Alison Bell (journalist)

Alison Bell (born 21 September 1966 in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire) is an English journalist and radio presenter.

Biography

In her teenage years she performed in many stage productions, as she was a professionally trained singer. This reflects in her hobbies, which include music, travel, tennis, swimming and rollerblading. She's also a smoker. A frequent traveller, she is a regular visitor to Australia where her parents now live. She is also a patron for the charity Harvest Help, a charity supporting rural African families to grow enough food and earn a living, and has visited Africa and taken an active interest in its work.

In July 2004, she was arrested outside a restaurant with James Hewitt, a former British Army officer who had previously had a relationship with Diana, Princess of Wales. She was in a relationship with Hewitt at the time, after they met when she interviewed him for Sky News. They were arrested on accusation of possessing cocaine. Hewitt was given a warning and Bell was released without charge. She has also appeared as a poker player on Celebrity Poker Club, on which James Hewitt also participated.^[1]

Career

In the mid-1990s Bell lived in Wellington, New Zealand and was a presenter on local radio station The Breeze.

A trained Journalist, Alison was one of the launch presenters for the ITN News Channel in August 2000, presenting various programmes during the day, most notably the lunchtime slot between 12 noon and 2pm. 2003 saw her move to Sky News, where she presented the Sunrise programme every weekday morning between 6am and 9am.

A year later, she made a move to CNN International at the height of her career. In July 2004, after her arrest outside a restaurant with James Hewitt, she was forced to resign in disgrace from her job.

She then joined London radio station LBC 97.3, presenting shows for brief periods in various timeslots, before presenting a regular show on Friday nights until April 2006, and was replaced by Caroline Feraday. However, she remained with the station as a fill-in presenter.

In late 2004 she launched Globell Media, a training program for students, the public and professionals trying to get into broadcasting, through extending her boundaries of Journalism. The programme gives tips, advice and training sessions for film-making, documentaries, article writing, and of course, radio presenting and newsreading.

From 24 September 2007 and until Friday 4 January 2008, Bell presented an afternoon show on LBC 97.3 from 1pm-4pm, in a topical debate show called afternoon delight. As from Monday January 7, 2008, LBC 97.3's 1pm-4pm shows were taken over by Jeni Barnett during weekdays.

References

External links

• Bizarre love life of Hewitt's girl, Daily Mirror, 28 July 2004, retrieved 7 Feb 2008.