonymous to becoming a recognisable face.

“Wherever I go I hear the phrase ‘ara dik ta’ Bondiplus’ (there’s that girl from Bondiplus) but never my name, which can get a bit annoying. Perhaps one of the most embarrassing incidents was when a guy shouted it out from a balcony near The Ally in Paceville. I was surprised because I assumed that young people don’t really watch our programme so I thought I was ‘safe’. I wanted to die! At first I couldn’t get used to complete strangers smiling and nodding at me; I used to think ‘do I know them from somewhere?’ I finally realised, of course, that they recognised me but I didn’t know them. At the office it’s become one of our jokes, telling each other ‘ara int mhux tat-television?’ (aren’t you the one that’s on TV?).”

The office that Rachel refers to is, of course, that of Where’s Everybody where “famous faces” can be seen bumping into one another in the corridors all day long.

She good-naturedly laughs at a question that she has obviously heard before: how come you have worked so well with Lou Bondi when others (apparently) haven’t?

“At first I couldn’t get used to Lou’s system – he’s a perfectionist and if you aren’t one as well, you’ve had it. There are many common factors however: we both love our work, we both enjoy political debate and we are both early risers. Where we differ is that I’m much more tolerant. If something isn’t done well, he creates a bit of a panic and is very blunt, whereas I would speak to the person calmly and see whether it can be fixed. Maybe as a woman my approach is different but we tend to balance each other out.”

She’s diplomatic too.

“This is not an easy programme to produce. At first, when I saw the sheer volume of work there was to do, I thought, whoa! Is this right for me? There were times I was going to give up, thinking I couldn’t cope because I wasn’t experienced enough. I’m the type of person who analyses and thinks deeply about things, but I must say that Lou is a wonderful employer.”

Hmm, did he ask you to say that? I ask jokingly, and she laughs again.

“Maybe on TV he comes across as being aggressive, but in person he is very different – at the office, if he learns that someone is having problems, he sends them home immediately. He is very caring, so when I started feeling out of my depth I had no problems in talking to him about it. As you know, in journalism you have to be careful about what you write and say because for every word there is a potential libel suit. I understand perfectly why Lou expects me to be so accurate. I had to decide whether I could take the pressure of always having to be 100 per cent correct and being careful not to overlook any facts.”

Our waiter arrives at this point with our pasta – one of Le Bistro’s specialities. Rachel had ordered the farfalle al salmone (smoked salmon, pesto cream with a hint of anisette) while I had the penne Napoletana (wholegrain pasta with fresh tomatoes and basil – incidentally, also recommended for vegetarians.)

Rachel admits that she finds it very hard to switch off work when she gets home. Her mind is always whirring about the programme.

“I don’t just start thinking about work when I walk into the office, it starts from the moment I wake up. Sometimes I think I go on a bit too much about it with my parents but on the other hand, if a programme isn’t your ‘baby’, it won’t be a success. You have to be alert all the time and aware of what’s going on.”

Journalism seems to have been in her veins long before she started working in the field. Social and political issues have always intrigued her and even as a young girl she would watch the news and discussion programmes. At school, Social Studies was her forte and on entering Sixth Form she chose Sociology.

It was when she was working part-time as a clerk with Mizzi House that she saw an ad for journalists with RTK. Thinking “why not?” she applied and got the job.

“It was exciting because it was all new to me. I was making all these contacts and I’d be out on coverages and think wow, that’s the Minister in front of me and I can challenge him! It was out of this world. I think you can call it a matter of luck that as soon as I started there were elections and important political decisions happening all the time. First, local council elections, then all the membership negotiations between Malta and the EU, then the actual referendum and then a national election! Other journalists probably have to wait five years before they cover an election and within one-and-a-half years I had covered all these events.”

You can tell she loves politics by the way she describes the thrill of going to the Ta’ Qali counting hall – she even goes up when she’s not on duty.

“The atmosphere is incredible! Maybe it’s because in Malta we take our elections so seriously. To make it even better, I live in Attard, just two minutes’ walk away from Ta’ Qali. I get a rush from being at the place where it’s all happening and being the first to know what’s going. I’d be thinking ‘people out there don’t know yet, but I know’. Of course, you also get to know things behind-the-scenes which never become public,” she adds with a twinkle in her light green eyes.

Attard is one of those villages that has expanded over the years, with new families coming to live there from other parts of Malta. Rachel’s family is an example, having settled in Misrah Kola, one of the areas that has developed at the fastest rate.

“I remember when I was young it was a very small area with just a few houses, and we used to go do our shopping in Sliema, where my mother is from. Living in Attard is nice, especially after a day’s work, because it’s still relatively quiet. You know your neighbours but everyone tends to mind their own business. It is my generation really which can say it’s ‘from Attard’ and if I had to continue living there I would, but I would also like to have a house of character in some old village or Valletta, which I love.”

Although she plays it down, Rachel used to sing and act when she was younger.

“I never took it that seriously, I don’t think I was good enough. However, I’ve always loved performing.”

Her deep, distinctive voice (“something I inherited from my mother”) was considered an asset for the stage. It is also her husky voice, I think, that makes Rachel seem older. That, and the way she carries herself with confidence and poise, but in a very low-key way.

Working with the youth centre in her hometown from the time she was 16 helped her to gain qualities of leadership. These days, attending a youth centre might not exactly be considered “cool”, but she laughs at this suggestion: “The one in Attard was!” With a young priest who gave the young people lots of backing, they managed to attract all the youngsters in the parish.

“You have to move with the times and not force religion down their throats. I myself am not very religious but I feel that the existence of God is there.”

A dedication to missionary work is another aspect of this young woman’s character which comes as something of a surprise. This interest originated from something Rachel has lived with all her life: she has two younger twin sisters, one of whom was born with cerebral palsy.

“My life has always been focussed on the concept of helping others. First of all, my mother had twins and needed help because it was twice the work. As I was the eldest she used to depend a lot on me and helping was a way of life. My sister’s disability also made me love people who are like her. They offer you the kind of love that no one else could ever give you – it’s the ideal love, and when you are with them you feel fulfilled. So it starts with helping your sister and then you get involved at the Youth Centre and eventually it leads to missionary work.”

Her family circumstances forced Rachel to grow up quickly, which explains her maturity. She was also given plenty of room to be independent by her parents, for which she is very grateful.

“They never stopped me from doing anything, they would say ‘if you think it’s a good idea, do it’. They would give me their opinion but then always left the decision up to me and at the end of day, they would back my decision no matter what it was.”

Some would say that this is too much liberty for a young person but Rachel disagrees.

“I think the fact that your parents are ready to listen to you, but whatever the repercussions are going to be, you’re going to have to face them – that makes you become more responsible. If you have parents who say ‘no’ to everything, you’re going to end up doing senseless things purely out of rebellion. On the other hand, parents who don’t pay attention to you at all, and couldn’t care less what you do, can you make you turn into someone who is indifferent and who doesn’t weigh things at all. My parents were always there for me without interfering.”

That kind of upbringing must have had its benefits, for Rachel considers her Mum her best friend.

“She is so open-minded and fun to be with that, despite the difference in age, my friends tell me ‘we’d rather have your mother come out with us than you!’ She really knows how to enjoy life. Considering all the problems she has had in her life, her approach to life is amazing, she is so positive. I am like her in that way, I always try to look at the bright side of life.”

Much as she loves her work, there have been times when other interests competed. The evening they had to do the much-awaited John Dalli programme turned out to be the same day when Eros Ramazzotti was giving his concert.

“It was a quite a dilemma – should I stay there for the programme on which I had worked so hard to see the end result? Or should I go to see Eros who was only going to be here for a few hours? As it turned out Leo Brincat, who was the other guest on the programme, wanted to go see Eros as well, so it all worked out because we recorded the programme in advance.”

People tend to jump to all sorts of conclusions about public figures and despite being relatively new to TV, Rachel has already been at the receiving end of this, “they create rumours out of thin air, even if they see you working with someone, or having a coffee.”

As for having a personal relationship:

“When you’re in the public eye people tend to gossip about you so your partner has to be able to understand this. Also relationships require commitment and frankly, right now I don’t even have time for myself, let alone someone else. After all, it helps if you have time to meet him, or even phone him! Right now, I cannot give that kind of commitment.”

A normal day starts at 8am or preferably at 7.30am “simply to find a parking place” and finishes around 7pm. Then there are the exceptions, such as on Mondays, the day before the programme, when she goes in at 6am and doesn’t get out until midnight.

“If you need legal advice, you have to stay with the lawyer until he has seen the programme. Viewers see only a two-minute feature but the work involved behind that feature is incredible, filming and editing take an enormous amount of time.”

It’s not just all work and no play however. This year she plans to attend a course in interior decorating. And, like most of us she loves to travel. She loves Italy for its culture and fashion but it is France which she has visited the most, specifically Taize, the beautiful place, with a monastery at its heart, that is visited by people from all over the world.

“It is not a religious place,” she stresses. “It gives you inner peace, a universal concept which we have not yet even begun to understand here in Malta. I have been there often for missionary work, helping refugees from the Congo or Kosovo. Once there, I’d visit Paris or Normandy or somewhere else, so I’ve seen a lot of France.”

Speaking of travel, last season Bondiplus ventured into a different kind of programming, when it went to Tuscany. When I suggest that this jarred with the raison

d’etre of a current affairs programme, she defends it by saying that it was intended to show the region through the eyes of the Maltese traveller. This season, a programme about Egypt will delve into the similarities between our two cultures.

“In Egypt you see people walking along balancing bird-cages on top of their heads, and while we don’t see that here, in the past, in our grandparents’ era, you did see these things. We believe that journalism is about conveying information to the public. These are more documentaries than anything else, with a local slant. However, our main focus will continue to be local issues.”