Inside Countryfile star Margherita Taylor’s ‘competition win’ that secured her big break into television
MARGHERITA Taylor is one of the UK’s most beloved broadcasters.
She now pops up on some of the biggest shows on television, including Countryfile and Escape To The Country.
But it turns out, her start in the industry was not as straightforward as one might think.
Margherita, 51, had always dreamed of a career in broadcasting, ever since she was a child.
She studied Media and Communications at the University of Central England (now Birmingham City University).
Although she graduated from the establishment, it was actually a radio competition which gave her the ‘lucky’ break that she needed.
The aspiring personality won the opportunity to work at her local radio station.
But it wasn’t long before she impressed bosses with her talents and was offered a job in the Big Smoke.
Back in 2005, she explained: “I hit it lucky by winning a Search for a Star competition run by the Birmingham-based radio station BRMB.”
The star told The Guardian: “I had always been into television but I fell in love with radio.
“The station was owned by Capital and they asked if I would like to work in London. I jumped at the chance since I grew up listening to Capital.
“Walking into their Euston Tower studios for the first time seemed like walking into a radio Mecca.”
The radio personality is arguably most famous for her Saturday morning radio show, which regularly attracted millions of listeners.
She was on air from 1994 and became the longest serving member of the entire roster of presenters before it came to an end in 2011.
Now, she continues to entertain her devoted fan base as she graces the airwaves on Classic FM and Smooth Radio.
Before her roles on the BBC, the presenter had a varied career on television on a wide variety of shows.
Countryfile presenting team
Agricultural programme Countryfile launched on the BBC in 1988. In its long history, the show's seen several presenters come and go. Let's take a look at the current line-up.
- John Craven: The longest-serving presenter, having debuted in 1989, John is also known for his work on Newsround from 1972–1989.
- Adam Henson: Adam, who comes from a farming family, joined the presenting team in 2001. His other media work includes BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today and BBC Two’s Lambing Live.
- Matt Baker: Having joined the line-up in 2009, Matt also presented The One Show alongside Alex Jones from 2011 to 2020. Before that, he hosted Blue Peter from 1999 to 2006.
- Tom Heap: Tom joined Countryfile in 2009 and in April 2012, he took over the investigative reporter role from John Craven. He has also presented The Climate Show on Sky News.
- Helen Skelton: Another former Blue Peter presenter, she hosted the beloved children’s programme from 2008 to 2013. Helen joined the Countryfile team in 2014 and has competed in Strictly Come Dancing.
- Anita Rani: Anita was added to Countryfile in 2015 and has presented other programmes for the Beeb including The Refugee Camp: Our Desert Home, among others.
- Sean Fletcher: Newsreader and presenter Sean joined Countryfile in 2015. He is also known for Good Morning Britain, Songs of Praise and BBC Breakfast.
In the noughties, she used to present T4 on Channel 4 and has gone on to appear on a slate of ITV shows, including Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, and This Morning.
Margherita has also been involved in huge moments on-screen, having introduced then-Prince Charles at Party in the Park in 2004.
She was also known for her interview with former Prime Minister Tony Blair in Downing Street.
In 2022, the trailblazer received the high honour of being awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to broadcasting and diversity.