Helen Willetts

Helen Sarah Willetts (born 10 February 1972) is a meteorologist on the BBC. She appears regularly on BBC News, BBC World News, BBC Red Button, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 2, as well as BBC One. Willetts is an occasional weather forecaster on the BBC News at Ten and the BBC News channel. Willetts returned in mid November 2009 after taking a year's maternity leave which she also did in early 2008 when she had her first child.

Early life

Born in Chester in England, Willetts went to the Eirias High School in Colwyn Bay, Conwy in Wales. She obtained a first class degree in Physics at the University of Nottingham.

She also played badminton internationally for Wales before joining the Met Office in February 1994, where she began a five-month forecaster training course at the Met Office college, at the former RAF Shinfield Park (occupied by the Met Office from 1971-2004). Also on the course at the same time was Liz Bentley, the current Chief Executive of the Met Office, John Hammond, and the regional presenter Paul Hudson, with whom she played tennis most mornings.

Broadcasting career

In July 1994 she moved to Cardiff Weather Centre and from 1995 she appeared as a forecaster on BBC Television and Radio in Wales. In 1997 she moved to the BBC Weather Centre in London to work for BBC News.

Awards

In March 2006, she was awarded the Television and Radio Industry Club (TRIC) award for best TV weather presenter.[1]

In popular culture

She has also been impersonated on the BBC comedy Dead Ringers.

Personal life

Married to Philip Boulby in March 2004,[2] she returned to Colwyn Bay for the ceremony. She received an honorary degree from the University of Nottingham on 12 July 2007.[3]

In 2006 she had her first child, and her second was born in December 2008.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Weather Presenter Award". BBC News. 2006-03-09. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
  2. ↑ Boulby, Philip. "Nottingham University Alumni". Nottingham University Alumni.
  3. ↑ "Graduation 2007". University of Nottingham. 2007-07-12. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  4. ↑ Khan, Urmee (2008-10-07). "Heavily pregnant BBC weather presenter Helen Willetts soldiers on". London: Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
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