Natalie Pinkham

Natalie Pinkham
Born	Natalie Jane Pinkham Buckinghamshire, UK
Nationality	British
Occupation	Television presenter
Television	The Wright Stuff Police Interceptors
Parents	John and Joy Pinkham
Website
NataliePinkham.com

Natalie Pinkham is a British television and radio presenter, who is currently the pitlane correspondent for BBC Radio 5 Live's Formula 1 coverage. She is also known for hosting Police Interceptors Special Edition on 5*. She had appeared on Live From Studio Five as a guest presenter before the show was cancelled, and was a regular panellist on The Wright Stuff.

Early life and education

Natalie Jane Pinkham was born in Buckinghamshire^[1] to barrister mother Joy, and property developer John,^[2] Her parents presently live in Northampton.^{[citation needed]} Natalie and her older DJ brother Sam, who presents the breakfast show for Heart 106 in Nottingham, were raised at the family home in Northants.^{[citation needed]} Pinkham was educated at Queenswood boarding school with now Sky Sports presenter and friend Georgie Thompson; and then as a day girl at Rugby School, before reading politics at the University of Nottingham.^[3] A capable 800m runner, she gave up the event to study at university.

Career

After graduation, she joined Endemol as a researcher on BBC Two's Ready Steady Cook, and then as an assistant producer on International King of Sports. She then worked for IMG/TWI as an assistant producer on Superstars.^[4]

Moving in front of the camera, she hosted the Isle of Man TT races for Men and Motors, reported from the Tennis Masters Cup in the United States for Sky Sports, and fronted Chelsea F.C.'s Blues News. Pinkham co-hosted ITV4's World Cuppa with Absolute Radio's Christian O'Connell and BBC Radio Five Live's Steve Bunce during the 2006 FIFA World Cup; whilst also presenting an internet World Cup show for Nobok Sports site. In recent years Pinkham has also hosted the International Rugby Awards with Joel Stransky in 2004; the SALSA fashion show in 2004 with Craig Doyle; GOAL's Aura of Asia fundraising event with Liz Bonnin in 2005, and Extreme Sports Channel's coverage of the Euro Beach Soccer League and the Beach Soccer World Cup Draw with Eric Cantona in 2006. Along with ITV Fixers 'The Big Fix', The Salon Prive dinner, and the Boodles Tennis Invitational, all in 2010.

Pinkham has become a specialist poker presenter, becoming the face of The Poker Channel for the past two years - hosting the British Poker Open, the World Cup of Poker, The Scandinavian Poker Awards with Mads Mikkelsen in 2007; and a How to Play Poker DVD for Virgin Games. She also pens interviews with some of the world's top pros, and filmed the European Poker Tour for Challenge TV and Eurosport.^[5]

Scheduled to present Heart London's Friday evening show from January 2008,^[6] on 7 January 2008 it was officially announced that she would be competing in ITV1's Dancing on Ice, partnered with Russian Andrei Lipanov and being taught to skate by ice legends Torvill and Dean.^[7] Pinkham was reported to earn £35,000 for taking part,^[8] but exited in Week2 on the 20 January 2008 after a skate-off with ex-Blue Peter presenter Tim Vincent.^[9]

In 2009, Pinkham co-hosted The Goodwood Festival of Speed with Steve Rider and in 2009 and 2010 co-hosted The Goodwood Revival with Craig Doyle and Ben Fogle respectively. So far in 2010, Pinkham has guest presented Five's Live from Studio Five and continues to be a regular panelist on The Wright Stuff. She has also hosted the World Series of Poker Europe for ESPN.

Pinkham writes regular pieces for the Mail on Sunday in the Health, Travel and Review sections.^{[citation needed]}

It was confirmed on 13 January 2011 that Pinkham was to join BBC Radio 5 Live's Formula 1 commentary team as a pit lane reporter for the 2011 season - a role she took up beginning with the 2011 Australian Grand Prix.^[10]

Personal life

Pinkham is engaged to long term boyfriend Owain Walbyoff, who works in business development at Endemol.^[11]

Pinkham previously dated ex-England rugby team captain Matt Dawson, whom she met when he was a 22 year old student sports teacher at a local school near Rugby.^[12] Dawson introduced Pinkham to Prince Harry, who she was scheduled to look after with Clive Woodward's wife Jane during the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Although repeatedly linked romantically to the Prince, Pinkham has successfully sued for damages,^[13][14] and has always denied any romantic liaison.^[15] In November 2010 Pinkham became engaged to longtime boyfriend Owain Walbyoff ^[16] A keen fundraiser and campaigner, Pinkham is on the board of trustees for Access Sport, and is an ambassador for her mother's charity KidsAid and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ Births England and Wales 1837-2006
2. ^ "About Us - Scott Pinkham". Scott Pinkham. http://www.scottpinkham.com/scott_pinkham_lettings/property_lettings_northamptonshire.asp. Retrieved 2008-01-13. 
3. ^ "Natalie puts her plans on ice". University of Nottingham. 11 January 2008. http://www.alumni.nottingham.ac.uk/News/News.aspx?newsId=908. Retrieved 2008-01-13. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ "First Artist - Natalie Pinkham". First Artist. http://www.firstartist.co.uk/clients/nataliepinkham.shtml. Retrieved 2008-01-13. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ "Betting on a sure thing". London: Times Online. 14 May 2006. http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/buying_and_selling/article718651.ece. Retrieved 2008-01-13. 
6. ^ "Heart 106.2 - Natalie Pinkham". Heart 106.2. http://www.heart1062.co.uk/natalie-pinkham-1395. Retrieved 2008-01-13. 
7. ^ "Dancing on Ice - Natalie Pinkham". ITV.com. 4 January 2008. http://www.itv.com/Entertainment/reality/dancingonice/Thecelebrities/NataliePinkham/default.html. Retrieved 2008-01-13. 
8. ^ Adrian Butler (6 January 2008). "Dancing On Ice star's £60k". Sunday Mirror. http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/2008/01/06/dancing-on-ice-star-s-60k-98487-20275730/. Retrieved 2008-01-13. 
9. ^ "Natalie is next to go". ITV.com. 20 January 2008. http://www.itv.com/Entertainment/reality/dancingonice/Latestnews/Articles/Natalieisnexttogo/default.html. Retrieved 2008-01-20. 
10. ^ Natalie Pinkham joins Radio 5 Live Formula 1 team, 13 January 2011. BBC.
11. ^ Nicholl, Katie (21 November 2010). "Prince Harry's ex gets her own rock-in-the-rucksack proposal in Africa!". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1331627/Prince-Harrys-ex-Natalie-Pinkham-gets-proposal-Africa.html. 
12. ^ By Katie Nicholl (20 August 2006). "The truth about me and Harry - by his party girl". London: Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=401412&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source=. Retrieved 2008-01-13. 
13. ^ Julia Day (16 August 2006). "Legal threat over Harry pix". London: Media Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/aug/16/dailymail.sun. Retrieved 2008-01-13. 
14. ^ Guy Adams (22 August 2006). "Man 'owns up' to theft R of pictures of prince". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2008-01-22. http://web.archive.org/web/20080122140053/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20060822/ai_n16689440. Retrieved 2008-01-13. 
15. ^ "Harry's latest squeeze is new grief for Chelsy". London: The Daily Mail. 15 August 2006. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=400697&in_page_id=1770&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=picbox&ct=5. Retrieved 2008-01-13. 
16. ^ Nicholl, Katie (21 November 2010). "Prince Harry's ex gets her own rock-in-the-rucksack proposal in Africa!". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1331627/Prince-Harrys-ex-Natalie-Pinkham-gets-proposal-Africa.html. 

External links

• Official NataliePinkham.com website
• Natalie Pinkham at the Internet Movie Database
• Bio at Heart 106.2

Persondata
Name	Pinkham, Natalie
Alternative names
Short description	British TV presenter
Date of birth	September 21, 1978
Place of birth	Buckinghamshire, UK
Date of death
Place of death