Towie star in drive to encourage more female bus drivers

Ferne McCann gets behind the wheel of a Stagecoach bus. Picture: Contributed

The reality television star, now a presenter for ITV show This Morning, is training to become a qualified bus driver with Perth-based transport giant Stagecoach.

Having eaten a live spider during her stint on last year’s I’m a Celebrity, she now faces the task of completing about 30 hours of on-the-road training and passing a final test before earning her passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) licence, required by all serving bus drivers.

McCann said: “I experienced a lot of new challenges in the jungle and loved every minute of it. This is a chance for me to take on a new challenge and do something I would never have thought I’d have the chance to do.

“I’m so excited about doing this training. It’s a job that traditionally people think of as being for men but there’s no reason that should be the case these days. Hopefully I can help show bus driving as a career option for some women who might never have even considered it in the past.”

McCann tweeted to her 761,000 Twitter followers today that she had passed her theory test at the second attempt, adding: “You can do anything if you put your mind to it.”

Stagecoach sticks to guidance despite slowing bus revenues

Stagecoach director Clare Kavanagh added: “We have a lot of fantastic female drivers, and other staff, across the UK but the bus industry as a whole still employs significantly more men than women. Many of the reasons for that are historic but times have changed and we want to make women more aware of what a career at Stagecoach can offer them.

“More than 250,000 jobs are supported, directly and indirectly, through the UK bus industry so there are many opportunities out there for both men and women to have a successful and rewarding career in the transport sector.”

McCann’s training is being carried out by Stagecoach London driving instructor Yvonne Wallin at the company’s West Ham depot in London.