Layfield studied and graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in English and creative writing. She joined CBBC continuity in September 2015, at the end of the one-off TV special Hacker's Birthday Bash: 30 Years of Children's BBC, going on to co-host the BAFTA-winning[4][5] design series The Dengineers with Mark Wright. In April 2017, Wright left and was replaced with Joe Tracini, who Layfield continued to present with until her own departure in 2019.[6]
Layfield has the distinction of competing as a contender on BBC's Celebrity Mastermind twice. She first competed in 2016,[7] when her specialist subject was the Jurassic Park films and she finished in 3rd place. She returned in February 2024, when her specialist subject was the Arctic Monkeys and she finished in second place.[8][9]
In 2022, a clip of Layfield and Hacker T. Dog presenting CBBC HQ, resurfaced and went viral. The original clip from 1 November 2016 featured Hacker deadpanning to Layfield "We're just normal men... We're just innocent men", which prompted Layfield to break character and laugh.[10][11][12] While some assumed the clip had context before the exchange, Hacker's puppeteer Phil Fletcher later explained that there was none, and he had just ad-libbed the line to make Layfield laugh.[11]
Layfield began her radio career in July 2018, when she began covering weekend shows on Capital FM. She later presented Capital FM's Capital Early Breakfast show from 7 January 2019 until 29 September 2023. In November 2023, it was announced that Layfield would be joining BBC Radio 1 in January 2024, presenting the Friday morning Early Breakfast show throughout the month. In March 2024, it was announced that Layfield would join Radio 1 on a permanent basis from 7 April 2024, co-presenting the station's Life Hacks programme alongside Newsround's Shanequa Paris. [13]
As an author, Layfield has written for the Top of the Pops magazine. Her debut children's novel, Indi Raye is Totally Faking It was published in 2023.[14]
Personal life
Layfield is married to Luke Beddows, the writer and co-creator of Class Dismissed.[15]
Throughout her career, Layfield has advocated for mental health discussion and wellbeing, giving talks to students and even becoming an ambassador for the charity YoungMinds, the charity that she raised money for in her first appearance on Celebrity Mastermind.[16]
Filmography
Year
Title
Role
Notes
2014–15
Whoops I Missed the Bus
Presenter
2015
Hacker's Birthday Bash: 30 Years of Children's BBC
