Alex Belfield
Encyclopedia
Alex Belfield is a British radio presenter and entertainer. Most recently, he presented the mid-morning show on BBC Radio Leeds
. He lives in Gedling
, Nottinghamshire
.
. He started working at the station when he was 14, alongside Dennis McCarthy
. He later joined Nottingham Hospitals Radio.
where he began his professional career. Alex worked for two years in various production and on-air roles. In 1999 Alex was offered a six-month contract working Nairobi
, Kenya
presenting 'Belfield at Breakfast' at 98.4 Capital FM
. He then returned to the UK to rejoin Century 106
for a year working on the breakfast show.
In September 2001 he joined BBC Radio Leicester
as presenter and producer for 18 months. Alex then moved to Mansfield 103.2 FM
in January 2004 to present Belfield's Lunchtime Mega Phone-in .
In February 2001, he launched his own production company, Alex Belfield Productions, providing bespoke celebrity programmes broadcast on over 80 stations in the UK. His subjects have included Ozzy Osbourne
, Cilla Black
, Donny Osmond
, Frankie Valli
, Dame Edna Everage
and Katie Price. In 2002, Belfield presented a special programme, Live From New York, to mark the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which was broadcast on 18 radio stations in the UK. Guests included Ricki Lake
and the Duchess of York
.
Between 2004 and 2010, he appeared on a number of radio stations, including Scarlet FM
in Llanelli
, where he launched the station and the breakfast show, BFBS, Touch FM
, CityTalk 105.9, BBC Radio Derby
, BBC Bristol, BBC Radio Shropshire
and BBC Hereford and Worcester
.
In 2006, he presented the breakfast show on Capital Gold
in Birmingham for six weeks, before moving to London to take over the station's networked late show..
In May 2010, he joined BBC Radio Leeds to present the mid-morning show. He gained 30,000 listeners and increased the audience for that time of day by almost 20%. In December 2010, he was reprimanded by the station's management for making "lewd comments" about BBC North weather presenter Keeley Donovan
.
In February 2011, he was on holiday in Egypt during the uprising
against Hosni Mubarak and reported on events for a number of BBC television and radio services including 5Live, BBC News on BBC1 and BBC World.
Belfield left BBC Radio Leeds in March 2011, saying "I'm not a journalist, never have been and frankly don't want to be." He claims to have left the station on a 6 year high. Six months after leaving BBC Leeds, Rajar figures confirmed the morning show had lost of 15,000 listeners at 9am and almost 80,000 across the week. In August 2011 Alex was awarded a "significant financial settlement" from the BBC for personal injury and compensation for a stunt that went wrong during a Live Children in Need
broadcast which landed him in hospital. Alex described the stunt as "hugely dangerous".
In June 2002, he introduced the Queen to 20,000 people in Leicester
for her Golden Jubilee
.
Alex was commissioned to record a Titanic documentary in Nova Scotia in Sept 2011 for broadcast in 2012 and has a 35-date live tour booked in December 2011.
BBC Radio Leeds
BBC Radio Leeds is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of West Yorkshire.- Frequencies :It broadcasts from its studios at St...
. He lives in Gedling
Gedling
Gedling is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in Arnold. It is part of the Greater Nottingham metropolitan area lying to the North and East of the City of Nottingham....
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
.
Early career
Belfield became interested in radio at the age of five, listening to BBC Radio NottinghamBBC Radio Nottingham
BBC Radio Nottingham is a BBC Local Radio station serving the English county of Nottinghamshire. It broadcasts on FM, AM, and digital DAB radio from studios located on London Road in Nottingham city centre.-Transmission frequences:...
. He started working at the station when he was 14, alongside Dennis McCarthy
Dennis McCarthy (radio presenter)
Dennis McCarthy was a British radio presenter and an employee of BBC Radio Nottingham. Among the people he interviewed were Prime Ministers....
. He later joined Nottingham Hospitals Radio.
Radio career
In September 1997, Belfield was part of the launch team of Radio 106Radio 106
Radio 106 FM was a regional independent radio station based in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire in England.-History:Billed as "Radio for Grown Ups", Radio 106 FM was launched on 23rd September 1997 with former Radio Trent Managing Director Ron Coles at the helm, and former Centre Radio Managing Director...
where he began his professional career. Alex worked for two years in various production and on-air roles. In 1999 Alex was offered a six-month contract working Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
presenting 'Belfield at Breakfast' at 98.4 Capital FM
98.4 Capital FM
98.4 Capital FM is a Kenyan urban music radio station. Its offices are situated on the 19th floor of Lonrho House, along Standard Street in Nairobi's Central Business District. It is owned by Chris Kirubi.- Background :...
. He then returned to the UK to rejoin Century 106
Century 106
Century 106 was a regional independent radio station based in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire in England.-History:Based in Nottingham on the City link in the Sneinton area of the city centre, the station was launched on 23 September 1997 as Radio 106...
for a year working on the breakfast show.
In September 2001 he joined BBC Radio Leicester
BBC Radio Leicester
BBC Radio Leicester is the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Leicestershire and Rutland. The station broadcasts from studios in Leicester on 104.9 FM, on DAB, and via the BBC iPlayer.-History:...
as presenter and producer for 18 months. Alex then moved to Mansfield 103.2 FM
Mansfield 103.2 FM
Mansfield 103.2 FM - The Home of Great Music is an Independent Local Radio station in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. It is based at the Brunts Business Centre in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire and has a transmitter on Fishponds Hill between Sutton-in-Ashfield and Mansfield...
in January 2004 to present Belfield's Lunchtime Mega Phone-in .
In February 2001, he launched his own production company, Alex Belfield Productions, providing bespoke celebrity programmes broadcast on over 80 stations in the UK. His subjects have included Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, Cilla Black
Cilla Black
Cilla Black OBE is an English singer, actress, entertainer and media personality, who has been consistently popular as a light entertainment figure since 1963. She is most famous for her singles Anyone Who Had A Heart, You're My World, and Alfie...
, Donny Osmond
Donny Osmond
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long...
, Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
, Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna is a character created and played by Australian dadaist performer and comedian, Barry Humphries, famous for her lilac-coloured or "wisteria hue" hair and cat eye glasses or "face furniture," her favorite flower, the gladiola and her boisterous greeting: "Hello Possums!" As Dame Edna,...
and Katie Price. In 2002, Belfield presented a special programme, Live From New York, to mark the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which was broadcast on 18 radio stations in the UK. Guests included Ricki Lake
Ricki Lake
Ricki Pamela Lake is an American actress, producer, and television host. She is best known for her starring role as Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray, her ground-breaking documentary film The Business of Being Born, and her talk show which was broadcasted internationally from...
and the Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
.
Between 2004 and 2010, he appeared on a number of radio stations, including Scarlet FM
Scarlet FM
Scarlet FM is a local radio station covering the Llanelli, Burry Port and Pembrey areas of south Carmarthenshire in west Wales. It plays contemporary and classic songs...
in Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
, where he launched the station and the breakfast show, BFBS, Touch FM
Touch FM (Coventry)
96.2 Touch FM is a radio station that broadcasts to Coventry but not from Coventry, having moved out of the city to base itself elsewhere and co-locate with other Midlands radio stations leaving Coventry with only 1 local radio station left, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire...
, CityTalk 105.9, BBC Radio Derby
BBC Radio Derby
BBC Radio Derby is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Derbyshire, covering all but the northern tip of the county, and also serves eastern Staffordshire, mainly Uttoxeter and Burton upon Trent. The station broadcasts from its studios in Derby on 104.5, 95.3 and 96.0 FM and 1116...
, BBC Bristol, BBC Radio Shropshire
BBC Radio Shropshire
BBC Radio Shropshire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Shropshire. Launched on 23 April 1985 it broadcasts from its studios in Shrewsbury on 96 , 90 , 95 , 104.1 FM and DAB...
and BBC Hereford and Worcester
BBC Hereford and Worcester
BBC Hereford and Worcester is the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. It broadcasts from its studios in both Worcester and Hereford on 104 , 104.4 104.6 and 94.7 FM; as well as 738 and 1584 MW on AM...
.
In 2006, he presented the breakfast show on Capital Gold
Capital Gold
Gold is a network of oldies radio stations which was formed by the merger of the Capital Gold network and the Classic Gold Network in August 2007...
in Birmingham for six weeks, before moving to London to take over the station's networked late show..
In May 2010, he joined BBC Radio Leeds to present the mid-morning show. He gained 30,000 listeners and increased the audience for that time of day by almost 20%. In December 2010, he was reprimanded by the station's management for making "lewd comments" about BBC North weather presenter Keeley Donovan
Keeley Donovan
Keeley Emma Donovan is a news and weather presenter for the BBC on local television and radio in the Yorkshire and Humber region.-Early life:...
.
In February 2011, he was on holiday in Egypt during the uprising
2011 Egyptian revolution
The 2011 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 and is still continuing as of November 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil...
against Hosni Mubarak and reported on events for a number of BBC television and radio services including 5Live, BBC News on BBC1 and BBC World.
Belfield left BBC Radio Leeds in March 2011, saying "I'm not a journalist, never have been and frankly don't want to be." He claims to have left the station on a 6 year high. Six months after leaving BBC Leeds, Rajar figures confirmed the morning show had lost of 15,000 listeners at 9am and almost 80,000 across the week. In August 2011 Alex was awarded a "significant financial settlement" from the BBC for personal injury and compensation for a stunt that went wrong during a Live Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
broadcast which landed him in hospital. Alex described the stunt as "hugely dangerous".
Entertainment career
Since 1994, Belfield has worked as a touring stand-up comedian, singer and pianist. Alex has also taught many choirs including the 'St Anthony's Choir' for 7 years from 1995 in Nottingham. Alex has performed in many local theatres in the Midlands.In June 2002, he introduced the Queen to 20,000 people in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
for her Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was the international celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries, upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, and was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50...
.
Alex was commissioned to record a Titanic documentary in Nova Scotia in Sept 2011 for broadcast in 2012 and has a 35-date live tour booked in December 2011.