Chris Hawkins

For those of a similar name, see Chris Hawkins (American football) and Christopher Hawkins (disambiguation).

Chris Hawkins
Hawkins interviewing Steve Davis and Kavus Torabi in 2022
Born
Christopher Charles Hawkins

(1975-09-23) 23 September 1975 (age 49)
Loppington, Shropshire, England
EducationUniversity of Nottingham
Ellesmere College
Occupations
Known forPresenting the early breakfast show on BBC Radio 6 Music
Spouse
​
(m. 2005)​
Children1

Christopher Charles Hawkins (born 23 September 1975) is a British radio presenter, DJ, and music pundit.

Hawkins is a regular early morning presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music. He can also be heard presenting documentary programmes on BBC Radio 4 and makes occasional appearances on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 5 Live.

He makes frequent TV appearances as a personality pundit and pop-culture expert.[1]

Early life and education

Hawkins was born in Loppington, Shropshire, England. He studied at the University of Nottingham, where he obtained a degree in American Studies, and spent some time at Middlebury College in the United States as an exchange student. Also, as a school boy at the independent school Ellesmere College in Ellesmere, Shropshire, he spent some time at the Tabor Academy in the United States, on an English-Speaking Union scholarship.[2][3]

Career

Hawkins started his radio career on BBC Radio Shropshire. He went on to BBC Radio Nottingham and BBC GLR.[4]

He has worked for the BBC World Service doing the UK Album Chart Show and the UK Top 20, presented a daily show on GLR 94.9 (BBC London 94.9) for over two years, Talk Radio UK as a reporter and producer, BBC London Live, Real Radio, American College Radio, Jazz FM in London and Classic Gold.

He co-presented a radio talk show with psychic Becky Walsh on Friday nights on LBC 97.3 FM radio and had his own show on LBC 97.3 on Saturday afternoons. Hawkins has appeared on Celebrity Mastermind (his specialist subject was Coronation Street), he represented the University of Nottingham on Celebrity University Challenge, winning their heat, but failing to make the semi-finals.[5]

He writes a music column for London magazines, including the music review section of Angel magazine.

Personal life

Hawkins is married to meteorologist Clare Nasir, with whom he had a child in 2009.[6] In 2012, the family moved to Wilmslow near Salford City and MediaCityUK where Hawkins continued working for BBC Radio 6 Music.[7][8]

Hawkins is an ambassador for The Prince's Trust.[9]

His lifelong phobia of fruit and vegetables was the topic of a 2008 edition of BBC Three's Freaky Eaters.[10]

Notes

  1. ^ "Agency Biography/CV: Chris Hawkins" Archived 3 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, McLean-Williams Management, London.
  2. ^ Van Voris, Richard, "Our Drama Exchange", Tabor Academy News, 1 March 2015
  3. ^ Reagle,Chris, "English students forge bonds at Tabor Academy", South Coast Today newspaper, New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1 April 1998 (Updated 11 Jan 2011)
  4. ^ "BBC – 6music – Chris Hawkins biography". 18 September 2002. Archived from the original on 18 September 2002.
  5. ^ "University of Nottingham alumni crash out of University Challenge | Nottingham Post". Archived from the original on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  6. ^ "DJ’s dash to see birth of daughter", Shropshire Star, Saturday 14 November 2009
  7. ^ Slade, Jane, "Weather girl tunes in to better life in the north", Daily Express, Property, 29 February 2012
  8. ^ Reeder, Janet, "How Wilmslow and the North won over TV presenter Clare Nasir and Chris Hawkins", Cheshire Life, 23 May 2013
  9. ^ "Believe in Tomorrow: Prince's Trust Annual Review 2008–2010" Archived 12 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Prince's Trust, March 2011. Cf. p. 35
  10. ^ Freaky Eaters – "Addicted to Junk Food" episode, Series 2, BBC programme website