Louise Mary Minchin (née Grayson; born 8 September 1968) is a British television presenter, journalist and former news presenter who currently works freelance within the BBC.
Beginning in 2012, Minchin was a regular anchor on the BBC One programme Breakfast, co-hosting the show three days a week, originally with Bill Turnbull and Charlie Stayt and then with Dan Walker from 2016. On 8 June 2021, Minchin announced live on air that she would be leaving BBC Breakfast "after the summer", having presented the show for 20 years (at first as a stand-in host). Her final appearance on the show was on 15 September 2021.
From 2009 until 2012, Minchin co-hosted Real Rescues alongside Nick Knowles and Chris Hollins. In January 2025, Minchin began co-presenting Rip Off Britain.
Contents
Early life
The eldest of three children, Minchin was born Louise Mary Grayson in 1968 in British Hong Kong, where her father was a Major in the Irish Guards of the British Army. She grew up in Berkshire, and was educated at St Mary's School, Ascot, and has a degree in Spanish from the University of St Andrews. She subsequently studied journalism at the London College of Communication.
Career
Minchin started her career in the Latin American section of the BBC World Service during a year in Argentina, the Today programme, Five and various local radio stations. In 2006, she toured the country in a converted bus meeting England fans as part of the World Cup coverage for BBC News.
She started work for Radio 5 Live in 1998, and married David Minchin the same year. She presented many of the station's main programmes, including Drive and Breakfast. Between September 2003 and April 2012, she was a regular BBC News Channel presenter, initially working alongside Jon Sopel from 7 pm to 10 pm. Minchin then presented the 2 pm to 5 pm slot, also with Sopel, sharing this shift with Emily Maitlis. She was also one of the main relief presenters for BBC News at One until April 2012.
Minchin first appeared on BBC Breakfast as a stand-in presenter on 24 December 2001. In 2006 and 2007, Minchin was a relief presenter on BBC Breakfast while Kate Silverton covered for main anchor Sian Williams. After Williams returned, she continued to co-host the programme, and from May 2009 until April 2012 was the regular weekend presenter of the show. In December 2011, the BBC announced that Minchin would replace Williams as a main presenter of BBC Breakfast along with Bill Turnbull and Charlie Stayt when the programme moved to Salford—the first edition was presented on Tuesday 10 April 2012. On Tuesday 8 June 2021, she announced live on BBC Breakfast that she would be stepping down from the role later that year to concentrate on other interests. Her final appearance on the show was on 15 September 2021.
From 21 April 2008, Minchin presented a weekday programme called Missing Live along with Rav Wilding. The programme was shown at 9:15 am after BBC Breakfast on BBC One and ran for four weeks. The show returned for a second four-week run from 16 March 2009, and again in March 2010, highlighting both new cases and those previously featured with updates.
Minchin and Colin Jackson presented the Sunday morning show Sunday Life on BBC One in 2008.
From 2 November 2009, Minchin presented four weeks of live broadcasts of Real Rescues along with Nick Knowles.
Awards
In March 2014, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Chester.
Personal life
Louise married David Minchin on 6 June 1998 in Hampshire. The couple have two daughters. Minchin and her husband previously lived in South London but relocated to Chester, Cheshire, in 2012, following the move of BBC Breakfast to Salford.
She is an amateur triathlete, and qualified as a member of the 2015 Great Britain Age-Group Triathlon Team (45–49 age group). She competed in the standard distance event (1500 m swim, a 40 km bike ride and a 10 km run) at the World Triathlon Championships in Chicago on 19 September 2015. She qualified for the team at the Dambuster Triathlon at Rutland Water on 15 June 2015. She went on to finish 71st out of 78 finishers at the ITU World Triathlon Championships.
In August 2019, Minchin discussed her experiences with menopause, describing her experience of suffering hot flushes on the BBC Breakfast set that led to the temperature in the studio being lowered.
A man who stalked both Minchin and one of her daughters pleaded guilty in October 2021 to sending intimidating messages via Instagram. The crimes occurred in July 2020 during the term of a suspended sentence for stalking Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts. The man had sent a series of messages to Minchin and her daughter threatening extreme violence. In December 2021, the 44-year-old man from Flintshire was sentenced at Mold Crown Court to two years and eight months in jail, with the judge stating that his victims were still suffering "deep distress".
Charity
Minchin has also taken part in "Around the World in 80 days" for Children in Need.
Books
Dare to Tri: My Journey from the BBC Breakfast Sofa to GB Team Triathlete (Bloomsbury, 2019) ISBN 978-1472961846
Fearless: Adventures with Extraordinary Women (Bloomsbury, 2023) ISBN 978-1399401180