Crisell, Ellie

Ellie was born in County Durham. She graduated from the University of Birmingham and worked for the Mail on Sunday for a year.

She gained a PG Dip in broadcast journalism at London’s City University and then spent a year working at ITN, reporting and presenting on News Direct Radio and also presenting television news bulletins for Channel 5.

In the summer of 2001, she joined Tyne Tees TV as a reporter/presenter on North East Tonight.

In April 2003, Ellie moved to CBBC’s Newsround. Significant stories that she reported on included:

• 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and travelled to Indonesia to see the effects of the disaster;
• travelled to Athens in Greece to give daily reports on the 2004 Summer Olympics;
• light-hearted stories, including a report on the Harry Potter inspired rise of magic in the UK that ended with her being sawn in half by a magician in an illusion called Clearly Impossible. 

She attended Newsround’s 50th anniversary event on 31st March 2022.

Ellie presented BBC Two’s Newsnight on 12th September 2006.

In November 2006, she began relief presenting for the BBC News Channel alongside her Newsround work.

From January 2008, she was one of the regular presenters of the BBC One 8pm news summaries, before going on maternity leave in March 2008.

She returned from maternity leave in October 2008 to present the 8pm news summary on BBC One. She was also a relief presenter on the BBC News Channel until 2013.

Following a second maternity leave, she began presenting BBC South East Today from July 2015.

Correspondence

Paul R. Jackson corresponded with Ellie in May 2022.

Did you have any TV heroes you admired or wanted to work with? 

“John Craven’s Newsround and used to practice newsreading in the mirror!”

How did you get into broadcasting? 

“I started work in broadcasting at ITN’s News Direct radio station, reporting and then latterly presenting for them.

“I also started presenting news bulletins on Channel 5 on an ad hoc basis.

“I then applied for and got a job as a reporter/presenter at Tyne Tees TV.  I think my father told me about the job, as he was Professor of Media at Sunderland University, and some of his ex-students worked there.

“But I applied in the usual way, interviewed and was offered the job in the summer of 2001.  I started bulletin reading very quickly after joining and continued to do a mix of presentation and reporting until I left to join Newsround two years later.”

Did you find the transition from radio to TV easy and what memories of working on North East Tonight?

“Radio is less restrictive in many ways and great fun, but I didn’t struggle with transitioning to TV.

“Mike Neville was the presenter of the flagship show at TTTV at that time. I can’t remember what ratio my job was presenting/reporting – I think a pretty even split – but I always enjoy variety, so I’m happy doing both!”

How did you get the job on Newsround and had you been a viewer before? I have mentioned a few big news stories you covered to date – are there others that you were proud to cover?

“I saw the Newsround job advertised on the BBC jobs website, whilst looking for a colleague who had told me he was actively looking for another job.

“I thought I would apply – even though I was happy at TTTV – because I had been such a big fan of Newsround.  It was truly my dream job and after several interviews/screen tests, I was offered the main presenter role. I was thrilled.

“I travelled all over the world with Newsround, including to Africa five times, America, Indonesia, various parts of Europe and all around the UK and Ireland too.  It was an absolutely fantastic opportunity. A wonderful team and a very special and unique part of the BBC.”

What was it like attending the 50th anniversary of Newsround and why do you think it has lasted? Do you think it will survive in this new digital era?

“It was wonderful to reconnect with colleagues recently and remind ourselves of just what an amazing time of our lives working for Newsround was and how proud we are to be a part of those alumni.

“It remains a completely relevant and valued part of children’s lives in the UK now and I’m full of admiration for how versatile and nimble Newsround is: always moving where the audience is and offering them what they need.

“It is a trusted and vital part of the BBC’s output and in this digital era, it’s more important than ever those children know they can come to Newsround for accurate information.”

How did you come to present the 8pm news summaries?  

“I started presenting the 8pm summary alongside my Newsround work shortly after it launched in January 2008. I continued almost up until it ended in 2015.”

Are you staff or freelance now and do you have any ambitions to work on any further TV programmes in future?

“I am a senior presenter at the BBC and am coming up on my 20th anniversary next year! It has flown by.

“I work part-time now, as I like to balance work with family life and we have three children.

“My husband also works for the BBC (in documentaries), so it is always a bit of a juggle between his filming requirements and mine.

“I love television work and hope I continue for many years to come.”

 

Personal information

Clips of Ellie on The TV Room

Ellie may be featured in video/audio clips on our other websites. Click the links below to display a listing (a 404 error will appear if no clips are found):

Rewind | Clean Feed

Online presence

Acknowledgements