On 31 July 2022, in front of 87,192 fans at Wembley Stadium, Jill Scott became a European champion. Four months later, she was crowned queen of the jungle, after the public voted her the winner of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Just last month, the former Lioness made history once more as she was named England’s first female captain at Soccer Aid 2023. Now, she’s reunited with her England teammates on the other side of the world to co-present Lionesses: Down Under, connected by EE, a daily broadcast airing for the duration of England’s Women’s World Cup tournament.

Safe to say, Scott’s been a bit busy recently. But, between breaking new ground as a British female athlete and packing for (what we hope will be) a tournament-long stay in Australia and New Zealand, she found a few moments to chat to Strong Women ahead of the biggest Women’s World Cup ever. Here are 10 things she’d like you to know before tuning in. 

“I think it’s kind of a game-changing moment, really,” Scott says of the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup. “We’ve said that before about a few tournaments – the 2019 World Cup in France and the 2015 World Cup in Canada when we got the bronze medal – but I really feel like the game has been elevated to another level now. And the fact that it’s sustained that [level] as well, I think that’s a big thing.”

The 2023 Women’s World Cup has already set new records for ticket sales for a women’s tournament, with close to 1.4 million tickets sold. This is a huge moment for women’s sport worldwide. 

Conquering Europe was one thing, but at the World Cup, the Lionesses will come up against many different styles of play, as well as teams and players that they may not have a huge amount of experience playing against. “There is a new generation of players as well,” Scott explains. “You’re competing against the world, not just European teams – it’s a tournament everybody wants to be at.”

England also won’t have the home advantage this time around.

“I’d like to see England against USA again,” she says. “I think it’s always a great game and I think we played very well at Wembley.” She’s referring to the friendly in October of last year, where the Lionesses won 2-1. “I haven’t worked out which way it can go, but I’d like to see them play each other in a final.”

“[Goalkeeper] Ellie Roebuck, at the minute,” Scott says after a moment of careful consideration. “She’s been making them in camp, so I trust her. She made me one before and it was lovely.”

“The main element of the show has to be connecting the fans with the players,” Scott says. “We know how much the fans really helped us get that victory,” she says of the 2022 Women’s Euros, “but, obviously, it was a home tournament and the fans really pushed us over the line.”

The time difference may make it tricky for fans to engage with the tournament in the same way they could for the Euros, so Scott’s hoping the show will bridge the gap and connect fans with players. 

“There will be a lot of finding out what they’ve been up to in their spare time – I think it’ll be a real chance for us to kind of showcase what goes on behind the scenes. And then, if something big happens in the game, we’ll ask the players about how they felt in that moment, because I think that stuff is unique and that’s what the fans want to hear about.”

If you’ve tuned into an episode of Jill Scott’s Coffee Club, Scott’s podcast, you’ll know to expect some laughs, too. “Of course, there’s going to be a fun element and we’ve got some games planned,” she says. 

“When you’re in a tournament and it’s miles away, like when I played in Canada for the World Cup in 2015, you can definitely feel the fan support – especially nowadays because of social media,” Scott says. “I would say to the fans: just tune in if you’re not going over to Australia. All of the games are on kind of early in the morning, but having football first thing in the morning isn’t a bad thing!”

She emphasises that positive encouragement and reinforcement are the most uplifting kind of support the Lionesses could receive during a major tournament. “[During the Euros] we didn’t feel like anybody was putting us under pressure, and didn’t feel like we’d get negative comments,” she recalls. 

“Keep up the positive support, and let’s keep women’s football as that happy environment because I think that’s when you’ll see the team perform at its best.”

“I’d like to have some banter with Millie Bright and Rachel Daly,” Scott says. “I’ve been trying to get them on my podcast and they’re both so busy, so they’re definitely on my list of people I want to speak to.”

“I want Walsh,” she says. The midfielder (Keira Walsh) wears the number 4 and plays for Barcelona when she’s not in an England shirt. “She’s right in the middle of the pitch – we all know she’s a fantastic player, and she’s a good friend of mine as well.”

“I think we’ll definitely see a special Alessia Russo goal – I don’t think you can go a tournament without seeing that,” Scott says. “Seeing how happy she gets after she scores, if England need a moment, I’m sure she’ll produce.”

“I believe they will; I really do,” she says when asked if the England women will bring football home a second time in as many years. She doesn’t think it’ll be a walk in the park, though, especially since the Lionesses are missing a few key players, including Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby, due to long-term injuries. 

It’ll be a close-run thing, but she thinks the squad will still be able to pull it out of the bag.

“I remember in 2019, we had a goal ruled out against the USA by, like, half a centimetre. But I do believe we’ll be the best-prepared team, and I really feel like we’ve got the talent and the players to bring it home again.”

Images: Getty