Julia George
Encyclopedia
Julia Charlotte George (née Botfield; born 1972 in Horsham
), also known as Jules Botfield, is a reporter for the BBC Breakfast
television news programme. She married in August 2006, and lives in south London
.
, and grew up in Tonbridge
in Kent
.
, a co-educational independent school
in Sevenoaks
in Kent, followed by the University of Cambridge
, where she read English
. She then did a diploma in Broadcast Journalism at University College Falmouth
.
, before moving to BBC Radio Kent
. She then as "Jules Botfield" became the drive time presenter Greater London Radio.
George moved to television by joining the Morning Show at Newsroom South East
, and moved to the regional BBC London
news programme on its launch on 1 October 2001 (when it began). She moved to BBC Breakfast
programme in May 2002, also reporting for the BBC News. In 2004 George reported from Grenada
after hurricane Ivan
struck the island. She also provided live reports from the Oscars in 2005 for Breakfast television. Prior to May 2006 George also stood in for Moira Stuart
as the newsreader on BBC Breakfast, and occasionally also appeared as one of the main programme presenters.
George went on maternity leave from Summer 2007. After giving birth to a daughter, she returned to duties on the BBC News channel from April 2008, when she also started occasionally standing in for Vanessa Feltz
on her BBC London 94.9
morning show.
In January 2009 she moved back full time into radio, co-presenting the breakfast show on BBC Radio Kent
with John Warnett
She has covered for Kaddy Lee Preston presenting Inside Out
for the South East.
From May/June 2010 she is the presenter of the south east part of the BBC Politics Show.
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
), also known as Jules Botfield, is a reporter for the BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
television news programme. She married in August 2006, and lives in south London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Early life
Julia was born in Horsham in West SussexWest Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, and grew up in Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Education
George was educated at Sevenoaks SchoolSevenoaks School
Sevenoaks School is an English coeducational independent school located in the town of Sevenoaks, Kent. It is the oldest lay school in the United Kingdom, dating back to 1432. Almost 1,000 day pupils and boarders attend, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years. There are approximately equal numbers of...
, a co-educational independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
in Kent, followed by the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, where she read English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. She then did a diploma in Broadcast Journalism at University College Falmouth
University College Falmouth
University College Falmouth is a British university college in Falmouth, Cornwall. Founded in 1902, it had previously been the Falmouth School of Art and then Falmouth College of Arts until it received taught degree-awarding powers in March 2005...
.
BBC career
George started her journalism career at BBC Southern Counties RadioBBC Southern Counties Radio
BBC Southern Counties Radio was the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Surrey and Sussex. The station also covered a large part of North-East Hampshire. It was the first BBC Local Radio station to introduce a controversial all-speech format...
, before moving to BBC Radio Kent
BBC Radio Kent
BBC Radio Kent is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Kent.It broadcasts on FM on 96.7 , 97.6 and 104.2 also 774 and 1602 MW and DAB.- History :The radio station was launched in 1970 under the name of BBC Radio Medway, originally only serving the...
. She then as "Jules Botfield" became the drive time presenter Greater London Radio.
George moved to television by joining the Morning Show at Newsroom South East
Newsroom South East
Newsroom South East was the name of the BBC's regional news programme for southeastern England. It was launched in March 1989 as the successor to London Plus, the South East's previous news programme...
, and moved to the regional BBC London
BBC London
BBC London is the BBC English Region producing local radio, television, teletext and online services in London and parts of the surrounding area. Its output includes the daily BBC London News and the weekly Politics Show on television, the BBC London 94.9 radio station and local coverage of the...
news programme on its launch on 1 October 2001 (when it began). She moved to BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
programme in May 2002, also reporting for the BBC News. In 2004 George reported from Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
after hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde-type hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season...
struck the island. She also provided live reports from the Oscars in 2005 for Breakfast television. Prior to May 2006 George also stood in for Moira Stuart
Moira Stuart
Moira Clare Ruby Stuart OBE is a British journalist who was the first African-Caribbean female newsreader on British television...
as the newsreader on BBC Breakfast, and occasionally also appeared as one of the main programme presenters.
George went on maternity leave from Summer 2007. After giving birth to a daughter, she returned to duties on the BBC News channel from April 2008, when she also started occasionally standing in for Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa Jane Feltz is an English television personality, broadcaster and journalist. She currently presents an early morning radio show on BBC Radio 2, a mid morning phone-in show on BBC London 94.9. In 2011, she started hosting The Vanessa Show on Channel 5. The first series ended on June 24th...
on her BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9 is London's BBC Local Radio station, and part of BBC London. Broadcasting across Greater London and beyond on 94.9 FM, DAB, Virgin Media Channel 930, Sky Channel 0152 and also online...
morning show.
In January 2009 she moved back full time into radio, co-presenting the breakfast show on BBC Radio Kent
BBC Radio Kent
BBC Radio Kent is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Kent.It broadcasts on FM on 96.7 , 97.6 and 104.2 also 774 and 1602 MW and DAB.- History :The radio station was launched in 1970 under the name of BBC Radio Medway, originally only serving the...
with John Warnett
She has covered for Kaddy Lee Preston presenting Inside Out
Inside Out
Inside Out was a hardcore punk band from Orange County, California. It was fronted by Zack de la Rocha, later of Rage Against the Machine.-Biography:...
for the South East.
From May/June 2010 she is the presenter of the south east part of the BBC Politics Show.