Graham, Natalie

Natalie Graham was born in Worthing in 1972.

She graduated from the University of Oxford in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and experimental psychology, before completing a postgraduate diploma in broadcast journalism at Highbury College, Portsmouth in 1996.

She later earned an MSc in workplace health and wellbeing from Nottingham University between 2021 and 2023.

Graham began her broadcasting career in July 1996 as a reporter for BBC Southern Counties Radio, based across Guildford, Crawley and Brighton.

During this period, she covered the 1997 General Election, interviewing Tony Blair and numerous Conservative ministers. She subsequently moved to the station’s breakfast programme as a radio car reporter.

After four years in radio, Graham transitioned to television in 2000, joining BBC TV’s South Today and South of Westminster. The following year, she became Brighton reporter for the newly launched South East Today, and began presenting bulletins from the Tunbridge Wells studio.

Graham presented her first 6.30pm programme in 2004.

In 2010, she took on the weekly political programme for the South East, which later became Politics South East. She presented this for 11 years until 2021, when she became the sole presenter of South East Today.

From 2011 to 2020, she also presented Inside Out South East, the weekly regional current affairs programme.

Beyond her on-screen work, Graham has been actively involved in wellbeing initiatives at the BBC. She helped establish the BBC’s Peer Support Network and is a trained workplace mediator. She is also a qualified professional coach and serves as a trustee of Old Bank Wellbeing Trust.

Correspondence

Paul R. Jackson corresponded with Natalie in September 2025.

Did you always want to get into journalism and join the BBC?

“No, I wanted to be a psychologist but then pivoted into journalism in 1995 and found it suited me perfectly. I am now combining both with my off-air work at the BBC.”

What did you do at BBC Southern Counties Radio?

“I worked in Guildford. I spent the first nine months in the newsroom then became the district reporter for Crawley in 1997/1998.

“I then moved to Brighton to work on the Brighton and Sussex breakfast shows as the ‘live reporter’ until I moved into TV.”

What was your role for the BBC in Southampton?

“I worked in the newsroom as a general journalist, reporting occasionally for South Today and regularly for South of Westminster.”

What are your memories of launching South East Today in September 2001?

“It was quite a thing to be based in Tunbridge Wells and not in London, like previous programmes.”

Who were the main presenters and reporters working alongside you back then?

“At South East Today, I’ve worked with Laurie Mayer, Bev Thompson, Giles Dilnot, Geoff Clarke, Julia George, Kaddy-Lee Preston, Rob Smith and Polly Evans.”

Personal information

Clips of Natalie on The TV Room

Natalie 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