Mike Bushell
{{short description|British sports presenter}}
{{for|the British racing driver|Mike Bushell (racing driver)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{BLP sources|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Mike Bushell
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1965|12|11}}
| birth_place = Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England
| education = Granby High School
| alma_mater = King Alfred's College
| occupation = Sports presenter
| years_active = 1990–present
| employer = BBC
| notable_works = BBC Breakfast
| spouse = {{plainlist|
- {{marriage|Kim Payne|1993|2009|end=div}}
- {{marriage|Emily Bond|2019|2024|end=sep}}
}}
| children = 3
}}
Mike Bushell (born 11 December 1965){{Cite web |last=Hodgkin |first=Emily |date=2019-11-09 |title=Mike Bushell net worth: BBC salary mystery |url=https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/1201789/Mike-Bushell-net-worth-bbc-salary |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Express.co.uk |language=en}} is an English sports presenter for the BBC. He presents sport on BBC Breakfast. Bushell has participated in many different sports on his Saturday morning slot on BBC One and on the BBC News Channel.
In 2019, he was a contestant in series 17 of the television dance show Strictly Come Dancing. He was the seventh contestant to be eliminated alongside his professional dance partner Katya Jones.
Early life, education and career
Bushell was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, he spent his teenage years in Yorkshire after growing up in northern Hertfordshire, attending school in Stevenage and Ashwell.{{Cite web |title=From Hertfordshire to the Strictly dancefloor: 7 Strictly Come Dancing contestant from the county |url=https://www.thecomet.net/news/22126919.hertfordshire-strictly-dancefloor-7-strictly-come-dancing-contestant-county/ |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=The Comet |date=August 2021 |language=en}} He played chess for Hertfordshire and ran in the county cross country team.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}
In 1977 his family moved to Harrogate and he went to secondary school at Granby High School.{{Cite web |title= Popular Strictly contestant is from Harrogate|date=6 January 2020 |url=https://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/news/popular-strictly-contestant-is-from-harrogate-1356725}} He went on to join the National Youth Theatre.{{cn|date=September 2024}}
In 1982, he took part in the game show It's A Knockout, representing Winchester in two games of a domestic heat, but his team finished bottom of three.{{Citation|title=It's a Knockout 1982 - Christchurch v Gosport v Winchester| date=28 May 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gAV_m8pZkc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/5gAV_m8pZkc |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2019-10-01}}{{cbignore}}
In 1990, after stints on the Derby Evening Telegraph and the Windsor and Slough Observer, he gained his first broadcasting job at BBC Radio Solent as a trainee reporter. He then moved to television, as a news, sport and entertainment reporter–presenter for BBC South Today before joining the BBC News channel, and later BBC Breakfast.
Career
Bushell presents the sport on BBC Breakfast on Fridays at the weekends, and sometimes on other weekdays. Bushell tries many different sports on his Saturday morning slot, on BBC One, in which he tries to "inspire people off the sofa", to "be more active" and "try a new activity". His features often include tips from sporting figures such as Serena Williams, Colin Montgomerie and Ben Ainslie.{{cn|date=September 2024}}
He has his own web page: Bushell's Best, on the pages of the BBC News website.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/breakfast/presenters/4840846.stm Mike Bushell Profile], BBC Breakfast website. Retrieved 28 September 2019. For Sport Relief in 2012, he set the world record for travelling across water in a large inflatable ball.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} In June 2013, his first book Bushell's Best Bits was published.
He has been with the BBC News channel since its launch in 1997, and appeared on Celebrity Mastermind on 28 December 2013.{{cn|date=September 2024}}
On 11 April 2018, during a live broadcast at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, Bushell accidentally fell into a swimming pool after not noticing a large drop from a step he was standing on whilst interviewing some of the English swimming team, including Adam Peaty. Due to water damage, his microphone eventually stopped working and coverage had to revert to the studios.{{cite news |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/commonwealth-games/43723655 |title= Commonwealth Games: BBC Breakfast's Mike Bushell slips into pool mid-interview - BBC Sport |work=BBC Sport |date= 11 April 2018 }}
In January 2018, Bushell participated in And They're Off! in aid of Sport Relief.
Bushell was a contestant on series 17 of Strictly Come Dancing and was paired with Katya Jones. They were the seventh couple to be eliminated from the competition after losing out in a dance-off.{{cn|date=September 2024}}
Personal life
Bushell has three daughters from his first marriage to Kim Payne; they divorced in 2009 after 16 years.{{Cite web |last=Kent |first=Sara-Aisha |date=2019-09-18 |title=Mike Bushell's wife dismisses Strictly curse as she insists marriage is 'secure' |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/strictly-star-mike-bushells-wife-20088588 |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=mirror |language=en}} He resides in Overton, Hampshire.{{Cite web |title=Overton's Mike Bushell has audience on edge of their seat as he near drops strictly partner |url=https://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/17936919.overtons-mike-bushell-audience-edge-seat-near-drops-strictly-partner/ |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Basingstoke Gazette |date=30 September 2019 |language=en}}
Bushell plays football and is a runner with the Hash House Harriers. He is a fan of Leeds United.{{cn|date=September 2024}}
References
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=2258512|name=Mike Bushell}}
- {{Twitter}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bushell, Mike}}
Category:Alumni of the University of Winchester
Category:National Youth Theatre members
Category:People from Ashwell, Hertfordshire