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{{short description|British TV personality}}
{{short description|British television presenter (born 1982)}}
{{BLP sources|date=December 2011}}
{{BLP sources|date=December 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Ayo Akinwolere
| name = Ayo Akinwolere
| image = Ayo Akinwolere .jpg
| image =
| image_size =
| image_size =
| alt =
| alt =
| caption =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|11|30|df=yes}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|11|30|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Nigeria]]
| birth_place = [[Ibadan]], Nigeria
| alias = Andy Akinwolere
| alias = Andy Akinwolere
| occupation = Broadcaster
| occupation = Broadcaster
| known_for = Being the [[List of Blue Peter presenters|32nd presenter]] of ''[[Blue Peter]]'' (2006–2011)
| known_for = Being the [[List of Blue Peter presenters|32nd presenter]] of ''[[Blue Peter]]'' (2006–2011)
| television = ''[[Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge]]'' (2012–14)<br/>[[Inside Out (2002 TV programme)|''Inside Out'']] (2014–)
| television = {{Ubl
| ''[[Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge]]'' (2012–14)
| [[Inside Out (2002 TV programme)|''Inside Out'']] (2014–)
⚫
}}
| spouse =
| spouse =
| children =
| website =
| website =
| nocat_wdimage = yes <!--Wikidata image checked on 29 Jan 2017 and not used-->
}}
}}
'''Odunayo Andrew Akinwolere''' (born 30 November 1982), previously known as '''Andy Akinwolere''',<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37289733 "Ex Blue Peter presenter: 'Why I changed my name'", BBC News, 6 September 2016]</ref> is a British television presenter.
'''Odunayo Andrew Akinwolere''' (born 30 November 1982), previously known as '''Andy Akinwolere''',<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37289733 "Ex-Blue Peter presenter: 'Why I changed my name'", BBC News, 6 September 2016]</ref> is a British television presenter.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Akinwolere was born in [[Nigeria]] in 1982, and moved to the [[United Kingdom]] with his family when he was eight years old, where he adopted the name "Andy". They settled in [[Birmingham]], where he went to school. His parents are doctors and work in Kidderminster in Worcestershire.
Akinwolere was born in [[Ibadan]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://twitter.com/ayoakinwo/status/1178804505644806145 |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=Twitter |language=en}}</ref> Nigeria in 1982, and moved to the [[United Kingdom]] with his family when he was eight years old, where he adopted the name "Andy". They settled in [[Birmingham]], where he went to school. His parents are doctors and work in [[Kidderminster]] in [[Worcestershire]].


==Education==
==Education==
Akinwolere attended [[St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, Birmingham|St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School]] in [[Kings Norton]], a district of [[Birmingham]], and then [[Sheffield Hallam University]], from which he graduated in 2004, with a BA degree in [[Media Studies]].
Akinwolere attended St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School in [[Harborne]], [[St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, Birmingham|St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School]] in [[Kings Norton]], a district of [[Birmingham]], and then [[Sheffield Hallam University]], from which he graduated in 2004, with a BA degree in [[Media Studies]].


==Career==
==Career==
Akinwolere's first job was as a 'runner' for the BBC. He was asked to audition by one of the ''Blue Peter'' directors he met whilst eating out with colleagues; he had previously intended to go into documentary-making and radio. Akinwolere began co-presenting the [[BBC]] television programme ''[[Blue Peter]]'' on 28 June 2006. Whilst on the show he was nominated for two [[British Academy Children's Awards]]: The prestigious Presenter of the Year Children's [[British Academy Film Awards|'''BAFTA''']] and subsequently nominated with ''Blue Peter'' the following year for Best Factual Programme.
Akinwolere's first job was as a [[runner]] for the BBC. He was asked to audition by one of the ''[[Blue Peter]]'' directors he met whilst eating out with colleagues; he had previously intended to go into documentary-making and radio. He began co-presenting ''Blue Peter'' on 28 June 2006. Whilst on the show he was nominated for two [[British Academy Children's Awards]]: the Presenter of the Year Children's [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA]], and ''Blue Peter'' the following year for Best Factual Programme. In 2008 as lead presenter Akinwolere hosted [[Queen Elizabeth II]] to celebrate 50 years of ''Blue Peter''. In June 2011, he set a new world record for the deepest location for an open water swim, when he swam more than five miles across the [[Yap Trench|Palau Trench]] in the Pacific Ocean – the first person to have done so.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}} This was the last major challenge he did on ''[[Blue Peter]]'' before leaving the show at the end of the season.


⚫
He took part in the TV program ''[[Ready Steady Cook]]'', competing against fellow presenter Konnie Huq in December 2007. In the same year, he appeared on the ''[[The Weakest Link (UK game show)|Weakest Link]]'' where he was the fifth to be eliminated. On 25 April 2011, Akinwolere was a contestant on ''[[Total Wipeout]]'''s second Celebrity Special of series 4 but had to quit due to injury.
His first challenge, as a presenter, was to complete a 150-yard [[abseil]] and an 1100&nbsp;ft Hele [[Bungee jumping|Bungee]]. He has presented the show with [[Konnie Huq]], [[Zöe Salmon]], [[Gethin Jones]], [[Helen Skelton]], [[Joel Defries]] and [[Barney Harwood]]. He went on to pass his driving test on the show, gained a Racing / Sky Diving license and a Swimming World record.


⚫
In 2012, he co-presented the third season of ''[[Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge]]'' alongside [[Laura Hamilton]]. He presented the show for two series. Both were nominated for a [[British Academy Children's Awards]] for Best Entertainment Programme in 2014.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}
As a young presenter he's been a guest presenter on CBBC's Safari 8 to the established art show SM:ART. Akinwolere presented the BBC red button coverage of the London Mini-Marathon. In 2008 as lead presenter Akinwolere hosted [[Queen Elizabeth II]] to celebrate 50 years of Blue Peter, the most established children's programme in the country. He also presented a ceremony in the presence of [[Pope Benedict XVI]] during his tour of the United Kingdom in September 2010.


⚫
In 2012 Akinwolere went to Jamaica to interview sprinter [[Usain Bolt]], in a documentary for the [[BBC]]. The documentary looked to understand through various theories, why Jamaica as a nation had dominated the world of sprinting for so long.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}} In January 2013 he appeared in a special series of ''[[The Great British Bake Off]]'' for Comic Relief which was won by [[Warwick Davis]]. In 2016 Akinwolere was a contestant on ''[[Celebrity Masterchef|Celebrity Master Chef]]'' in which he competed with [[Rylan Clark-Neal|Rylan Clark]] [[Arlene Phillips]], [[Kimberly Wyatt]] and [[Craig Gazey]].
He accidentally dropped the star that had topped the [[Trafalgar Square Christmas tree]] for ten years as he was attaching it to a crane, leaving it slightly damaged; nonetheless, he was allowed to try again once it had been taped up.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7788810.stm |title=Blue Peter's falling star moment |work=BBC News |date=17 December 2008 |accessdate=30 July 2011}}</ref>

On 4 April 2011, he mentioned on-air, that he was planning to leave the show, and it was also reported at the same time in his Blue Peter Blog. It had been reported two days earlier in the Daily Mail.<ref>{{cite news |author=Lara Gould |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1372734/Now-Blue-Peter-crisis-presenter-Andy-Akinwolere-quits-North.html?ito=feeds-newsxml |title=Now Blue Peter is in crisis as presenter Andy Akinwolere quits over move North |work=Mail Online |publisher=DMG Media |date=4 March 2011 |accessdate=30 July 2011}}</ref>

⚫
He took part in the ''[[Ready Steady Cook]]'' TV programme, competing against fellow presenter Konnie Huq in December 2007. In the same year he appeared on the ''[[The Weakest Link (UK game show)|Weakest Link]]'' where he was the fifth to be eliminated.

On 25 April 2011, Akinwolere was a contestant on ''[[Total Wipeout]]'''s second Celebrity Special of series 4 but had to quit in The Wipeout Zone because he hurt himself on Killer Surf. He came third in The Qualifier, second Crash Mountain and first in the Dizzy Dummy.

In June 2011, he set a new world record for the deepest location for an open water swim, when he swam more than five miles across the [[Yap Trench|Palau Trench]] in the Pacific Ocean – the first person to have done so. The last major challenge he did on ''[[Blue Peter]]'' before leaving the show at the end of the season.

⚫
In July 2012, it was revealed that he would co-present the third season of ''[[Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge]]'' alongside [[Laura Hamilton]] he presented the show for two series. Both were nominated for a [[British Academy Children's Awards]] for Best Entertainment Programme in 2014.

In 2012 Akinwolere went to Jamaica to interview the world's fastest man Usain Bolt, in a documentary for the [[BBC]]. The documentary looked to understand through various theories, why Jamaica as a nation had dominated the world of sprinting for so long. As well as Bolt he met his father Wellesley Bolt and his inspirational school teacher Lorna Thorpe.

⚫
In January 2013 he appeared in a special series of ''[[The Great British Bake Off]]'' for Comic Relief which was won by ''[[Warwick Davis]]''. In 2016 Ayo was a contestant on ''[[Celebrity Masterchef|Celebrity Master Chef]]'' of which he competed with [[Rylan Clark-Neal|Rylan Clark]] [[Arlene Phillips]], [[Kimberly Wyatt]] and [[Craig Gazey]]. The series was won by [[Kimberly Wyatt]].

In 2015 Ayo created a '''THE SWIM CHALLENGE''', a project looking to prove that people of colour can swim. Ayo is one of four people of colour with a swimming world record, he took 15 non-swimming adults of various ethnic backgrounds from across London and redesigned a swimming programme to teach them how to swim. In 10 weeks the participants went through a gruelling swimming programme helped by the [http://www.swimdemcrew.co.uk Swim Dem Crew], to try and challenge their fears of the water and furthermore learn to swim. All the participants learned to swim, and even more remarkable eight participants from the group went on the swim in open water with Ayo in the [[Great Swim|Great Manchester Swim]] and [[Great London Swim]]. The project gained momentum in various publications and was sponsored by [[Speedo]], Ayo was later commissioned by [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/get-inspired/33788095 BBC Get Inspired] to document the project.
In 2014, Akinwolere became the presenter of the BBC's current affairs program ''[[Inside Out (2002 TV program)|Inside Out]]'' for the West Midlands for which he has won the Best Factual [[Royal Television Society]] Award for his documentary on extremism. While presenting Inside Out West Midlands, he resumed using the name Ayo, his birth name.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cannon |first=Matt |date=8 September 2016 |title=TV presenter 'Andy' Akinwolere on why he changed his name |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/showbiz-tv/tv-presenter-andy-akinwolere-changed-11861601 |work=Birmingham Mail |access-date=15 January 2021}}</ref>
As a broadcaster he's worked across various British television channels and radio stations. Interviewing some of the world's greatest sports people including [[Usain Bolt]], [[Lewis Hamilton]], and [[Jessica Ennis]]. Ayo has written for publications such as ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', ''[[Huffington Post]]'' and [[BBC Sport]] on Sport, his career and also male identity. He claimed to have travelled to over 118 different cities in the world through his career.


⚫
In 2018, he became a co-presenter on [[Channel 4]]'s coverage of the [[European Rugby Champions Cup]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/channel-4-launches-live-coverage-of-the-european-rugby-champions-cup-xx|title=Channel 4 launches live coverage of the European Rugby Champions Cup|date=3 October 2018|publisher=Channel 4|access-date=13 October 2018}}</ref>
From 2014, Akinwolere became the presenter of the BBC's current affairs programme ''[[Inside Out (2002 TV programme)|Inside Out]]'' for the West Midlands for which he has won the Best Factual [[Royal Television Society]] Award for his documentary on Extremism.


In September 2020, Akinwolere was hired by [[CBS Sports]] (US) to present the UEFA Europa League edition of the whip-around show ''The Golazo Show'' which airs in the US on [[CBS Sports Network]] and is streamed to US viewers via [[Paramount Plus]] on match Thursdays.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/?view=100771-cbs-sports-uefa-champions-league-multiplatform-coverage-returns-with-paramount-streaming-every-match-live | title=Paramount Press Express &#124; CBS SPORTS' UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MULTIPLATFORM COVERAGE RETURNS WITH PARAMOUNT+ STREAMING EVERY MATCH LIVE | date=September 2022 }}</ref> Panelists on the UEFA Europa League edition of ''The Golazo Show'' include [[Nicolás Cantor]], [[Lianne Sanderson]] and [[Julien Laurens]].
⚫
In 2018, he became a co-presenter on [[Channel 4]]'s coverage of the [[European Rugby Champions Cup]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/channel-4-launches-live-coverage-of-the-european-rugby-champions-cup-xx|title=Channel 4 launches live coverage of the European Rugby Champions Cup|date=3 October 2018|publisher=Channel 4|accessdate=13 October 2018}}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Akinwolere has four siblings – three brothers and one sister who live in the [[United States]]. His first language growing up was [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]], in addition to [[English language|English]]; which he learned when the family moved to [[Birmingham]]. His parents both lived abroad for a while and he spent a small part of his childhood living in [[Nancy, France|Nancy]], [[France]]. He has been quoted as saying he has seen 118 different cities around the world. He mentioned on ''Blue Peter'' on 8 April 2009 that he shares a flat with CBBC presenter [[Johny Pitts]]. He is an amateur photographer and has had pictures published in [[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic Kids Magazine]] and the 2010 Christmas edition of [[Vogue Bambini]]. He is also a keen collector of rare [[Gramaphone record|vinyl]] and rare music.
Akinwolere has four siblings – three brothers and one sister who live in the [[United States]]. His first language growing up was [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]], in addition to [[English language|English]]; which he learned when the family moved to [[Birmingham]]. His parents both lived abroad for a while and he spent a small part of his childhood living in [[Nancy, France|Nancy]], [[France]]. {{citation needed|date=January 2023}} He is an amateur photographer and has had pictures published in [[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic Kids Magazine]] and the 2010 Christmas edition of [[Vogue Bambini]]. {{citation needed|date=January 2023}} He is also a keen collector of rare [[Gramaphone record|vinyl]] and rare music. {{citation needed|date=January 2023}} He lives in [[Margate]], [[Kent]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-30 |title=Why I love Margate with Ayo Akinwolere |url=https://www.communityad.co.uk/exclusives/ayo-akinwolere-why-love-margate/ |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=CommunityAd |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-08 |title=Ayo Akinwolere: How I Made It |url=https://notion.online/ayo-akinwolere-how-i-made-it/ |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=Notion |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==World Record Swim==
Blue Peter presenter Ayo Akinwolere has set two world records for swimming in one of the deepest stretches of water on the planet. Mr Akinwolere swam five miles across the Palau Trench, an 8,000-metre deep abyss in the Pacific Ocean. He is the first person to swim across the deepest part of the trench, and now holds the record for the deepest location for an open water swim. He took three and a half hours to complete his swim. His records were verified by the World Open Water Swimming Association. Until a few weeks before, Mr Akinwolere was unable to swim a length and was terrified of open water.
He said: "It's an absolute triumph to have completed this swim, after having had just over 10 weeks of swimming training I still cannot believe how far I've come.
"I could not swim a length before this and now I have swum over one of the deepest parts of the world.
"All the hours of gruelling training will be worth it if my challenge inspires more children from ethnic minorities to learn to swim."


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
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| 2006–2011 ||''[[Blue Peter]]'' || Presenter || [[BBC One]]
| 2006–2011 ||''[[Blue Peter]]'' || Presenter || [[BBC One]]
|-
|-
| 2007 ||''[[SMart]]'' || Guest presenter (one episode) || [[CBBC]]
| 2007 ||''[[SMart]]'' || Guest presenter (one episode) || [[CBBC (TV channel)|CBBC]]
|-
|-
| 2007||''[[Ready Steady Cook]]''|| Participant || [[BBC Two]]
| 2007||''[[Ready Steady Cook]]''|| Participant || [[BBC Two]]
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| 2008 ||''[[The Weakest Link]]''|| Contestant on ''Blue Peter'' special || [[BBC One]]
| 2008 ||''[[The Weakest Link]]''|| Contestant on ''Blue Peter'' special || [[BBC One]]
|-
|-
| 2008||''[[SMart]]''|| Guest presenter (one episode) || [[CBBC]]
| 2008||''[[SMart]]''|| Guest presenter (one episode) || [[CBBC (TV channel)|CBBC]]
|-
|-
| 2009 ||''[[Coronation Street]]''|| Guest cameo (one episode)|| [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]
| 2009 ||''[[Coronation Street]]''|| Guest cameo (one episode)|| [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]
Line 116: Line 95:
| 2018–Present||''[[Channel 4 Rugby Internationals]]''|| Presenter || [[Channel 4]]
| 2018–Present||''[[Channel 4 Rugby Internationals]]''|| Presenter || [[Channel 4]]
|-
|-
| 2019–Present|| ''[[Premier League Today]]''|| Presenter || [[Premier League]]
| 2019–2022 || ''[[Premier League Today]]''|| Reporter || [[Premier League]]
|}
|}


==Awards==
==Awards==
In 2008 and 2010 Akinwolere was nominated for Presenter of the year at BAFTA Children's Award. [https://www.webcitation.org/69fw6pVPE?url=http://www.bafta.org/awards/childrens/nominations-childrens-awards-in-2008,593,BA.html BAFTA Children's Awards 2008 nominees]
In 2008 and 2010 Akinwolere was nominated for Presenter of the year at the BAFTA Children's Award. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120801081430/http://www.bafta.org/awards/childrens/nominations-childrens-awards-in-2008,593,BA.html BAFTA Children's Awards 2008 nominees]


2015 won a [[Royal Television Society]] award for his ''[[Inside Out (2002 TV programme)|Inside Out]]'' documentary on Extremism
2015 won a [[Royal Television Society]] award for his ''[[Inside Out (2002 TV programme)|Inside Out]]'' documentary on Extremism
Line 128: Line 107:


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.tv.com/andy-akinwolere/person/458392/summary.html Profile at tv.com]
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bluepeter/andys_blog/index.shtml Akinwolere's blog on Blue Peter website]
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bluepeter/andys_blog/index.shtml Akinwolere's blog on Blue Peter website]

{{S-start}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Matt Baker (presenter)|Matt Baker]]
| title = ''[[Blue Peter]]'' Presenter No. 32
| years = 2006–2011
| after = [[Lindsey Russell]]
⚫
}}
{{S-end}}
{{Blue Peter presenters}}


<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[File:Andy Akinwolere.jpg]] -->
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[File:Andy Akinwolere.jpg]] -->
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Akinwolere, Andy}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akinwolere, Andy}}
[[Category:Alumni of Sheffield Hallam University]]
[[Category:Alumni of Sheffield Hallam University]]
[[Category:Black English television personalities]]
[[Category:Black British television personalities]]
[[Category:Blue Peter presenters]]
[[Category:British children's television presenters]]
[[Category:English people of Yoruba descent]]
[[Category:English people of Yoruba descent]]
[[Category:Yoruba television personalities]]
[[Category:Yoruba television personalities]]
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[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Birmingham, West Midlands]]
[[Category:Mass media people from Birmingham, West Midlands]]
[[Category:English male swimmers]]
[[Category:English male swimmers]]
[[Category:21st-century English sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century Nigerian sportsmen]]

Latest revision as of 06:55, 11 November 2024

Ayo Akinwolere
Born (1982-11-30) 30 November 1982 (age 42)
Ibadan, Nigeria
Other namesAndy Akinwolere
OccupationBroadcaster
Known forBeing the 32nd presenter of Blue Peter (2006–2011)
Television

Odunayo Andrew Akinwolere (born 30 November 1982), previously known as Andy Akinwolere,[1] is a British television presenter.

Early life

[edit]

Akinwolere was born in Ibadan,[2] Nigeria in 1982, and moved to the United Kingdom with his family when he was eight years old, where he adopted the name "Andy". They settled in Birmingham, where he went to school. His parents are doctors and work in Kidderminster in Worcestershire.

Education

[edit]

Akinwolere attended St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Harborne, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in Kings Norton, a district of Birmingham, and then Sheffield Hallam University, from which he graduated in 2004, with a BA degree in Media Studies.

Career

[edit]

Akinwolere's first job was as a runner for the BBC. He was asked to audition by one of the Blue Peter directors he met whilst eating out with colleagues; he had previously intended to go into documentary-making and radio. He began co-presenting Blue Peter on 28 June 2006. Whilst on the show he was nominated for two British Academy Children's Awards: the Presenter of the Year Children's BAFTA, and Blue Peter the following year for Best Factual Programme. In 2008 as lead presenter Akinwolere hosted Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate 50 years of Blue Peter. In June 2011, he set a new world record for the deepest location for an open water swim, when he swam more than five miles across the Palau Trench in the Pacific Ocean – the first person to have done so.[citation needed] This was the last major challenge he did on Blue Peter before leaving the show at the end of the season.

He took part in the TV program Ready Steady Cook, competing against fellow presenter Konnie Huq in December 2007. In the same year, he appeared on the Weakest Link where he was the fifth to be eliminated. On 25 April 2011, Akinwolere was a contestant on Total Wipeout's second Celebrity Special of series 4 but had to quit due to injury.

In 2012, he co-presented the third season of Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge alongside Laura Hamilton. He presented the show for two series. Both were nominated for a British Academy Children's Awards for Best Entertainment Programme in 2014.[citation needed]

In 2012 Akinwolere went to Jamaica to interview sprinter Usain Bolt, in a documentary for the BBC. The documentary looked to understand through various theories, why Jamaica as a nation had dominated the world of sprinting for so long.[citation needed] In January 2013 he appeared in a special series of The Great British Bake Off for Comic Relief which was won by Warwick Davis. In 2016 Akinwolere was a contestant on Celebrity Master Chef in which he competed with Rylan Clark Arlene Phillips, Kimberly Wyatt and Craig Gazey.

In 2014, Akinwolere became the presenter of the BBC's current affairs program Inside Out for the West Midlands for which he has won the Best Factual Royal Television Society Award for his documentary on extremism. While presenting Inside Out West Midlands, he resumed using the name Ayo, his birth name.[3]

In 2018, he became a co-presenter on Channel 4's coverage of the European Rugby Champions Cup.[4]

In September 2020, Akinwolere was hired by CBS Sports (US) to present the UEFA Europa League edition of the whip-around show The Golazo Show which airs in the US on CBS Sports Network and is streamed to US viewers via Paramount Plus on match Thursdays.[5] Panelists on the UEFA Europa League edition of The Golazo Show include Nicolás Cantor, Lianne Sanderson and Julien Laurens.

Personal life

[edit]

Akinwolere has four siblings – three brothers and one sister who live in the United States. His first language growing up was Yoruba, in addition to English; which he learned when the family moved to Birmingham. His parents both lived abroad for a while and he spent a small part of his childhood living in Nancy, France. [citation needed] He is an amateur photographer and has had pictures published in National Geographic Kids Magazine and the 2010 Christmas edition of Vogue Bambini. [citation needed] He is also a keen collector of rare vinyl and rare music. [citation needed] He lives in Margate, Kent.[6][7]

Filmography

[edit]
Year Title Role Channel
2006–2011 Blue Peter Presenter BBC One
2007 SMart Guest presenter (one episode) CBBC
2007 Ready Steady Cook Participant BBC Two
2008 The Weakest Link Contestant on Blue Peter special BBC One
2008 SMart Guest presenter (one episode) CBBC
2009 Coronation Street Guest cameo (one episode) ITV
2009 England's Worst Ever XI Participant BBC Three
2010 Teensville Documentary Presenter BBC Two
2010 100 Greatest Toys Channel 4 Participant Channel 4
2011 Total Wipeout Contestant BBC One
2012 Usain Bolt: Running Man Documentary Presenter BBC
2012–2014 Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge Co-presenter alongside Laura Hamilton ITV
2013 The Great British Bake Off Contestant BBC One
2016 World of Weird Presenter Channel 4
2017 It's A Dogs Life Documentary Presenter BBC World Service
2017 Great Birmingham 10k Presenter Channel 5
2017 Our Home Correspondent Guest Presenter BBC Radio 4
2017–Present Football Focus Reporter BBC One
2017–Present Match of the Day Reporter BBC One
2014–Present Inside Out Main Presenter BBC One
2018–Present The Big Tackle Co-Presenter Channel 4
2018–Present Channel 4 Rugby Internationals Presenter Channel 4
2019–2022 Premier League Today Reporter Premier League

Awards

[edit]

In 2008 and 2010 Akinwolere was nominated for Presenter of the year at the BAFTA Children's Award. BAFTA Children's Awards 2008 nominees

2015 won a Royal Television Society award for his Inside Out documentary on Extremism

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Ex-Blue Peter presenter: 'Why I changed my name'", BBC News, 6 September 2016
  2. ^ Twitter https://twitter.com/ayoakinwo/status/1178804505644806145. Retrieved 28 December 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ Cannon, Matt (8 September 2016). "TV presenter 'Andy' Akinwolere on why he changed his name". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Channel 4 launches live coverage of the European Rugby Champions Cup". Channel 4. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  5. ^ "Paramount Press Express | CBS SPORTS' UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MULTIPLATFORM COVERAGE RETURNS WITH PARAMOUNT+ STREAMING EVERY MATCH LIVE". September 2022.
  6. ^ "Why I love Margate with Ayo Akinwolere". CommunityAd. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  7. ^ "Ayo Akinwolere: How I Made It". Notion. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
[edit]
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