About
I was born in Shropshire at RAF Cosford and raised in Wolverhampton. Since childhood I have been a Wolverhampton Wanderers fan and still love to visit Molineux to take in a game whenever I can.
Surrounded by music whilst growing up, my father was a music promoter and agent; my godfather was Mel Galley from Whitesnake and my love for live music remains with me. A great gig followed by a curry is, for me, the best night out!
Surrounded by music whilst growing up, my father was a music promoter and agent; my godfather was Mel Galley from Whitesnake and my love for live music remains with me. A great gig followed by a curry is, for me, the best night out!
After college, I studied for an Honours Degree in Business and Finance. Post Polytechnic, I worked in Japan as a fashion model, then London and Europe making television commercials.
After contacting Sky Sports in 1997 I began my new profession as a sports reporter. This career has brought me some exceptional experiences and from 1998 onwards I presented my own shows and have never looked back. My passion is for live broadcasting whatever the platform. There have been times where pre-recorded shows were the only option but live awakens the senses; they really are two entirely different jobs.
After contacting Sky Sports in 1997 I began my new profession as a sports reporter. This career has brought me some exceptional experiences and from 1998 onwards I presented my own shows and have never looked back. My passion is for live broadcasting whatever the platform. There have been times where pre-recorded shows were the only option but live awakens the senses; they really are two entirely different jobs.
I was the first permanent female anchor for BBC’s Formula One coverage but when it left the BBC, I returned to my love of motorbikes, joining BT Sport as their Channel Ambassador and host to their MotoGP coverage.
It’s been an incredible two decades where I have had the good fortune to have travelled the world reporting from trackside and speaking to the biggest names in motorsport.
It’s been an incredible two decades where I have had the good fortune to have travelled the world reporting from trackside and speaking to the biggest names in motorsport.
When I was invited to Goodwood Festival of Speed, I had the honour of hosting Valentino Rossi when he made his first ever appearance at that event. The crowds that greeted him were amazing and my interview with him has now been dubbed ‘The Balcony Interview’.
In 2018 I made a documentary for BBC called ‘Queens of the Road’ where I followed the fortunes of three incredibly brave female road racers and this turned out to be a ratings success and highly acclaimed for which I am very proud.
In 2018 I made a documentary for BBC called ‘Queens of the Road’ where I followed the fortunes of three incredibly brave female road racers and this turned out to be a ratings success and highly acclaimed for which I am very proud.
It’s not all wheels and petrol though: my other sport hosting/reporting credits have included the BBC’s live coverage of Royal Ascot, Wimbledon, the London Marathon, Trooping the Colour, the Olympics, the Great North Run and the famous Boat Race.
In 2009, I was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at Wolverhampton University which was a very special time for both me and my family and then in 2016, the University presented me with an Honorary Doctor of Engineering – so proud. During the same year, I was honoured with a Wolverhampton Famous Sons and Daughters Award which was very special.
In 2009, I was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at Wolverhampton University which was a very special time for both me and my family and then in 2016, the University presented me with an Honorary Doctor of Engineering – so proud. During the same year, I was honoured with a Wolverhampton Famous Sons and Daughters Award which was very special.
Growing up surrounded by music, my dad was a leading band manager, booking agent and venue promoter and my godfather played lead guitar with Trapeze and Whitesnake. I have a deep love for radio and live performances. I have regularly been called upon by BBC Radio 2 to cover shows for Zoe Ball, Claudia Winkleman, Drive Time and I also produced and fronted a documentary looking at the music playlist choices of some of the World’s leading F1 drivers. I have also enjoyed presenting shows for BBC 5 Live.
I have a great love of technology and hosted Channel 5’s hugely popular Gadget Show for 8 years, covering 17 series. During that time, I presented Gadget Show Live at the NEC Birmingham, an event which ran over a 5 day period with more than 75,000 guests.
As the Technology ambassador for the Ideal Home show for several years, I had the honour of meeting His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales. I also enjoyed being the face of the Mobile World Congress Awards in Barcelona for 3 years. The MWC is the single most important mobile technologies trade fair in the world. It was an amazing experience to be part of these two iconic events.
As the Technology ambassador for the Ideal Home show for several years, I had the honour of meeting His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales. I also enjoyed being the face of the Mobile World Congress Awards in Barcelona for 3 years. The MWC is the single most important mobile technologies trade fair in the world. It was an amazing experience to be part of these two iconic events.
My TV credits include - House Call, City Hospital, Superstars, Watchdog, National Lottery, Queens of the Road and Inside Out for BBC 1, Treasure Hunt, F1 Rewind with Murray Walker and MotoGP for BBC2 and How to take Stunning Pictures, Operation Homefront and the Gadget Show for Channel 5.
I have also had the pleasure of guesting on Question of Sport, They Think it’s all over, Countdown, Saturday Kitchen, the One Show, The Chase, Sarah Millican, Nevermind the Buzzcocks, Eggheads and Pointless and hosted features on This Morning, The Alan Titchmarsh Show and Daybreak.
I have also had the pleasure of guesting on Question of Sport, They Think it’s all over, Countdown, Saturday Kitchen, the One Show, The Chase, Sarah Millican, Nevermind the Buzzcocks, Eggheads and Pointless and hosted features on This Morning, The Alan Titchmarsh Show and Daybreak.
Over the years I have also enjoyed my role as a contributing journalist, working with titles like The Telegraph, The Sunday Times, The Mirror Group, Motorcylce News, T3 and Stuff Magazine
As a corporate host, I have worked with many brands including Apple, DAB Radio, Samsung, Intel, IMI, Global Mobile Awards, The Boat Show, Ideal Home Show, Goodwood Festival, Nordic Noir Films, HSBC, Honda, Mercedes and Sunseeker.
As well as sport, music and technology, I love animals, travel, cooking and natural history. I hold several charities close to my heart including Promise Dreams, UK Youth, Sport Relief, Marie Curie and Animal Aid Unlimited.
As a corporate host, I have worked with many brands including Apple, DAB Radio, Samsung, Intel, IMI, Global Mobile Awards, The Boat Show, Ideal Home Show, Goodwood Festival, Nordic Noir Films, HSBC, Honda, Mercedes and Sunseeker.
As well as sport, music and technology, I love animals, travel, cooking and natural history. I hold several charities close to my heart including Promise Dreams, UK Youth, Sport Relief, Marie Curie and Animal Aid Unlimited.
I have a jewellery collection with young award winning jeweller Alyssa Smith – Smithy. A few years ago Smithy emailed me to ask if I would wear one of her designs on television and I agreed. At that time she was in her early twenties, working from her bedroom. Not only did I adore the piece she sent me to wear, but I just loved her enthusiasm and dedication. Our relationship developed over the years and now we sell our Smith and Perry Motorsport collection online and at Silverstone.
It has been hugely successful and a percentage of sales is donated to the children’s charity Promise Dreams for which I am a patron. We are currently working on a new exciting venture!
It has been hugely successful and a percentage of sales is donated to the children’s charity Promise Dreams for which I am a patron. We are currently working on a new exciting venture!
During my career to date, I have had some amazing experiences and had the good fortune to have flown on two occasions with the Red Arrows and more recently I had the honour of flying in a Typhoon – unforgettable!
