Jon Bentley (TV presenter)

{{Short description|British journalist and television presenter (born 1961)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Jon Bentley

| birth_name =

| image = Jon Bentley.jpg

| caption = Bentley in 2008

| birth_place =

| birth_date =

| nationality = British

| other_names =

| known_for = {{flatlist|

• The Gadget Show
• Top Gear
• Fifth Gear}}

| education = Millfield

| alma_mater = Oriel College, Oxford

| employer =

| occupation = {{flatlist|

• Presenter
• journalist
• producer}}

| spouse = Married

| children = 2

| parents =

| relations =

| signature =

| website = {{URL|jonbentley.com}}

}}

Jon Bentley is a British journalist and television presenter. He was educated at Millfield in Street, Somerset from 1972 to 1978 and at Oriel College in Oxford from 1979 to 1982, where he studied geography.{{cite web | url = http://fwd.channel5.com/profiles/Jon_Bentley | title = Jon Bentley profile | access-date = 17 January 2013 | work = The Gadget Show | publisher = Channel 5 | location = United Kingdom | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120223023845/http://fwd.channel5.com/profiles/Jon_Bentley | archive-date = 23 February 2012}}{{cite web | url = http://www.jonbentley.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Jon%20Bentley%20Biography.html | title = Jon Bentley Biography | last = Bentley | first = Jon | location = United Kingdom | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120723210240/http://www.jonbentley.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Jon%20Bentley%20Biography.html | archive-date = 23 July 2012 | url-status = dead | access-date = 17 January 2013 }}{{cite web | url = https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-bentley-6473751 | title = Profile | LinkedIn | last = Bentley | first = Jon | access-date = 29 July 2022 | publisher = Jon Bentley | website = LinkedIn}}

Bentley specialises in television production and journalism in the field of motoring. Between 1987 and 1999, he was producer and executive producer of BBC Two's Top Gear, and was series producer of Fifth Gear from 2002 to 2004.

As a producer of Top Gear, Bentley helped launch the television careers of Jeremy Clarkson[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929092135/http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2005/06/stories/12/1.html I was there – Jezza's TV debut]. Top Gear. 1 June 2005 and hired Quentin Willson[https://www.theguardian.com/cars/story/0,,1358541,00.html A history of motoring on TV]. theguardian.com (24 November 2004). Retrieved on 30 November 2013. and Vicki Butler-Henderson. He also has a corner named after him on the Top Gear test track.{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/track-plan | title=Track Plan | work=Top Gear | publisher=BBC | location=United Kingdom | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204095709/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj59/features/track-plan | archive-date=4 February 2012 | url-status=live | access-date=17 January 2013 | quote=The jink left at the end of Follow Through, Bentley Bend, is named not after the British luxury car maker, but as a tribute to former Top Gear producer Jon Bentley}} Bentley presented The Gadget Show on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, alongside Ortis Deley, Suzi Perry, Pollyanna Woodward and Jason Bradbury.

In February 2012, it was announced that the show's format was changing, it was then known as The Gadget Show: World Tour, and featured two of the previous presenting team Jason Bradbury and Pollyanna Woodward.[http://fwd.channel5.com/gadget-show/gadget-news/the-gadget-show-rebooted-for-2012 The Gadget Show | The Gadget Show rebooted for 2012 by The Gadget Show] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120713060936/http://fwd.channel5.com/gadget-show/gadget-news/the-gadget-show-rebooted-for-2012 |date=13 July 2012 }}. Fwd.channel5.com. 23 February 2012. Occasionally, he also presented on Fifth Gear.

In April 2013, it was announced on Twitter that The Gadget Show was returning to its old format, and Jon would be rejoining the line up alongside new co-host Rachel Riley, who also attended Oriel College.

He is married with two daughters.{{cite web|url=https://www.jonbentley.com/biography|title=Biography|publisher=Jon Bentley|access-date=28 June 2020|quote=Married with two bilingual daughters}}