Taking time out from her busy GP practice in North London, Dr Ellie Cannon arrives at the GDST’s offices ready to talk about almost anything. From her journey from Newcastle to her career today – as an NHS GP, TV doctor and columnist for the Mail on Sunday – to winning science competitions, baking cakes and personal boundaries, almost nothing is off limits. Except for football.

Ellie radiates positive energy. She’s a natural communicator, and it’s easy to see how she’d be equally at home in the TV studio as with her patients. As the child of an obstetrician, who grew up following her father around on call, Ellie says she always knew she was destined to be a doctor.

She remembers how Central Newcastle nurtured her ambition, ensuring that all her academic and volunteering endeavours worked towards a successful application to medical school. But more than this, she says, “I think there was an inherent expectation at school that we would achieve, whether in the sciences or other disciplines. I find it interesting, now, that I was encouraged to be a woman in STEM before there was any sort of ‘campaign’ about it.

“Go with your gut and explore different things. If there’s something that you absolutely love, then that is what you should be doing.”

“One of my school highlights was in Sixth Form, when Dr Coapes, my chemistry teacher, entered us into Science Olympiads and the British Academy of Science National Competition, which we won. I never thought twice about it at the time, but I don’t think anyone ever said to me, ‘how amazing that as an all-girls’ school you beat an all-boys’ school’. We were just celebrated as winners, and that was incredibly empowering.” 

Studying medicine at University of Cambridge, Ellie thought she was headed for paediatrics or gastroenterology. “I don’t think I expected to be a GP,” she says, but a bit of “serendipity and taking opportunities” shaped her personal life and in turn, influenced the medical path she chose. “I always say to people to go with your gut and explore different things. If there’s something that you absolutely love, then that is what you should do. I think as I progressed in medicine it became clear that I am a people person. I love being with children, and I’m somebody who’s delighted by people’s lives and stories; so instead of going into some ‘highbrow’ area of medicine, general practice felt like the right speciality for me.”

With her career as an NHS GP established, Ellie continues, “In terms of the media career and public health side of things, opportunities have arisen out of nowhere. The first request for a quote for a national newspaper came from somebody I had met at a Christmas party. This turned into writing, which led to being asked to commentate, and then a patient who worked in television asked if I would consider doing TV. As with many careers, if you make yourself available and affable, and you’re a good advocate, then you get asked to do it again.” 

“Opportunities do not always come at the right time: and my writing opportunities came when I had very small children and was permanently exhausted. But I was aware that the opportunity might not come again.”

This doesn’t happen to everyone, though, so why did it happen to Ellie? She considers for a moment, “I think I’ve been good at embracing opportunity. Opportunities do not always come at the right time: and my writing opportunities came when I had very small children and was permanently exhausted. But I was aware that the opportunity might not come again.”

Ellie continues to juggle the different facets of her life. “Yes, there’s always a juggle,” she laughs. “And I think one of the reasons I have succeeded in the different things that I do is because I am prepared to let certain balls drop. I don’t feel that as well as being a mum and a doctor and a writer, I also need be the great homemaker or the baker of wonderful birthday cakes. Although I do make quite good birthday cakes!”

She makes it all sound easy. But underneath, Ellie is very clear about boundaries and where she draws the line.  She’s happy to talk medicine to anyone at any time, saying, “I’ve never minded people asking me medical questions, and I think that’s why I’ve ended up having a career where I explain medicine to non-medical people.”

But, there are some no-go areas. She explains, “I have lived through certain health problems with my own family and it is difficult to talk about some of those because I’m scared that I will give too much of myself and offer an overly subjective opinion rather an objective one. 

“And there are areas of science and health where the alternative or conspiratorial view has become so ingrained that to involve yourself in a TV debate, for example, really does nobody any favours. 

“You can’t balance a huge scientific evidence base with a YouTube video.”

“I don’t shy away from the more controversial topics, but I do shy away from controversy, so I’m not going to speak about something that is scientific and factual in a debate situation.” She cites vaccinations as an example, “In the way TV is formatted now, they will invite a doctor alongside someone who is anti-vax, for balance. Personally, I don’t think that is balance, because you can’t balance a huge scientific evidence base with a YouTube video.

“And I won’t talk about things I don’t feel expert in; for example, the line where my medical expertise blurs with, say, psychology. To illustrate, I’ve been asked to talk about grief on television, and have always refused because that’s not my expertise. As a doctor, I should stick to what I know.

“To a bigger point, there’s a huge amount of pseudo health information out there now, with influencers, noise and nonsense. It’s very hard for the public to see the difference between somebody like myself – a qualified doctor working in a clinic three days a week – and somebody calling themself a ‘health expert’ on Instagram. How would anybody know the difference? The only way to show people the difference is to have real doctors out there – genuine experts talking from a place of expertise. 

And what about football? She smiles, “I used to do a piece on Sky News with Eamonn Holmes. During the Euros a few years ago, he asked on air if I was watching the tournament. I thought it would sound pompous if I said I wasn’t watching, but if I said I was, he’d ask another question which I wouldn’t be able to answer. It was a terrifying moment. So for me, football is a no-go. Forever.

Our interview with Dr Ellie Cannon was part of our 2023/24 edition of GDST Life alumnae magazine which also includes a whole host of features and articles including stories, tips and viewpoints from a range of alumnae contributors, GDST and school news, our latest alumnae book listings and and how you can keep in touch.