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.
Early life
Born in Chester, England, Willetts went to the Eirias High School in Colwyn Bay, 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).
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
Willetts married to fellow Nottingham University physics graduate Philip Boulby in March 2004,[2]. 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
- ^ "Weather Presenter Award". BBC News. 9 March 2006. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
- ^ "Notable alumni: Faculty of Science". Nottingham University Alumni.
- ^ "Graduation 2007". University of Nottingham. 12 July 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
- ^ Khan, Urmee (7 October 2008). "Heavily pregnant BBC weather presenter Helen Willetts soldiers on". London: Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 October 2008.