Meet ITV’s Racing pundits – together with WAGs, Love Island star & avid Arsenal fan

On Mar 12, 2024

Cheltenham returns to ITV screens this week for fours days of elite horse racing motion.

And the broadcaster has reassembled a star roster to match the expertise on observe, with former Sky Sports face Ed Chamberlin again within the saddle to paved the way. He and his fellow presenters will brace themselves for 28 top-tier races in Gloucestershire, with anticipation constructing in the direction of Friday’s Gold Cup bonanza.

The ITV solid contains the best soar jockey of all time, a member of Love Island royalty, and a rising star of racing media with a powerful connection to 1 legendary coach. And the crew contains two members who had been even an merchandise themselves as soon as upon a time.

Ed Chamberlin

The essential man of ITV Racing, Chamberlin joined the terrestrial broadcaster in 2017 quickly after reducing his ties with Sky. And it is truthful to say the transfer has labored out effectively as he is grow to be the go-to broadcasting expertise for a lot of the racing calendar’s main UK dates.

It was the Somerset native who stepped in to exchange Richard Keys as Sky Sports’ essential soccer presenter following the latter’s unceremonious departure in 2011. However, the previous bookmaker has bought to discover his ardour for all issues equine with the ITV swap.

Megan Nicholls

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A life in horse racing appeared all however inevitable for Megan Nicholls given she was born into some of the well-known households in British racing. Dad Paul is, in any case, some of the profitable trainers in historical past and a 14-time winner of the British soar racing Champion Trainer title.

That being mentioned, Megan has carved out her personal area within the sport and is impressing as a pundit and presenter following her personal profession as a jockey. She rode a complete of 110 winners earlier than retiring at 25 to deal with her broadcasting profession and was identified to be relationship jockey Kevin Stott as not too long ago as final 12 months.

AP McCoy

As far as many can be involved, Sir Tony ‘AP’ McCoy is pretty much as good because it will get in terms of National Hunt jockey expertise. The County Antrim native was named Champion Jockey for every of the 20 years that he was knowledgeable and rode a document 4,358 winners throughout that point.

One of solely two Northern Irishmen to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year (after Mary Peters in 1972), McCoy is an Arsenal fan and shut associates with ex-footballers like Ray Parlour, Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman. His spouse, Chanelle, can be energy participant in her personal proper and has starred on the Irish model of Dragon’s Den.

Francesca Cumani

Another member of the punditry crew born into the enterprise, Francesca Cumani is the daughter of Italian coach Luca and was born in one of many UK’s racing havens, Newmarket. After getting her begin as a presenter in Australia, mother-of-two Cumani joined ITV Racing in 2016 and was quickly joined by Chamberlin, with whom she collectively received Broadcast Sports Presenter of the Year on the SJA Awards in 2019.

Chris Hughes

In phrases of former Love Island contestants who’ve discovered success outdoors the Villa, Chris Hughes’ path to ITV Racing is maybe probably the most admirable. While he could have as soon as been referred to as the extra loveable half of his relationship with Olivia Attwood, he is since garnered a popularity as one thing of a brainbox across the observe.

And there isn’t any higher meet for the Gloucestershire native than Cheltenham, the place he’ll put his encyclopaedia of data to nice use. Hughes’ relationship life has been one other supply of public curiosity, although he is presently believed to be single after relationships with ex-Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson and professional golfer Annabel Dimmock previously.

Oli Bell

Like Chamberlin, Oli Bell was born in Somerset and lower his enamel presenting sport in different circles earlier than discovering his approach to the ITV crew having impressed on Racing UK. The broadcaster was briefly in a relationship with the aforementioned Cumani earlier than the pair break up in 2020.

Ruby Walsh

There’s little doubt in any respect Ruby Walsh would have a couple of extra race wins to his credit score had been it not for his profession overlapping with a sure man named McCoy. However, a complete of two,756 remains to be adequate to place him third on the all-time National Hunt winners’ listing.

Walsh’s profession nonetheless makes him probably the greatest ever to trip, notably at Cheltenham, the place he left as main jockey on 11 events. Sister Katie was additionally a top-class rider previous to her retirement, whereas youthful brother Ted Jr married one other prime jockey in Nina Carberry.