Alex Polizzi
| Alex Polizzi | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Alessandra Maria Luigia Polizzi di Sorrentino[1] 28 August 1971 (age 44)[2] Poplar, London, England |
| Education | University of Oxford |
| Occupation |
Hotelier Businesswoman Television presenter |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Employer | Channel 5, BBC |
| Known for |
The Hotel Inspector Alex Polizzi: The Fixer Alex Polizzi's Secret Italy Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial |
| Spouse(s) | Marcus Miller (m. 2007) |
| Children | Olga Miller & Rocco Miller |
| Parent(s) |
Count Alessandro Polizzi (father) Hon. Olga Polizzi (mother; née Forte) |
| Relatives | Charlie Polizzi (sister) |
Alex Polizzi (born Alessandra Maria Luigia Polizzi di Sorrentino 28 August 1971 in Poplar, London) is a British hotelier of Italian origin and the presenter of the British television series The Hotel Inspector on Channel 5.[3]
Early life
Polizzi read English at St Catherine's College, Oxford, trained at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong and worked for Marco Pierre White.[4]
Career
Polizzi and her husband started a wholesale bakery, Millers Bespoke Bakery, supplying bread to Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, and Fortnum & Mason.[5]
Polizzi manages the Hotel Endsleigh in Milton Abbot, near Tavistock in Devon, which is owned by her mother.[6]
Television
Since 2008, Polizzi has presented the Channel 5 series The Hotel Inspector, replacing Ruth Watson. The show sees Polizzi visiting struggling British hotels to try to turn their fortunes around by giving advice and suggestions to the owners/managers, and often undertaking renovation projects on their behalf.
She also fronts the BBC Two series, Alex Polizzi: The Fixer,[7] which focuses on her turning around family businesses, not just hotels.[8] The first series aired in 2012; the second in 2013; a third in 2014 and a fourth has been confirmed to air in 2015. Polizzi also presented a revisited series called The Fixer Returns in 2013, as well as a Christmas special, which aired in December 2013.
In October 2014, Polizzi launched a new Channel 5 series, Alex Polizzi's Secret Italy,[9] where she visits either lesser-known places within Italy or well-known towns and cities and, using local connections, shows areas that tourists would not ordinarily experience.
On 30 October 2014, it was announced that Polizzi would host a new BBC Two series, Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial, where she visits various food outlets. The series began airing on 20 April 2015.[10]
Personal life and family
Polizzi lives in London with her husband Marcus Miller, whom she married in 2007, daughter Olga and son Rocco. Polizzi is bilingual being fluent in both English and Italian.
Polizzi comes from a long line of hoteliers, with her grandfather being Lord Forte; her mother, the hotel designer Olga Polizzi, who is Lord Forte's daughter and the sister of Sir Rocco Forte; and her father was Count Alessandro Polizzi, an Italian marquess, who died in a car accident in 1980.[11]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008— | The Hotel Inspector | Herself | Presenter | Polizzi (replacing Ruth Watson) overhauls failing hotels using her industry knowledge. She also presents The Hotel Inspector: Returns. |
| 2012 | Sunday Brunch | Guest | 1 episode | |
| 2012 | Richard E. Grant's Secret Hotels | |||
| 2012, 2014 | The Wright Stuff | 2 episodes | ||
| 2012— | Alex Polizzi: The Fixer | Presenter | Polizzi visits failing family businesses in order to make them viable again. She also presents The Fixer Returns. | |
| 2014 | Alex Polizzi's Secret Italy | Polizzi acts a tour-guide around her ancestral Italy. | ||
| 2015 | Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial | Polizzi assists restaurants in finding the perfect head-chef. | ||
| Alex Polizzi's Italian Islands | Series for Channel 5 | |||
| Alex Polizzi: Hire Our Heroes | 2-part series for BBC Two | |||
References
- ↑ Ancestry UK
- ↑ "Alex Polizzi – British Hotelier and Television Presenter". Hotel & Resort Insider. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ↑ Tryhorn, Chris (24 January 2008). "News Media Channel 5 Polizzi checks in as new Hotel Inspector". theguardian.com. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ↑ Rivkin, Annabel (20 January 2012). "Alex Polizzi, a most unlikely sex bomb". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ↑ Barber, Lynn (30 October 2005). "At last, a country house where fun isn't frowned on". The Observer. London: theguardian.com. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
- ↑ "Relative Values: Olga Polizzi and her daughter Alexandra". The Sunday Times (Times Newspapers Ltd). 1 July 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2013. (subscription required)
- ↑ Alex Polizzi fixes it for Kettley's (From Wharfedale Observer)
- ↑ "Hotel Inspector Alex Polizzi poached by BBC for new show". The Daily Telegraph (London: Telegraph.co.uk). 1 July 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- ↑ Alex Polizzi's Secret Italy: The presenter reveals Rome's hidden oasis and how to avoid Venice's 'mad, baying' tourists | Daily Mail Online
- ↑ Twofour commissioned to produce Alex Polizzi For Hire
- ↑ "Alex Polizzi". TVLives.com. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
External links
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