Charlie Webster

Charlie Webster

Webster at a 72nd Golden Globe Awards after party in January 2015
Born Charlotte Webster
(1982-11-09) 9 November 1982
Sheffield, England
Residence London
Education Tapton School in Sheffield and Newcastle University
Occupation Sports TV presenter
Employer BBC, ITV4, Sky Sports, ESPN, Star Sports, Setanta Sports, Channel 4
Known for Sports TV presenting
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Website charliewebster.me

Charlotte "Charlie" Webster (born 9 November 1982) is an English television presenter.

Early life

Born in Sheffield, Webster attended Tapton School[1] where she participated in elite junior athletics, and then studied Language and Linguistics at Newcastle University.[2] At University, she worked part-time as a personal trainer, fitness instructor, amateur model and actress. Webster is a lifelong fan of Sheffield United.[3]

Career

Broadcasting

Webster moved to Spain as a TV presenter for Real Madrid TV interviewing the Galactico team and presenting football programmes. In 2006, she moved to Asia to join ESPN where she presented live Premier League football in addition to motorsport and Asian football.

Upon moving back to the UK, Webster presented Setanta Sports News and ITV4's Live GP2 coverage. At the end of the motorsport season, she became a sports broadcast journalist for BBC Look East. Next she moved on to present the Red Bull Air Race worldwide for ITV4. In addition to this she was the voice of Channel 4's World Superbikes highlights show. From 2009-2014, she was a presenter/reporter on Sky Sports' live coverage of Elite League and also of Speedway Grand Prix.

In November 2010, Webster became a regular presenter on Sky Sports News through until March 2014. Also in 2010 she presented the Goodwood Festival of Speed live on Sky Sports,[4] she featured on BBC One's Football Focus,[5] and presented the UK School Games for Channel 4 with Iwan Thomas.[6]

Webster features on Channel 4 presenting triathlon and endurance events which she also competes in herself including the London Triathlon. Webster presented the Sky Sports boxing Prizefighter series for 2012/2013. Webster also presented the Women's boxing at the London 2012 Olympic Games, as well as the Beach Volleyball and the athletics for the Paralympics 2012. She also presented Wimbledon report in 2012 for Sky Sports.[7]

On 26 April 2014, Webster made TV history by becoming the first female presenter of boxing coverage as Wladimir Klitschko defended his heavyweight belts against Alex Leapai shown live on British Eurosport 2. She has since presented six World Title fights including Terry Flanagan's title defence and Liam Smith's World title win on BoxNation. Webster has her own boxing themed chat show, called Charlie's Web, on BoxNation.[8]

Webster has made guest appearances on Good Morning Britain discussing breaking sports and social topics including the sacking of Jose Mourinho in 2015.[9] Also in 2015, Webster presented the World's Strongest Man for Channel 5 which was broadcast in the UK on six consecutive evenings over that year's Christmas period.[10]

Writing

Webster has written numerous sports columns, including a weekly football feature in the New Paper. She writes a blog on SkySports.com,[11] and also writes for the Huffington Post,[12] the Sheffield Star[13] and football.co.uk.[14] She writes a football column for Football Punk magazine and guest writes for the Independent[15] and the Telegraph.[16]

Other activities

Following university, Webster took up modelling professionally. Webster hosted various Nike Training Club events for Nike Women to help inspire females into sport and exercise.

In 2004, Webster posed in lingerie for FHM magazine.

Webster has hosted the RCM obesity seminar, spoke at the Women's Aid 'real man' campaign dinner and at the London Football Coaches Association dinner.[17]

She is a keen runner, triathlete, and boxer, training with ABA boxing coach Jacqui-Lee Pryce at Fitzroy Lodge, and is taking a level 2 Football Association coaching badge.[3]

In November 2014 Webster resigned as a patron of Sheffield United after convicted rapist Ched Evans was invited to train at the club.[18]

Sports

Webster completed her first Ironman Triathlon in July 2015. She completed the UK Ironman in 15 hours, 8 minutes and 59 seconds.[19] She did the Staffordshire 70.3 Ironman five weeks before in June 2015 as preparation in 6 hours 20 minutes.

She has run ten marathons to date including the London, New York, Singapore and Houston marathons.[20]

Her first attempt at triathlon was at the London Triathlon where she not only competed but presented at the same time for Channel 4.[21]

Charity work

In April 2009, Webster ran in the London Marathon raising money for the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK. In April 2010, she ran the London Marathon again, raising money for the Women's Aid Federation of England.

Webster in March 2010

An ambassador for Women's Aid, on 15 January 2014 in interview with BBC Radio 5 Live's Phil Williams,[22] she revealed that aged 15 she had been sexually assaulted by her running coach, choosing to waive her right to anonymity to go public with the revelations to "break the taboo about abuse as a whole". Webster stated:[22]

“ I got quite close to the running coach because you do. He abused my trust and abused the fact that I was an innocent person that maybe wanted his support, his compassion and his care as my running coach. ”

The man was later sentenced to 10 years in jail and put on the sex offender registry, after another younger girl recorded the abuse and contacted police.[23] Later that month, Webster embarked on a 250 miles (400 km), seven-day run between 40 football grounds for the charity.[24] Due to injuries, Webster completed about 135 miles of this challenge, having missed a whole day and several legs of the run. Webster has appeared on BBC's This Week discussing domestic abuse[25]

In March 2010, she competed in the Macmillan 4x4 UK Challenge event in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. She took an active role in the event, quickly learning the art of navigation and 4x4 driving, the event itself took place in the Mid to North Wales Forests. The event raised £123,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.[26]

Webster was presented with a heroes award in Parliament for her work in raising awareness of domestic abuse and funds for Women's Aid. She is part of Chris Grayling's Ministry of Justice Victim's Panel to advise ministers directly on how to improve the Criminal Justice System.[27]

She rode the three UK stages of the Tour de France in a Tour de Force group raising money for the William Wates Memorial Trust for disadvantaged young people and won the 2014 Running Awards Runners' Challenge.[28]

References

  1. ↑ Talented Charlie Webster's got her eye on the ball The Star, 26 May 2009
  2. ↑ Charlie Webster: More than just a pretty face The Star, 27 May 2009
  3. 1 2 About Charlie Webster Charlie Webster
  4. ↑ Charlie presenting the Goodwood Festival of Speed live on Sky Sports YouTube
  5. ↑ Charlie Webster on Football Focus...the Holdsworth brothers YouTube
  6. ↑ Charlie presenting the UK School Games on C4 with Iwan Thomas YouTube
  7. ↑ Charlie Webster - Wimbledon Report 2012, 2012-07-16, retrieved 2016-01-19
  8. ↑ "Watch BoxNation Online". watch.boxnation.com. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  9. ↑ "Good Morning Britain Charlie Webster on Mourinho sacking". Vimeo. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  10. ↑ "UK World's Strongest Man TV schedule". World's Strongest Man. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  11. ↑ Blogs & Opinion – Charlie Webster Sky Sports
  12. ↑ Charlie Webster in the Huffington Post
  13. ↑ Charlie Webster: United must apply desire shown in the derby win to clinch safety The Star, 31 March 2011
  14. ↑ Charlie Webster – England women can show Capello's boys how it's done Blog, Football.co,uk, 1 April 2011
  15. ↑ "We should be able to praise England's Lionesses without shaming the men's team". The Independent. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  16. ↑ "Charlie Webster: 'We female sports presenters belong in the male locker room. Get over it'". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  17. ↑ London Football Coaches Association dinner Blog, Charlie Webster, 15 December 2010
  18. ↑ The Guardian, 12 Nov 2014, Charlie Webster resigns as Sheffield United patron over Ched Evans return
  19. ↑ "Charlie Webster completes Ironman UK, Bolton". dassi.com. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  20. ↑ "Running helps TV personality Charlie Webster gain clarity". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  21. ↑ Charlie Webster presenting 4Triathlon, 2013-10-01, retrieved 2016-01-19
  22. 1 2 "Sky Sports presenter Charlie Webster speaks of sex assault". BBC News. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  23. ↑ Sky News 15 January 2014
  24. ↑ "Charlie's BIG Challenge". Women's Aid Federation of England. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  25. ↑ Charlie Webster on This Week http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23002309
  26. ↑ The Year Charlie Webster Competed Mac 4x4 Challenge, 2010
  27. ↑ http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/_mobile/lifestyle/big-issue/charlie-webster-victims-panel?ignoreCache=1 Ministry of Justice Victim's Panel
  28. ↑ "The Running Awards 2014". The Huffington Post UK. Retrieved 2016-01-19.

External links

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