Caroline Barker
{{Short description|British sports journalist and broadcaster}}
{{For|the Australian artist|Caroline Barker (artist)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Caroline Barker
| image = File:Brighton & Hove Albion Women v Manchester United Women 01 04 2023-136 (52787623263).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Barker working for Sky Sports in April 2023
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1981}}
| birth_name =
| birth_place = Chelmsford, Essex, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = British
| other_names =
| occupation = Sports journalist, Chelmsford City director (2009{{ndash}}2011)
| years_active =
}}
Caroline Barker (born 1981) is a British sports journalist and broadcaster who works in television and radio. She currently presents mainly for BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC World Service, Sky Sports and Premier League Productions. Barker was the first female presenter of Match Day Live for Premier League Productions.
Career
Barker first worked for BBC Essex,{{cite news|title=The Non League Show – Meet the Team|date=2 February 2010 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8491000/8491384.stm|publisher=BBC London 94.9|accessdate=3 June 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617193057/http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8491000/8491384.stm|archivedate=17 June 2015}} before joining BBC London 94.9 in 2004 as a sports reporter.{{cite news|title=Caroline Barker|date=5 June 2009 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8076000/8076973.stm|publisher=BBC|accessdate=3 June 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617190558/http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8076000/8076973.stm|archivedate=17 June 2015}} While at BBC London, she worked as cover for sports reporters on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4. Beyond sports news, Barker presents the award winning Sportshour for BBC World Service and was presenter of Sportsworld for the BBC World Service until 2015.{{cite web|last1=Barker|first1=Caroline|title=My last live Sportsworld Sunday before pastures new... Brilliant bunch|url=https://vine.co/v/eqIvYL7zbeP|publisher=Vine|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617191225/https://vine.co/v/eqIvYL7zbeP|archivedate=17 June 2015}} Since 2014, she has regularly presented on programmes across BBC Radio 5 Live, covering on the 5 Live Sport, 5 Live Drive and Weekend Breakfast shows.{{cite news|last1=Oldryod|first1=Eleanor|title=5 Live doesn't look like Radio Bloke from here|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jul/03/bbc-radio-5-live-female-presenters|work=The Guardian|date=3 July 2014 |accessdate=3 June 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926001243/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jul/03/bbc-radio-5-live-female-presenters|archivedate=26 September 2015}}{{cite web|title=5 Live Drive |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/programme/q6mb/5-live-drive/episodeguide |publisher=Radio Ties |accessdate=3 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617194132/http://www.radiotimes.com/programme/q6mb/5-live-drive/episodeguide |archivedate=17 June 2015 }} She has become a frequent panellist on BBC 5 Live's sports comedy show Fighting Talk, winning the programme's "Rookie of the year award" in May 2015, and in the same year, led 5 Live's coverage of the Women's World Cup.{{cite web|title=Details of BBC coverage of the Women's World Cup 2015|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/worldcup2015|publisher=BBC Media Centre|accessdate=29 June 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617114340/http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/worldcup2015|archivedate=17 June 2015}} She has since hosted the 2019 Women's World Cup for 5 Live. Barker is known for her love of fancy dress and appeared in a parrot costume during a live edition of Fighting Talk broadcast from Cardiff. Barker has also acted as stand-in host of The Totally Football Show podcast in the absence of regular host, James Richardson, her first appearance being in February 2018. She now hosts The Totally Football League Show and football coverage for Sky Sports.
A fan of her hometown club Chelmsford City, Barker has long been a supporter of non-league football. She is the presenter of The Non-League Football Show, which she created for London 94.9 in 2006,{{cite web|title=Who We Are|url=http://www.jibbajabbapods.com/about.html|publisher=Jibba Jabba|accessdate=3 June 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814111230/http://jibbajabbapods.com/about.html|archivedate=14 August 2015}} moving with it to 5 Live in 2012.{{cite web|last1=Barker|first1=Caroline|title=Welcoming the Non League Show to its new 5 live home|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/5live/2012/08/welcoming-the-non-league-show.shtml|publisher=BBC|accessdate=3 June 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924153216/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/5live/2012/08/welcoming-the-non-league-show.shtml|archivedate=24 September 2015}} She is a director of the National League and was a founder member of the Non-League Footballers Association.{{cite web|title=The Team|url=http://www.thenlfa.com/about/the_team.aspx|publisher=Non-League Footballers Association|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617190751/http://www.thenlfa.com/about/the_team.aspx|archivedate=17 June 2015}} From 2009 to 2011, she was a director at Chelmsford City.{{cite web|title=Caroline Barker to Host Raise Your Game 2015|url=http://www.kickitout.org/news/caroline-barker-to-host-raise-your-game-2015/|publisher=KickItOut|accessdate=3 June 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617190350/http://www.kickitout.org/news/caroline-barker-to-host-raise-your-game-2015/|archivedate=17 June 2015}}
As well as football, Barker is also commentator and analyst on netball, leading BBC coverage of the 2018 Commonwealth Gold winning team and for Sky Sports live coverage of the 2015 Netball World Cup.{{cite web|title=Stay updated with England at 2015 Netball World Cup |url=http://www.englandnetball.co.uk/news-and-media/latest-news/stay-updated-with-england-at-2015-netball-world-cup_id30004cd0-f353-476d-a522-1b2ee192aa55 |publisher=England Netball |accessdate=17 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617190943/http://www.englandnetball.co.uk/news-and-media/latest-news/stay-updated-with-england-at-2015-netball-world-cup_id30004cd0-f353-476d-a522-1b2ee192aa55 |archivedate=17 June 2015 }}{{cite web|last1=Chapman|first1=Caroline|title=Netball Superleague: Who will be crowned champions?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/netball/27054447|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=17 June 2015}} She is lead commentator for Sky Netball. She hosted the 2018 Champions League of Darts and 2019 Champions League of Darts on the BBC alongside Mark Webster and Paul Nicholson. She also covers the NFL International Series for BBC Sport.
In addition to her broadcasting, Barker founded and was director of digital content company JibbaJabba.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Caroline}}
Category:People from Chelmsford
Category:BBC sports presenters and reporters
Category:BBC Radio 5 Live presenters