Meet Emily Kilner: A Leading Voice in UK Padel & Beyond

Emily Kilner’s journey into padel hasn’t followed a traditional path – and that’s exactly what makes it so interesting. With a background as an England U21 hockey player, sport has always been a big part of her life. But it was her move into live event storytelling that truly set things in motion.

She first stepped into stadium presenting at the Hockey World Cup in 2018, quickly realising she’d found her place. As Emily puts it, she fell in love with “sharing athletes’ stories, digging into the mind of elite sportspeople, and being a small part of the storytelling of live events & match-days to enhance the fan experience.” From there, she went on to present, announce and report across England and Great Britain hockey events, including stadium announcing at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 – all while juggling a full-time corporate role!

Padel entered the picture almost by chance. Through her work in hockey, Emily connected with the founder of The Padel Paper and was invited to cover the 2022 Padel World Championship Qualifiers in the UK as part of a docuseries. “I didn’t know the sport, but took the opportunity and absolutely loved it,” she says. That moment proved pivotal. She quickly spotted a gap in the sport’s media space and felt a genuine excitement about growing alongside padel as it developed in the UK.

From hosting Home of Padel events and the Pro Am Padel Tour to working at the European Games, Emily immersed herself fully. In 2024, she began commentating on UK padel events, before a major breakthrough in 2025 – joining Premier Padel as part of their commentary and reporting team and winning BBC Sport’s New Voice award. “Both of these accelerated my career in padel hugely,” she explains, and they also enabled her to go fully freelance.

Today, Emily is a full-time commentator, announcer, presenter and reporter, working across events worldwide – from the Padel World Summit and post-match interviews on Premier Padel, to commentary at the Hexagon Cup and hosting major UK events. Alongside padel, she remains deeply involved in hockey and continues to work across football and tennis with BBC Sport. “It’s my dream job and a real privilege to be a go-to voice for padel both in the UK and internationally.”

Emily’s Mission & Values

For Emily, great commentary is about service to the sport. “It’s not about me, it’s about the sport,” she says. With English-speaking audiences in particular, she feels a responsibility to balance education with deeper storytelling – always asking what a first-time viewer of padel might need to understand. Her goal is simple but powerful: “If someone is listening and learns something, understands the story and context, and feels emotionally invested in the big moments, then that’s what I want to achieve.” Preparation is key – notes and statistics are her baseline – but delivery, clarity and emotional connection are what bring a broadcast to life.

As a presenter, Emily focuses on authenticity and adaptability, tailoring her delivery to everyone from padel purists to charity celebrities who are newer to padel. As a reporter and interviewer, she thrives on empathy and curiosity, saying that getting to know athletes properly helps her “get the best out of them in the interviews in a curious and empathetic way.” And as an announcer, it’s all about energy: creating hype, tension and atmosphere largely through voice alone.

Reflections & Looking Ahead

2025 marked a turning point. “I managed to make this into a full-time career and travel the world talking about sport – it was a real dream come true.” The transition to freelance life hasn’t been without challenges though – being her own boss, spending long stretches away from home, and the intensity of live commentary – but perspective keeps her grounded. “Then I remember this is my job that I worked hard for, and I’m always grateful for that.”

Looking to this year, Emily’s schedule is already filling fast. She’ll continue working with Premier Padel across commentary and reporting, present padel events across the UK, and be part of major fixtures like the Hexagon Cup. Alongside this, she’ll keep expanding her work with the BBC across football, tennis and international hockey. “I’m excited to continue establishing myself in the padel world as a key voice,” she says – and she’s always open to new collaborations.

How To Connect With Her

Instagram – @kilner_presents
LinkedIn – Emily Kilner
Website – www.emilykilnerpresenting.com

Emily’s story is a reminder that padel’s growth isn’t just happening on the padel court – it’s being shaped by voices, storytellers and connectors like her, who bring the sport to life for audiences around the world and genuinely help grow the sport we all love.