Alexandra Marie Dolan is a journalist, weather presenter and science teacher who went undercover for the documentary Undercover Teacher, produced by Allen Jewhurst. For this, she was suspended from teaching for one year by the General Teaching Council with the claim that ‘breached student trust’. The decision has received criticism from both teachers and commentators.
Alex Dolan was born in Cuckfield, in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex. She has an older brother. After growing up in Cambridge she attended The Leys School, an independent school in Cambridge and Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies, and studied Marine Biology at Newcastle University. In 2019, Dolan moved from Norwich to Cromer.
More recently, Alex Dolan has been employed as a presenter on Sky’s Ocean TV programme Ocean Rescue. She returned to presenting the weather on BBC Look East on 5 January 2016 following maternity leave.
Natalie Pinkham was born in Buckinghamshire to barrister mother Joy, and property developer John, Natalie Pinkham and her older DJ brother Sam, who presents the early morning show for Virgin Radio, were raised at the family home in Northants. Natalie Pinkham was educated at Queenswood School, an independent boarding school with fellow presenter and friend Georgie Thompson; and then as a day girl at Rugby School, before studying politics at the University of Nottingham. A capable 800m runner, she gave up the event to study at university.
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.
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 Natalie 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.
Natalie Pinkham has also been a poker presenter, becoming the face of The Poker Channel for 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 penned interviews with some of the world’s top pros and filmed the European Poker Tour for Challenge and Eurosport.
Scheduled to present Heart London’s Friday evening show from January 2008, 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. Natalie Pinkham was reported to earn £35,000 for taking part but exited in Week 2 on 20 January 2008 after a skate-off with ex-Blue Peter presenter Tim Vincent and his partner Viktoria Borzenkova.
In 2009, Natalie 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. In 2010, Pinkham guest presented Channel 5’s Live from Studio Five and continued to be a regular panelist on The Wright Stuff. She also hosted the World Series of Poker Europe for ESPN.
It was confirmed on 13 January 2011 that Natalie 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.
In December 2011, it was announced she was working for Sky Sports covering the 2012 F1 season. Her main role for the 2012 season was pit reporting throughout the practice sessions, qualifying and the race alongside other commitments like interviews. For 2013, she replaced close friend Georgie Thompson as host of The F1 Show and over following years has become a key member of the Sky Sports F1 team.
In 2021, Natalie Pinkham became the first woman to commentate on a Formula One session on British television when she led Sky’s commentary of first practice at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix, working alongside Karun Chandhok and Jenson Button.
Watch the premiere of Villeneuve Pironi: Racing's Untold Tragedy on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Documentaries straight after Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying this evening 📺
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