Sharon Lee Carpenter (born 2 March 1982) is a British

broadcast journalist Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are broadcast by electronic methods instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. It works on radio (via air, cable, and Internet), television (via air, cable, ...

television host A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for people who garner ...

, and

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

. She has worked as an on-air personality for a number of top American television networks including

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

Sean "Diddy" Combs Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent directo ...

' REVOLT TV, and

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...

. Currently, she is a host for

BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary ser ...

and often contributes on

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...

and UK morning show "Lorraine." She also co-hosts a pop culture podcast with

Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. Since 2005, episodes have been aired on ...

actress Jorgie Porter, "Loose Lips." Carpenter recently won both a Telly Award and a

Webby Awards The Webby Awards are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over two thousand industry experts and technology innovators. Categories include ...

honor for an Instagram Live series she created during the coronavirus pandemic - a celebrity interview show called "Let's Go Live!" From 2019 - 2021, she was the host of "The Royal Report" - a weekly entertainment news web-series, by People Magazine and People TV, that covered the royal family. Sharon was also a host for the viral mobile trivia game

HQ Trivia HQ was a mobile trivia game developed by Intermedia Labs for iOS, Android, iPadOS, and tvOS. First released in 2017, the HQ app allowed users to play in daily live trivia games, through which they could win or split prize money. HQ was devel ...

. She presented the UK version of the show twice daily weekdays and once on Saturdays and Sundays and regularly hosted the U.S. version of the show. Until it was cancelled in 2022, she could also be seen as a regular contributor on ''

The Wendy Williams Show ''The Wendy Williams Show'' (often shortened to ''Wendy'') is an American syndicated talk show created and hosted by Wendy Williams, and produced by Wendy Williams Productions, along with Perler Productions. The show is distributed by Debmar-Me ...

''. Carpenter guest-starred in an episode of

FOX Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

's ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' where she played herself. After building her career in the U.S., Carpenter reached what the ''

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' described as "cult figure" status in the U.K. in the first few months of her presenting there. In 2018, she was named one of the most influential people in London by the ''

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

'' on their Progress 1000 list. Carpenter initially rose to fame as an anchor and reporter for

Black Entertainment Television Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...

(BET) and

BET International BET International (Black Entertainment Television) is an international television channel centred towards black culture. It is available in Africa, along with the Middle East/North Africa region. It was launched on 28 February 2008 in the UK with ...

– the only British TV personality to have represented the brand. Carpenter also received international attention for her news coverage as a correspondent for the BBC program ''

BBC World News America ''BBC World News America'' is a British/American current affairs news program created by Garth Ancier and produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation's BBC News division, which premiered on October 1, 2007. Produced out of the BBC's Washin ...

''. In 2013, she co-created her first television show,

's ''

The Gossip Game ''The Gossip Game'' is an American reality television series on VH1 that debuted on April 1, 2013, and chronicles the lives of seven media personalities who cover the urban entertainment market and reside in New York City. Cast member Vivian Billi ...

'', and appeared on the series as a main cast member. The docu-soap followed the lives and careers of seven female media personalities reporting on the entertainment industry. Carpenter has won four awards from the New York Association of Black Journalists (NYABJ) two Telly Awards and a Webby Awards honor. She currently lives in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and serves as an ambassador for

Oxfam America Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...

Early life and education

Carpenter was born in England, the daughter and step-daughter of two medical doctors and former professors at

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

, Grace and Phillip McKee. Her father, Chris Carpenter, passed away in 2012. She is of Indian, British and Dutch descent. In 2000, she moved to New York City to attend

Pace University Pace University is a private university with its main campus in New York City and secondary campuses in Westchester County, New York. It was established in 1906 by the brothers Homer St. Clair Pace and Charles A. Pace as a business school. Pac ...

. She graduated

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

with a

Bachelor of Business Administration Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is a bachelor's degree in business administration awarded by colleges and universities after completion of undergraduate study in the fundamentals of business administration and usually including advanced ...

(BBA) in

business management Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...

. Carpenter has two siblings; including best-selling author,

Kathryn Croft Kathryn Croft is a British author of psychological thriller fiction. She sold one million novels within a year of publishing her third crime thriller. Writing career Croft is originally from Watford but grew up in Guildford. She was a secondary s ...

and DJ / producer Jazz T.

Career

Carpenter began her career in broadcast news as an associate producer for WWOR-TV (my9 News) in New York City before moving on to work as a producer at ''BET News''. Sharon briefly left BET for her first on-air position as a reporter for ''

MarketWatch MarketWatch is a website that provides financial information, business news, analysis, and stock market data. Along with ''The Wall Street Journal'' and ''Barron's'', it is a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, a property of News Corp. Histor ...

''. She returned to BET in 2006 as an on-air correspondent and anchor where she hosted the network's daily news briefs, news specials and reported on breaking news on ''

106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...

'', the channel's highest-rated show. Her most notable accomplishments during this time include her coverage of the 2008 presidential election, providing political commentary and analysis on election night from the headquarters of

Senator John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

. Carpenter also played an integral role in BET's coverage of the

death of Michael Jackson On June 25, 2009, American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication at his home on North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. His physician, Conrad Murray, said that ...

in 2009. She reported on the event live from

and anchored the network's special reports, including the award-winning documentary ''Forever the King: A Tribute to Michael Jackson''. Sharon spearheaded the launch of BET in the United Kingdom and produced its first news special, ''Beauty Blackout'', about discriminatory standards of beauty. Carpenter left BET again in 2010 and joined BBC News as a contributing correspondent for ''BBC World News America''. There, she became the first journalist to interview

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...

for television when he announced his plans to run for president of Haiti in 2010, a story that garnered international attention. She also worked as an entertainment reporter for the ''PIX 11 Morning News'' on New York's Tribute station WPIX. In 2012, Sharon joined GlobalGrind, a pop culture website owned by hip-hop media mogul

Russell Simmons Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, writer and record executive. He co-founded the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons' ...

. The website focuses on news, fashion, music, and politics from a young perspective. Carpenter was hired to enhance and expand the site's video content. Her stories have received up to 3000 hits per minute. Sharon Carpenter became an on-air personality for Diddy's multi-genre, multi-platform music network, REVOLT TV in 2013 where she participated in the launch of the cable channel, hosting live news and entertainment programming. She has also done some guest correspondent work for the pop culture news magazine shows, ''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...

'' and '' The Insider''. The broadcast journalist made regular appearances on the syndicated daytime talk series ''

'' for a number of years. She also frequently hosted the trivia app ''

'' and was the main host for the UK version of the quiz show. Carpenter is currently an entertainment host for BBC America and regularly contributes as a pop culture expert on a number of other networks and shows.

Acting career

Carpenter had a co-starring role on episode 2 of FOX's prime-time hit show ''Empire'' ("Without A Country") which aired on 30 September 2015. She played herself and the host of the fictional talk show ''Spilling The Tea with Sharon Carpenter''. In her acting debut, Carpenter sat down with

Jamal Lyon Jamal Joseph Lyon is a fictional character from the American musical drama, ''Empire'' on Fox. Portrayed by Jussie Smollett, Jamal is the middle son of hip-hop mogul Lucious (Terrence Howard) and his wife Cookie (Taraji P. Henson). Jamal, a talen ...

for a one-on-one interview on his personal and professional life. During their discussion, Jamal speaks publicly on his relationship with his boyfriend, Michael, for the first time. Later in the scene

Cookie Lyon Loretha "Cookie" Lyon (née Holloway) is a fictional character from the American musical drama ''Empire'' on Fox. Portrayed by Taraji P. Henson, Cookie is one of the main characters within the series, the queen bee and the wife of former drug d ...

bursts in and interrupts the interview. Carpenter became a trending topic on Twitter during the airing of the episode. She was also featured in the pilot for a VH1 and BET project called "Wifey." Sharon was in the opening scene playing the role of a reporter. In addition, she was cast in a cameo role in the

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...

sitcom "Bumps."

''The Gossip Game''

Sharon Carpenter is the co-creator of and was a main cast member on the VH1 reality TV show, ''

''. The show followed the careers and personal lives of seven female media professionals working in the urban entertainment industry as

radio personalities A radio personality (American English) or radio presenter (British English) is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host, and in India and Pakistan as a radi ...

journalists A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

, and

bloggers A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

. The seven cast members are Vivian Billings, Sharon Carpenter, K. Foxx, JasFly,

Kimberly Osorio Kim Osorio (born June 14, 1974 in The Bronx, New York City) is an American journalist, writer, author, TV producer and personality. She was also a cast member on the American reality TV series, "The Gossip Game" on VH1. Life and career Early lif ...

, Candice Williams, and

Angela Yee Angela Yee (born January 3, 1976) is an American radio personality. She hosted the nationally syndicated morning show ''The Breakfast Club'' along with DJ Envy and Charlamagne tha God. She is on the Board of Governors of the We Are Family Fou ...

. The docu-series focused on the competitive nature of the entertainment industry, as well as the particular difficulties female media professionals face when working in a male-dominated field. Carpenter developed the concept for the show with television producer Tone Boots. The show was produced by VH1 in conjunction with Magilla Entertainment, Mona Scott-Young, and District Media.

References

External links

Official Site
*
Wyclef Jean interview with Sharon Carpenter
''BBC World News America''
The Starr Report

The New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

, 20 April 2009
"Mind Boggling with Broadcast Journalist, Sharon Carpenter"

Zimbio.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, Sharon Living people 1982 births English television journalists English women journalists English people of Indian descent English people of Italian descent English people of Scottish descent People from Watford British women television journalists