Meet Grand Finalist, Jude Johnson

We are delighted to share that this has been the biggest year ever for Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge. Up to 35,000 students have been trained in over 500 schools across all of London and Essex.

Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge provides year 10 students in state schools across London and Essex with public speaking and communication training to increase their confidence, sense of agency and drive to make a difference in society.

During the academic year, over 500 schools have received a free one-day public speaking workshops for their students. The student’s confidence in speaking to an audience, without notes, is measured at the beginning and at the end of the day. During 2024-2025, 74% of students have increased their confidence to stand up and talk to a group of people. At the end of the day, every school nominates one student to go on to a Regional or Digital Final, where they compete again other school finalists and their speeches are judged based on content delivery, structure and positive impact by a panel of esteemed judges. After going on to win the semi-finals, our 15 inspirational, articulate, and impressive speakers are now ready to present their speech to you!

We will celebrate the achievements of these awe-inspiring young people in the heart of London’s West End at Cambridge Theatre on Monday 7th July and crown the 2025 Speak Out Champion!

In no particular order, meet 2025 Grand Finalist Jude Johnson! 

Their speech ‘The Question of Black Identity’ earned them and their school, Dunraven School, first place in the Lambeth Regional Final. 

We asked Jude, what three items or people would you choose to take to a desert island and why? 

1. A hat with a propeller so I can fly away. 2. Morgan Freeman to narrate my adventures. 3. A propeller hat for Morgan.

What is your favourite saying or quote?

‘The revolution will not be televised.’ Gill Scott Heron. He explains that the moment of realisation in the minds of the disenfranchised is one that cannot be captured, or shown on our TV screens but will be the force that will eventually change the world.

If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Pizza. You can put anything on a pizza.

What three tips would you give to a Year 7 student? 

1. Don’t stress! 2. Don’t feel inhibited to be yourself. 3. Be kind to yourself.

Why do you think it’s important for young people, like you, to share their stories?

It’s important for young people like me to share our stories as there aren’t many spaces in which youth voices are taken seriously. We are politically disenfranchised, which means politicians and leaders have no real motivation to listen to us or consider our experiences, but we will be the people inheriting the outcomes of their decision making.

How would you like people to think/act differently after hearing your story?

One thing I would like people to do after hearing my speech is to be more mindful of the language they use and the assumptions they make about others, and to consider whether their first impression of someone is built on their prejudices rather than the person standing in front of them’s behaviour.

Best of luck Jude and see you at the Grand Final on July 7th!