Jennie Gow
Encyclopedia
Jennie Gow is an English
radio
and television presenter, she was the presenter on BBC Sport
's coverage of MotoGP motorcycle racing
for 2010.
, and lived in Dorset
until her family moved to Wargrave
, Berkshire
when she was seven. Educated at The Piggott School
, Gow took part in local theatre, and enjoyed sport, winning medals as a cox
for several different rowing
teams.
chalet maid in France
, and then for a day and a half as a temp at the Royal Berkshire Hospital
in the filing and records department. She then joined the Henley Standard
in 1992.
After studying Media and Communication Studies, she joined BBC Sport
in 1999 as a production secretary Sports Personality of the Century. In 2001, she became Traffic and Travel presenter on BBC Radio Solent
, and then moved to the sports team as a journalist covering Southampton
, Portsmouth
and Bournemouth.
Gow then left the BBC to become Breakfast Show host on Somerset
's Orchard FM
. Asked to present the speedway
from the Somerset Rebels
at Highbridge
, a TV Producer spotted Gow and asked her to present the FIM World Longtrack Championships. This lead on to presenting independently produced speedway and motocross productions, broadcast on Channel 4
, Sky Sports
, Men & Motors
and Motors TV
. From summer 2004 she became a continuity announcer for ITV, and from 2007 to 2008 for Five, and since 2006 been the presenter of the Jersey Rally. After joining Reading 107 FM
, from 2006, Gow became a presenter on Sky Sports, eventually presenting both Sky Sports News
and on-line bulletins.
After Suzi Perry
decided to retire at the end of the 2009 series, Gow was announced as in March 2010 the new presenter of the BBC's MotoGP coverage, alongside pit reporter Matt Roberts
and commentary team of Charlie Cox
and former racer Steve Parrish
. Gow was replaced by Roberts as main presenter for the 2011 season.
Gow subsequently temporarily filled in for Natalie Pinkham
as BBC Radio 5 Live
pit lane reporter for the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix
and the 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix
in 2006, raising over £2000 for ChildLine
, but subsequently had three knee operations for an injury she sustained whilst training
Jennie got engaged in December 2010.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and television presenter, she was the presenter on BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
's coverage of MotoGP motorcycle racing
Motorcycle racing
Motorcycle sport is a broad field that encompasses all sporting aspects of motorcycling. The disciplines are not all "races" or timed-speed events, as several disciplines test a competitor's various riding skills.-Motorcycle racing:...
for 2010.
Biography
Gow was born in Southampton General HospitalSouthampton General Hospital
Southampton General Hospital is a large Teaching Hospital in Southampton, England, operated by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust...
, and lived in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
until her family moved to Wargrave
Wargrave
Wargrave is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire, which encloses the confluence of the River Loddon and the River Thames. It is in the Borough of Wokingham...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
when she was seven. Educated at The Piggott School
The Piggott School
'The Piggott School' is a Church of England academy secondary school in Wargrave in Berkshire, England. The school has approximately 1,516 pupils and around 185 teaching staff. The school specialises in Modern Languages and Humanities. It has been awarded International school status by the British...
, Gow took part in local theatre, and enjoyed sport, winning medals as a cox
Coxswain
The coxswain is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives us a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from cox, a coxboat or other small vessel kept aboard a ship, and swain, which can be rendered as boy, in authority. ...
for several different rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
teams.
Career
Gow worked as a skiingSkiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
chalet maid in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and then for a day and a half as a temp at the Royal Berkshire Hospital
Royal Berkshire Hospital
The Royal Berkshire Hospital is a National Health Service hospital in the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. It provides acute hospital services to the residents of the western and central portions of Berkshire, and is managed by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.The...
in the filing and records department. She then joined the Henley Standard
Henley Standard
The Henley Standard is the main local newspaper in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. It is published by the Higgs Group and is one of only a few privately-owned local newspapers in the UK...
in 1992.
After studying Media and Communication Studies, she joined BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
in 1999 as a production secretary Sports Personality of the Century. In 2001, she became Traffic and Travel presenter on BBC Radio Solent
BBC Radio Solent
BBC Radio Solent is the BBC Local Radio service for the Isle of Wight and the English counties of Hampshire and Dorset. Its studios are located in Southampton, in the same purpose-built office block in Havelock Road as the BBC South Today news studios, and there are district offices in Portsmouth,...
, and then moved to the sports team as a journalist covering Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
and Bournemouth.
Gow then left the BBC to become Breakfast Show host on Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
's Orchard FM
Orchard FM
Heart Somerset was an Independent Local Radio station serving Somerset, England. Originally owned by Orchard Media Ltd, the company was purchased by GWR Group in 1999, and who subsequently became GCap Media in 2005...
. Asked to present the speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
from the Somerset Rebels
Somerset Rebels
The Somerset Rebels are a Speedway team from Highbridge, Somerset. Founded in 2000, the club competes in the British Premier League. Their home track is located at the Oak Tree Arena.-History:...
at Highbridge
Highbridge, Somerset
Highbridge is a small market town situated on the edge of the Somerset Levels near the mouth of the River Brue. It is in the County of Somerset, and is approximately north west of Taunton, the county town of Somerset. Highbridge is in the District of Sedgemoor, being situated approximately north...
, a TV Producer spotted Gow and asked her to present the FIM World Longtrack Championships. This lead on to presenting independently produced speedway and motocross productions, broadcast on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
, Men & Motors
Men & Motors
Men & Motors was a men's lifestyle television channel in the UK. It was the last remaining station operated by the former Granada Sky Broadcasting joint venture, set up by Granada Television and satellite broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting in 1996...
and Motors TV
Motors TV
Motors TV is a television channel dedicated to news, documentaries and coverage of motorsport and automobiles, and to a lesser extent motorbikes, boats, aircraft and models. It is available in many countries via satellite and cable, with audio in English, French, German and Serbian...
. From summer 2004 she became a continuity announcer for ITV, and from 2007 to 2008 for Five, and since 2006 been the presenter of the Jersey Rally. After joining Reading 107 FM
Reading 107 FM
Reading 107 FM is an Independent Local Radio station in the English town of Reading. The station is based at studios in the Madejski Stadium, home of Reading F.C. and London Irish...
, from 2006, Gow became a presenter on Sky Sports, eventually presenting both Sky Sports News
Sky Sports News
Sky Sports News is a 24-hour sports news channel in the United Kingdom. It is run by BSkyB whose sports channels include Sky Sports 1, 2, 3 and 4, as well as Sky Sports HD1, HD2, HD3 and HD4....
and on-line bulletins.
After Suzi Perry
Suzi Perry
Suzi Perry is an English television presenter, best known for covering MotoGP for the BBC for 13 years and The Gadget Show.-Early life:...
decided to retire at the end of the 2009 series, Gow was announced as in March 2010 the new presenter of the BBC's MotoGP coverage, alongside pit reporter Matt Roberts
Matt Roberts
Matthew "Matt" Roberts is an English television presenter, best known for work on BBC Sport's Moto GP coverage.-Early life:Roberts attended All Saints High School in Huddersfield as well Greenhead College and Huddersfield University....
and commentary team of Charlie Cox
Charlie Cox (racing)
Charlie Cox , a motorcycling commentator, was brought up in the Sydney suburb of Gymea.-Racing career:His background is based on 4 wheels rather than 2. He raced in the National Saloon Car Cup in Britain using a Ford Escort RS Cosworth in 1993 and 1994, winning several races. He also won the...
and former racer Steve Parrish
Steve Parrish
Steve Parrish is a former motorcycle and truck racer, who now commentates for various British television channels on motorsport.-Racing career:...
. Gow was replaced by Roberts as main presenter for the 2011 season.
Gow subsequently temporarily filled in for Natalie Pinkham
Natalie Pinkham
Natalie Pinkham is a British television and radio presenter, who is currently the pitlane correspondent for BBC Radio 5 Live's Formula 1 coverage. She is also known for hosting Police Interceptors Special Edition on 5*...
as BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
pit lane reporter for the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix
2011 Canadian Grand Prix
The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, formally the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada 2011, was the seventh round of the 2011 Formula One season and was held on 12 June 2011 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve...
and the 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix
2011 Hungarian Grand Prix
The 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix, formally the XXVII Eni Magyar Nagydij, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 31 July 2011, at the Hungaroring in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary It was the eleventh round of the 2011 Formula One season, and the 27th Hungarian Grand Prix...
Personal life
Based in Berkshire, Gow ran the London MarathonLondon Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
in 2006, raising over £2000 for ChildLine
ChildLine
ChildLine is a free 24 hour counselling service for children and young people up to 18 in the UK provided by the NSPCC. ChildLine deals with any issue which causes distress or concern, common issues dealt with include child abuse, bullying, parental separation or divorce, pregnancy and substance...
, but subsequently had three knee operations for an injury she sustained whilst training
Jennie got engaged in December 2010.