Christine Bleakley

Christine Bleakley
Born	Christine Louise Bleakley 2 February 1979 (1979-02-02) (age 32) Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Occupation	Television presenter
Years active	1997-present
Employer	ITV
Television	The One Show Daybreak Dancing On Ice
Partner	Frank Lampard (2009-present)
Parents	Frederick and Mina Bleakley

Christine Louise Bleakley^[1] (born 2 February 1979) is a television presenter from Northern Ireland. She joined Daybreak on ITV as co-presenter with Adrian Chiles in September 2010.^[2][3] She is a former co-presenter of BBC One's The One Show,^[4] and a former contestant on Strictly Come Dancing.

On 18 November 2011, is was announced that Bleakley is to co-host Dancing On Ice alongside Phillip Schofield after Holly Willoughby left because of other commitments.^[5] She is to depart her role as Daybreak host due to a major revamp of the ailing breakfast show.^[6]

Early life

Christine Bleakley was born on 2 February 1979 in Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland, to mother Mina and father Frederick, a musician, and grew up in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland.^[1] She has a younger sister, Nicola.^[7]

Bleakley started her television career as a runner and then trained to become a floor manager whilst studying for her A-Levels at Bloomfield Collegiate School in Ballyhackamore, Belfast. She continued to work at BBC NI whilst studying for a politics degree at Queen's University, Belfast. She did not complete her degree course, however, instead moving into television work full time.^[8]

Broadcasting career

Radio

Bleakley began her career in media at Belfast Citybeat as a news reader and presenter, working alongside Stephen Nolan.^[9]

BBC

Bleakley then moved into television with BBC Northern Ireland hosting a wide variety of shows. One of her programmmes was called Sky High which saw her flying around Northern Ireland in a helicopter in 2004. A weekly entertainment show called First Stop followed, and she also hosted Would You Pass The 11+^[10][11] and BBC NI coverage of Children in Need.^[12] She also took part in cookery show, "Spill the Beans".^[13]

Outside Northern Ireland, she co-hosted the BBC Two talent show Let Me Entertain You^[14] and in July 2007 she became the co-host of The One Show on BBC One.^[14]

ITV

In 2010, Bleakley left The One Show to join ITV1 as the co-host of Daybreak following Adrian Chiles' departure from the BBC to ITV. When Chiles left the BBC, there was a great deal of speculation on whether Bleakley would extend her BBC contract or move to ITV.^[15] Questions were raised in Parliament over the size and scale of the proposed £900,000 per year two year BBC contract.^[16] Shortly after she fired her long term manager and signed with Chiles' management company, on 20 June 2010, the BBC announced that it had withdrawn an offer to extend her current contract.^[16] Later that day ITV (owners of GMTV) announced she would again partner Chiles by co-hosting the revamped breakfast show with him, and also hosting prime time entertainment shows.^[2] On 8 July 2010, the BBC confirmed that Bleakley was not returning to The One Show after the programme returned from the World Cup break, from 12 July.^[4] In September 2010 Bleakley stated she would like to return to The One Show as a guest.^[17]

On 6 September 2010, Bleakley joined Chiles to host the new ITV breakfast show, Daybreak. The programme suffered mixed reviews and poor viewing figures in its first weeks on air,^[18][19] and Bleakley herself was the subject of criticism.^[20]

In addition to presenting Daybreak, Bleakley is hosting quiz show Control^[21][22] and a number of entertainment specials, including Simply Red: For the Last Time^[23] and Duran Duran: For One Night Only.^[24]

Other activities

Strictly Come Dancing

Main article: Strictly Come Dancing (Series 6)

Bleakley took part in the 2008 series of Strictly Come Dancing with professional partner Matthew Cutler.^[25]

Dances and marks

Bleakley danced the Foxtrot (27 marks/out of 40), the Quickstep (26/40), the Samba (30/40), the Paso Doble (22/40), the American Smooth (29/40), the Jive (31/40), the Waltz (34/40), the Cha Cha Cha (27/40), the Tango (28/40) and the Salsa (30/40). Bleakley left on 30 November after Rachel Stevens beat her in the dance off.^[26]

Sport Relief

Following a trip to Uganda in 2009, to see how Comic Relief money was being spent,^[27][28] in March 2010 Bleakley successfully water-skied across the English Channel in a time of one hour and 40 minutes for Sport Relief.^[29][30]

Comedy

On 20 March 2010, Bleakley made her stand-up comedy debut when she took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London.^[31][32]

Game shows

Bleakley appeared as a celebrity panellist on the 26 August 2009 edition of Shooting Stars.^[33] She also appeared as a panellist on the comedy show Would I Lie To You? on 7 September 2009.^[34] On 26 February 2010 she appeared on Chris Moyles' Quiz Night, coming second.

On 3 March 2011 she was a panelist for Celebrity Juice on ITV2.

Award ceremonies

On 11 May 2011 she presented National Movie Awards on ITV.^[35]

Awards

In November 2010, Bleakley was awarded the title 'Top TV Host' at the 2010 Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards.^[36][37] The award came after an intensely negative media campaign following her switch from the BBC to ITV.^[38]

Charity interests

Bleakley is a patron of the CineMagic children's film festival^[39] and is Northern Ireland ambassador for The Prince's Trust.^[14]

Personal life

Bleakley was engaged to Dublin restaurant owner Christian Stokes in 2004.^[40] She was then in a relationship with entrepreneur Mark Beirne from August 2007 until they split in January 2009.^[41][42]

After attending the Pride of Britain Awards in October 2009, she began a relationship with footballer Frank Lampard.^[43][44] Her engagement to Lampard was announced on 15 June 2011.^[45]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} How old are you Christine Bleakley? One Show star claims to be 29 but her birth certificate says she's 30 Mail Online, 15 September 2009
2. ^ ^{a b} "Christine Bleakley joins GMTV". GMTV. http://www.gm.tv/presenters/50504-christine-bleakley-joins-gmtv.html. Retrieved 20 June 2010. 
3. ^ Daybreak Press Pack ITV, 31 August 2010
4. ^ ^{a b} "Christine Bleakley will not return to The One Show". BBC News. 8 July 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10559908.stm. Retrieved 8 July 2010. 
5. ^ Percival, Ashley (18 November 2011). "Holly Willoughby quits Dancing on Ice for The Voice". AOL. http://www.92.celebrity.aol.co.uk/2011/11/18/holly-willoughby-the-voice/. Retrieved 18 November 2011. 
6. ^ 'Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley axed from Daybreak' Digital Spy 19 November 2011
7. ^ "Meet Christine Bleakley's little sister". Belfast Telegraph. 5 June 2010. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/bt-woman/meet-christine-bleakleys-little-sister-14831388.html. Retrieved 20 June 2010. 
8. ^ "Get work in NI - Real lives, real jobs". BBC Northern Ireland. http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/11_16/gogetit/getworkinni/bleakley.shtml. Retrieved 8 September 2008. 
9. ^ Christine Bleakley moving to ITV - joining Adrian Chiles on the GMTV sofa Belfast Telegraph, 21 June 2010
10. ^ Would You Pass The 11+ BBC Northern Ireland, December 2004
11. ^ Wild programmes Wild Rover Productions
12. ^ Christine Bleakley rejoins Adrian Chiles on GMTV, but could it all go very badly wrong? Belfast Telegraph, 22 June 2010
13. ^ How Christine (31) ruined Grainne's (36) hopes for the GMTV hot seat Herald.ie, 22 June 2010
14. ^ ^{a b c} "Christine Bleakley's profile". The One Show. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/theoneshow/backstage/profiles/christine_bleakley.shtml. Retrieved 24 November 2009. 
15. ^ "Bleakley 'torn' over TV offers". BBC News. 13 June 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10303627.stm. Retrieved 20 June 2010. 
16. ^ ^{a b} "BBC withdraws Christine Bleakley TV offer". BBC News. 21 June 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10361533.stm. Retrieved 20 June 2010. 
17. ^ Bleakley 'wants to be One Show guest' Digital Spy, 5 September 2010
18. ^ Daybreak fails to ignite early morning ratings as it loses viewers battle to BBC Breakfast Mail Online, 8 September 2010
19. ^ Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley's Daybreak loses viewers Belfast Telegraph, 16 September 2010
20. ^ Daybreak: What has gone wrong for Chiles and Bleakely dream team? Belfast Telegraph, 28 October 2010
21. ^ Christine Bleakley takes Control STV, 10 February 2011
22. ^ Bleakley takes Control of quiz show Belfast Telegraph, 10 February 2011
23. ^ Simply Red: For The Last Time ITV Press Centre, 15 September 2010
24. ^ Duran Duran: For One Night Only ITV Press Centre, 10 March 2011
25. ^ "Strictly celebrities are unveiled". BBC News. 28 August 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7585656.stm. Retrieved 28 August 2008. 
26. ^ TV's Bleakley performs last tango BBC News, 30 November 2008
27. ^ The Thomson Sport Relief Water Ski Challenge Sport Relief 2010
28. ^ Christine Bleakley on her life-changing trip to Uganda and why she couldn’t help crying at the kids’ heartbreaking stories Mirror, 13 March 2009
29. ^ "She's done it! Christine Bleakley has water-skied across the Channel". The One Show. BBC. 12 March 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theoneshow/2010/03/latest-updates-christine-bleak.shtml. 
30. ^ Water-ski challenge was torture says Bleakley The Independent, 12 March 2010
31. ^ Hear the one about Bleakley's funny turn The Sun, 30 March 2010
32. ^ Stars turn out for charity comedy gala Newsbeat, BBC, 31 March 2010
33. ^ Shooting Stars BBC Two
34. ^ Would I Lie To You? BBC One
35. ^ The King's Speech wins three National Movie Awards BBC News, 11 May 2011
36. ^ Cosmo’s Ultimate Women of the Year Awards Cosmopolitan, 3 November 2010
37. ^ Christine Bleakley crowned top TV host despite Daybreak's flagging ratings Telegraph, 3 November 2010
38. ^ Christine Bleakley shocks by winning Ultimate TV Presenter gong Metro, 3 November 2010
39. ^ CineMagic^{[dead link]}
40. ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-121051209.html
41. ^ Looks like Mark wasn't the one! Sunday Life, 1 February 2009
42. ^ One Show co-stars' friendship back under the spotlight as Christine Bleakley is ditched by her boyfriend Mail Online, 30 January 2009
43. ^ 'Christine Bleakley is brainy, funny and very pretty, and so way too good for a Chelsea player,' I told Frank Lampard Mail Online, 23 November 2009
44. ^ Who's that girl Irish Independent, 31 July 2010
45. ^ Christine Bleakley and Frank Lampard get engaged in L.A. after enjoying romantic trip to Las Vegas, MailOnline, 15 June 2011

External links

• Christine Bleakley at itv.com
• Christine Bleakley at BBC Online
• Christine Bleakley at the Internet Movie Database
• Christine's Uganda gallery The One Show, BBC
• Team Bleakley gallery The One Show, BBC - Photos of Christine on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing
• Christine's trip to Uganda The One Show, BBC - Comic Relief footage

Preceded by Myleene Klass

Co-host of The One Show 2007-2010

Succeeded by Alex Jones

Persondata
Name	Bleakley, Christine
Alternative names
Short description	NI television presenter
Date of birth	2 February 1979
Place of birth	Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland
Date of death
Place of death