Melanie Sykes

Melanie Ann Sykes (born 7 August 1970) is an English television and radio presenter. She is best known for co-hosting ''Today with Des and Mel'' with Des O'Connor and '' Let's Do Lunch'' with Gino D'Acampo. She also co-hosted ''Going Out with Alan Carr'' on BBC Radio 2 with Alan Carr from May 2010 until it ended in March 2012, and returned with him for ''Alan and Mel's Summer Escape'' from 2017. Sykes currently co-presents ''Shop Well For Less'' alongside Joanna Page on BBC One.

Early life

Sykes was born in 1970 at Ashton-under-Lyne to an English father and a Catholic Anglo-Indian mother. She attended Mossley Hollins High School and studied A-level Religious Studies at Ashton Sixth Form College. Sykes was a member of the Ashtonian Brass Band, along with her father, mother and two sisters, playing the baritone horn.

Career

In the mid-1990s Sykes first came to public attention as the face of the Boddingtons Bitter advertisements.

Television

Sykes' TV presenting career started by hosting Sky One's Real TV UK series in the mid-90s. After first reporting for ''The Big Breakfast'', Sykes has continued her television career, including presenting stints on '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' and as presenter of ''EastEnders Revealed''. In 1999, Sykes presented ''Melanie Sykes' Southall Stories'', a documentary for BBC Two on Asian culture in Great Britain. She has also hosted a variety of awards ceremonies, including Miss World, the BAFTA Awards and the Q Awards.

Sykes' television career stalled for a period, although she made a successful comeback as host of ''Today with Des and Mel'' with Des O'Connor in 2002. On 12 May 2006, ITV announced that the show would be one of a number to be axed in a "painful, but utterly necessary" move.

Sykes' other work for ITV has included hosting shows '' The Vault'' (2003–2004), ''Celebrities Under Pressure'' (2003–2004) and ''The British Soap Awards'' (2003).

Sykes appeared as a guest panellist on ''Loose Women'' in October and November 2005 and later returned as a guest anchor in October 2008 and May 2009.

From 2006 to 2009, Sykes regularly filled in for Paul O'Grady as presenter of ''The Paul O'Grady Show'' when O'Grady was unable to appear. She presented the show on eleven occasions.

Sykes was the presenter of the daytime series ''Gene Detectives'' for BBC One. In 2008, Sykes was a judge on 'The Sofa Factor', an item for ''GMTV'', where viewers sent in short clips and the winner got to present TV Pick of the Day and win a trip to Las Vegas.

In 2010, Sykes guest presented five episodes of '' The 5 O'Clock Show'' with Denise van Outen on Channel 4.

In August 2011, Sykes returned to daytime television, co-hosting '' Let's Do Lunch with Gino & Mel'' and '' Let's Do Christmas with Gino & Mel'' with Gino D'Acampo on ITV. The show was cancelled in 2014.

On 13 September 2011, Sykes co-hosted the three-part series ''Missing Millions'' with Paul Heiney on ITV.

In February 2014, BT Sport announced that Sykes would become part of their MotoGP team. Due to other work commitments, she left the channel in May 2014.

In 2014, Sykes took part in the fourteenth series of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' where she finished in third place, behind runner-up Jake Quickenden and winner Carl Fogarty.

In 2015, Sykes co-presented ''Humble Pie'', a cookery series for Watch, alongside Marco Pierre White. On 4 April 2017, Sykes was confirmed as the new voice of ''Blind Date'', taking over the role most famously held by Graham Skidmore in the original series. The show is broadcast on Saturday nights on Channel 5.

In 2017, Sykes appeared on a "celebrity" charity edition of TV quiz show, '' The Chase.'' She departed early and did not make the final round.

In March 2018, Sykes won Star Baker in Channel 4's ''The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off''.

In 2021 Sykes alongside Joanna Page were the new presenters of BBC One's consumer series Shop Well for Less.

In August 2021 it was announced that Sykes would be a competitor on BBC
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