Julia Bradbury (born 24 July 1970)^[1] is an Irish-born English television presenter, best known for presenting the BBC One programme Countryfile and other documentaries and consumer affairs programmes.

Early years[link]

Bradbury's English Derbyshire-born, steel-industry father, Cambridge graduate Michael Bradbury, and Greek mother were in the Republic of Ireland when Bradbury was born.^[2] The family returned to England, where she attended primary school in Edith Weston, Rutland, followed by King Edward VII School in Sheffield, where her father worked for British Steel and her mother ran a fashion business. Bradbury attended acting classes, and took part as a child in the Crucible Theatre's stage production of Peter Pan, starring Joanne Whalley and Paula Wilcox.^[2]

Bradbury left school at 16 after O-levels and worked in advertising in various capacities, including a stint with the family business.^[3]

Broadcasting career[link]

Television[link]

Bradbury started as a TV presenter with Chrysalis TV, followed by L!VE TV,^[4] before making the transition in 1996 from cable TV to terrestrial with GMTV as their Los Angeles correspondent.^[4] She has since presented Watchdog,^[4] Top Gear,^[5] Accidental Heroes,^[6] Wainwright Walks^[7] and Railway Walks for the BBC, as well as Rough Guide for Channel 5.^[8] She has also presented Wish You Were Here...? for ITV^[7] and anchored Exclusive! for Five.^[4][9] With Tim Vine, she presented the launch of Channel 5 in 1997.^[4][10]

With co-host Arkin Salih she hosted the BBC's Are We Being Served?, which examined customer service in the UK and ran for six programmes in the summer of 2006.^[4][11]

From 2008 to 2010 she presented three series of Kill It, Cook It, Eat It on BBC Three.^[12][13] The first series concentrated on commercially farmed animals such as chickens, pigs, sheep and cattle. The second series featured hunted wild game such as ducks, rabbits, deer and grouse. The third series focused on fast food; a group of six people went through the process of killing, cooking and eating animals.^[14]

From 2 March 2009 Bradbury temporarily stepped down from BBC One's Watchdog following allegations in the press concerning irregularities in her Virgin Atlantic frequent flyer account .^[15][16] (Anita Rani stepped in to co-present the show with Nicky Campbell.) On 15 April 2009, Bradbury was cleared of any wrong doing in the investigation and it was confirmed that she would return to present Watchdog, which she did on 20 April 2009.^[17] She did not have to repay £20,000 worth of Air Miles, as incorrectly reported in several papers - her account (and several others) had been tampered with by an employee who was later arrested and charged. In April 2009 it was announced that Bradbury and Matt Baker would present the re-launched primetime Countryfile^[18] with Matt Baker.^[19][20] Anne Robinson returned to Watchdog after an 8 year absence.^[21][22]

In June 2011 she presented a 5 part series Kill It, Cut It, Use it on BBC Three.^[23] Focusing on how animal products are used outside of the meat trade. The programmes separately focused on: Cow, Sheep, Pig and Fish. Bradbury was joined by young consumers to uncover the surprising animal origins of many of our favourite things as they followed the transformation of each body part from abattoir to shop floor.

From November to December 2011 she presented a series called That's Britain! with Nick Knowles, focusing on the good, the bad and the ugly in Britain. She presented with Hugh Dennis a four-part BBC One documentary series The Great British Countryside, which began in February 2012. She has co-presented (with Richard Hammond) a programme about the wildlife of different countries called Planet Earth Live in 2012, which has aired on BBC One.

Walking and climbing programmes[link]

In August 2007 she presented Ultimate Britain – Climbing on BBC One,^[7] with rock climber Tim Emmett. Bradbury's lifetime ambition to be a 'real' rock climber was achieved when the pair successfully ascended Cornwall's Commando Ridge, Crackstone Rib in the Llanberis Pass, and the Old Man of Stoer.

That year she also presented Wainwright Walks on BBC Four,^[7] in which she followed the mountain routes of the renowned fell walker and guidebook author Alfred Wainwright. The series was later repeated on BBC Two and ran for two series. Her appearance in this and the Railway Walks series earned her the title of "Walking Man's Totty".^[24][25] On 20 July 2009 her series Coast to Coast started on BBC Two.^[26][27][28]

In 2010 Bradbury went to South Africa and embarked on a series of South Africa Walks as part of South Africa season for the BBC during the 2010 World Cup.^[29][30]

In December 2010 she presented another walking-themed series, Julia Bradbury's German Wanderlust on BBC Four in which she explored Germany and its Romantic movement through a series of walks across the country.^[31] The series was repeated on BBC Two in January and February 2011.^[32] She presented Canal Walks with Julia Bradbury in May 2011.

Another walking programme, Julia Bradbury's Icelandic Walk, aired on 11 May 2011 on BBC Four. Her challenge was to walk the 60 kilometres of Iceland's most famous hiking route, which includes the newest hills on Earth. This route ends at Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano that brought air traffic across Europe to a standstill in 2010. She also presented a new series in May 2011, following the routes of some of the UK's canals.^[33]

Radio[link]

Bradbury has also presented on radio for BBC London 94.9,^[4][34] and Radio 5 Live. She crossed NUJ picket lines to present Radio 5 Live's breakfast programme on 15 July 2011. She presented the programme with Ian Payne who also broke the strike.

Other appearances[link]

In January 2007 Bradbury appeared as a contestant in Just the Two of Us on BBC One,^[35] singing alongside Tony Christie.^[7]

In February 2009 Bradbury appeared on Celebrity Come Dine With Me^[36] alongside Christopher Biggins, Philip Olivier and Edwina Currie,^[37][38] and received a score of 19.

She was one of the celebrities who in summer 2009 took part in the BBC programme Around the World in 80 Days, where 'in a re-enactment of Jules Verne's literary odyssey, six pairs of celebrities raced against the clock to raise money for 2009's BBC Children in Need'.^[39]

In January 2011 Bradbury appeared on The Magicians (TV series) with professional magician Pete Firman.

Personal life[link]

Bradbury lives in Rutland and West London.^[36][40][41] In summer 2006, she was treated for endometriosis.^[42] In February 2011, Bradbury and her partner, Gerard Cunningham, announced they were expecting their first child, despite the problems associated with endometriosis.^[43][44][45] On 4 August 2011, it was announced Bradbury had given birth to a boy, whom she and Cunningham named Zephyr.^[46]

Charity work[link]

Bradbury is an ambassador for Marie Curie Cancer Care's Great Daffodil Appeal.^[40]

In 2009 she competed in the Macmillan 4x4 UK Challenge^[47] with her sister, Gina Fox, raising £7,000 towards the £105,000 raised for Macmillan Cancer Support. Later that year she travelled from Kazakhstan to Mongolia with Countryfile co-star Matt Baker in BBC's Around the World in 80 Days in aid of Children in Need.^[39]

In April 2010 Bradbury was one of several celebrities to pose naked to help promote Cancer Research UK's campaign to encourage donations of clothes to their charity shops.^[48]

She is President of the Friends of the Peak District and CPRE in South Yorkshire.^[49] In April 2010 she became president of the Ramblers.^[50][51][52]

Bradbury also works with the British Heart Foundation to encourage people to exercise more.^[4]

Bradbury has recently been appointed an ambassador for the Scout Association (February 2012)

DVDs[link]

• Wainwright Walks Series 1 - presented by Julia Bradbury (2007)
• Wainwright Walks Series 2 - presented by Julia Bradbury (2008)
• Julia Bradbury's Railway Walks (2009)
• Wainwright Walks: Coast to Coast (2009)
• The Julia Bradbury Collection (2009)
• South Africa Walks^[5][53]
• Canal Walks with Julia Bradbury (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Julia Bradbury Official website
• Julia Bradbury at the Internet Movie Database
• Lake District Walks - Julia Bradbury On The Coast To Coast Walks

Ruth England (born 29 March 1970, Inkberrow, Worcestershire, England) is a British television presenter and actress. Currently, she stars in the Discovery Channel show Man, Woman, Wild with her husband Mykel Hawke, a former US Army Special Forces officer. A graduate from the University of Westminster,^[1] England has worked for the BBC, CNBC, ITV and Fox TV.

Credits[link]

• Jailbreak – Five (co-presenter) 2000
• Under Pressure (2001)
• Wish You Were Here...? – ITV (presenter), 2001–2003
• Forever Eden (presenter), 2004
• Walk This Way - ITV (presenter), 2004
• ChuckleVision, A Job Well Done - BBC (herself, as presenter), 2005^[2]
• Wish You Were Here Today – ITV (presenter), 2005
• Bootsale Treasure Hunt – ITV (presenter)
• Five News – Five (presenter)
• The Big Breakfast – Channel 4 (newsreader)
• World's Most Extreme Homes
• Sky High – ITV Central, 2007
• Squawk Box – CNBC, 2008
• BBC1 Primetime Inside Out – presenter on current affairs, 2009
• Discovery US "Man, Woman, Wild" - 2 series 2010/2011

References[link]

1. ^ Official Biography
2. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0541018/

External links[link]

• Official website
• Ruth England at the Internet Movie Database