English broadcaster and journalist
Charlotte Mary Hawkins (born 16 May 1975) is an English television and radio presenter, newsreader and journalist.
Hawkins joined ITV's Meridian Tonight in 2003, hosting its main news programme, leaving in 2006 to become co-presenter of Sky's breakfast programme Sunrise with Eamonn Holmes. In 2014, she left Sky to co-present the ITV Breakfast programme Good Morning Britain. She also presents a Sunday evening programme on Classic FM.
She was a contestant in the fifteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing but was eliminated in the fourth week.[1]
Early life
Hawkins was born on 16 May 1975 in Chichester, West Sussex.[2][3] She attended the Bishop Luffa School in Chichester,[4] and the University of Manchester, graduating with a BA in English Literature. She later undertook a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the London College of Printing.[5]
Career
Journalism
Hawkins began her broadcasting career with ITN in 1999 as a newsreader and reporter for LBC Radio. She was one of the first journalists at the fatal Paddington rail crash and provided live reports from the scene. In January 2000, she moved to ITV Meridian in the South East of England where she co-presented the hour-long current affairs series The Big Story.
From 2001, Hawkins worked for ITV Meridian as co-anchor of their main news programme Meridian Tonight. She also presented on the ITV News Channel. At Meridian, she presented several pan-regional documentaries, including the half-hour special Britain on the Move. In 2007 Hawkins co-presented The London Boat Show for ITV.[5]
Hawkins left Meridian in December 2006 to join Sky News in January 2007,[6] where she presented Sunrise each Monday to Thursday with Eamonn Holmes. In March 2014 she left the channel.[5]
Hawkins presented several stints on Five News,[7] in the absence of stand-in Matt Barbet who was providing maternity leave cover for main presenter Natasha Kaplinsky, for a period in 2010.[8] In 2010, she was an occasional guest news reviewer on the ITV programme This Morning.[9] Hawkins also presented the Sky Arts documentary Andre Rieu: Behind the Music.
On 3 March 2014, Hawkins was confirmed as a presenter on ITV Breakfast programme Good Morning Britain. She made her last appearance on Sky News Sunrise on 6 March 2014[10] and made her debut on Good Morning Britain on 28 April 2014, where she co-hosts the show with Ben Shephard, Sean Fletcher and Susanna Reid from 6:00 am to 8.30 am, every day except Thursdays.[11]
On 22 January 2015, Hawkins presented her final show before taking maternity leave; she returned on the show on 15 June. As of 2017, Hawkins serves as newsreader on Good Morning Britain four mornings a week and covers as a main presenter during holidays and absence.
In August 2017, Hawkins took part in the fifteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One,[12] where she was paired with professional dancer Brendan Cole. They were eliminated in the fourth week of the competition.[13]
From 7 January 2018 Hawkins presented her own Classic FM music show on Sunday afternoons from 3–5pm;[14] from 5 January 2020, this slot was taken over by John Humphrys and Hawkins moved to the Smooth Classics at Seven slot.
Since 6 January 2020, Hawkins has anchored the first 30 minutes of Good Morning Britain on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday; the programme's air time had been extended.[15] Since January 2022, Hawkins has been the newsreader on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Other work
On 20 November 2020, she announced via her Twitter that she was releasing a classical music album called Mindful Moments in time for Christmas. It is a selection of her favourite pieces of classical music and is dedicated to her late father, Frank.[16][17]
Personal life
Hawkins married her partner of five years, Mark Herbert, on 23 August 2008.[18] The ceremony took place at Chichester Cathedral, where Hawkins' father was a clergyman.[19][20] It was performed by her uncle, the Rt Revd Richard Hawkins. On 12 August 2014, Hawkins announced live on Good Morning Britain that the couple were expecting their first child.[21] On 8 February 2015, she gave birth to a baby girl, Ella Rose.[22]
Hawkins lives in Surrey.[23] She spends a lot of her time outdoors, and enjoys horse riding, cycling and sailing.
Charity
Hawkins supports several charities including the Motor Neurone Disease Association of which she is a patron.[24] She is a patron of Ellenor Hospice and an ambassador for Cancer Research UK Kids and Teens.[25]
Hawkins supports the Dogs Trust charity.[26] In 2013 she owned a rescue dog named Bailey, who was adopted from the Dogs Trust.[27]
