Biography

Hannah Wilkes: The Inspiring Rise of a Leading Sky Sports Presenter

Hannah Wilkes is a British sports presenter, broadcaster and media professional best known for her work with Sky Sports. She has built a strong career across television, radio and live events. Her journey stands out because she began behind the camera, learned how programmes were made and then moved into reporting and presenting.

Today, she is a familiar face on Sky Sports Breakfast, Sky Sports News, NFL coverage and major cricket broadcasts. Her calm delivery, warm personality and broad sporting knowledge have helped her earn trust with viewers. She is also known for supporting women in sport and giving female voices more space in sports media.

Who Is Hannah Wilkes?

Hannah Wilkes is a British television presenter based in London. She works across Sky Sports News, Sky Sports NFL and Sky Sports Cricket. Her duties include studio presentation, live interviews, sideline coverage and event hosting. She has covered American football, cricket, netball, equestrian sport, rugby and nineball. Her experience in both production and presentation gives her a wide view of broadcasting.

She uses Wilkes as her professional surname. Formal company records later used the name Hannah Jane Sheppard after her marriage.

Hannah Wilkes Age and Early Background

Hannah Wilkes was born in July 1990 and turned 36 in July 2026. Her exact day of birth has not been confirmed by Sky Sports, her university or her representatives. She is British and has spent much of her professional life in London. Details about her birthplace, parents and childhood remain private. She has kept attention on her career rather than sharing every part of her family history.

Hannah Wilkes Education

Hannah Wilkes studied Communications and Media Studies at Loughborough University and earned First Class Honours. Loughborough gave her access to academic study and student broadcasting. She joined Loughborough Students Media and worked with LSUTV, gaining experience in presenting, editing, planning and production.

Student Television Experience

Student television taught her how programmes are created from the first idea to the final broadcast. She learned how to work with scripts, cameras, deadlines and production teams. This practical training gave her confidence before she entered professional television.

NCTJ Sports Journalism Training

She later completed professional sports journalism training through the NCTJ, a respected British training body. The qualification strengthened her skills in interviewing, writing, media law and sports coverage. It also supported her move from production work into on-screen journalism.

Hannah Wilkes Sky Sports Career

Her relationship with Sky began in July 2010, when she completed work experience with Sky Sports while still at university. The placement gave her direct knowledge of professional broadcasting. She later worked as a runner during weekends and university holidays. After graduation, Sky offered her a full-time role.

Production Junior

She became a production junior in June 2011 and stayed in the role until May 2013. The job helped her understand how live sports programmes are planned. She learned about timing, scripts, studio preparation and teamwork.

Assistant Producer

In May 2013, she became an assistant producer and held the position until September 2016. She helped prepare content, support live broadcasts and manage parts of the production process.

Assistant Producer and Reporter

From September 2016 to September 2021, she combined assistant production work with reporting. This stage allowed her to conduct interviews, cover events and gain regular on-screen experience. It became an important bridge between production and presentation.

Full-Time Presenter

She became a full-time Sky Sports presenter in September 2021 and later joined the regular Sky Sports News team. Her promotion followed more than a decade of work at Sky. She had learned the business from junior duties to live broadcasting, giving her strong editorial judgement.

Hannah Wilkes on Sky Sports Breakfast

Hannah presents Sky Sports Breakfast, a morning programme covering major sporting stories, results and interviews. The role demands quick thinking because sports news can change during a live broadcast. A presenter may need to move from football to cricket, rugby or racing within minutes. Her production background helps her manage this pace. She understands the work of producers, editors, camera crews and studio guests.

Sky Sports News Duties

She also contributes to the wider Sky Sports News schedule. Her work includes interviews, breaking developments and live updates. She has taken part in major football coverage, including Transfer Deadline Day. This busy period requires control, accuracy and patience.

Hannah Wilkes and NFL Coverage

American football is one of the strongest parts of her career. She has worked as an NFL presenter, reporter and event host for Sky Sports. Her duties have included studio presentation, player interviews, sideline work, previews and Super Bowl coverage. She has also hosted NFL International Games and major fan events.

Super Bowl Work

She has covered major Super Bowl events for Sky. These assignments require detailed preparation, long working days and confident live interviews. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting occasions in the world, making the role an important achievement in her career.

Her Huddle

She presented Her Huddle, a Sky Sports programme and podcast centred on women in American football. The show featured coaches, players, broadcasters and leaders. It explored careers, challenges, fantasy football and NFL news while giving women a stronger place in the conversation.

Live NFL Events

She has hosted large NFL fan gatherings in Britain and Europe, speaking with players, experts and supporters before live crowds. These events require a different style from studio television. A host must keep the programme moving, engage the audience and respond confidently when plans change.

Hannah Wilkes and Cricket

She has also become an important part of Sky Sports Cricket. Since 2023, she has presented The Hundred, a short-format competition featuring men’s and women’s teams across England and Wales. Her duties include introducing matches, interviewing players and guiding viewers through live coverage.

Women’s Cricket

She has contributed to major women’s cricket tournaments, including international events shown by Sky. Her work supports the growth of women’s sport on British television and shows her ability to move between different competitions with confidence.

Other Sports and Major Events

Her career covers more than the NFL and cricket.

Netball, Equestrian Sport and Nineball

She has covered major netball events, carried out live interviews and travelled for equestrian coverage. She has also presented World Nineball Tour coverage, showing her ability to adapt to sports with different audiences and traditions.

London 2012

She worked as a sports presenter during London 2012. The experience came early in her career and placed her within one of the largest sporting events ever held in Britain. The role gave her valuable experience during a major international event and strengthened her confidence in front of sporting audiences.

Hannah Wilkes at talkSPORT

From June 2018 to June 2021, she worked as a freelance presenter for talkSPORT. She hosted Early Sports Breakfast and Sportsday. Radio helped her develop clear speech, strong timing and the ability to describe events without pictures.

British and Irish Lions

In 2021, she presented talkSPORT coverage of the British and Irish Lions tour. The role added major rugby experience to her career and showed that she could lead long sports programmes outside television.

Hannah Wilkes Husband and Family

Hannah Wilkes is married to Jonathon Sheppard. She continues to use Hannah Wilkes on television and social media, while formal business records use Hannah Jane Sheppard. Jonathon has worked in health communications. The couple keep much of their marriage away from media attention.

Married Name

The use of Hannah Jane Sheppard in company records connects her professional identity with her married surname. Keeping Wilkes as her broadcasting name allows audiences to recognise her established work across Sky Sports.

Daughter Lily

They have a daughter named Lily. Hannah’s Instagram biography describes her as “Lily’s mummy”. She has shared selected moments about motherhood and returning to work after maternity leave, while protecting her daughter’s privacy. Lily’s full birth date has not been confirmed.

Tall Girl Media Ltd

Hannah became director of Tall Girl Media Ltd on 8 May 2018. The company worked in television programming and broadcasting activities. Early records used Hannah Wilkes, while later documents used Hannah Jane Sheppard. Tall Girl Media Ltd was dissolved on 27 December 2022 through a voluntary strike-off process. The closure of a company through this process does not prove wrongdoing. It simply means the business ended its formal operations.

Social Media and Event Work

She uses @hannahjwilkes on Instagram and X. Her social media descriptions connect her with Sky Sports News, the NFL and Sky Sports Cricket. Her posts include broadcasting updates, sporting events, travel and selected family moments. Riva Media handles enquiries for her professional event work. She also hosts awards, conferences, fan gatherings and corporate events. These duties make use of her broadcasting experience, interview skills and confident stage presence.

Does Hannah Wilkes Have a Wikipedia Page?

She does not have a dedicated English Wikipedia page. She is mentioned on pages connected with Sky Sports News and Loughborough student media, but these mentions do not form a complete biography.

Why Hannah Wilkes Stands Out

Her greatest strength is her knowledge of the full broadcasting process. She began with work experience and junior production duties before moving into reporting and presentation. This route gave her patience, editorial skill and respect for every member of a television team.

She knows what producers need, how live broadcasts are planned and how presenters must respond when a programme changes without warning. She is also highly versatile. She can present morning news, cover an NFL match, host cricket, lead a radio programme or entertain a large live audience.

Supporting Women in Sport

Her work on Her Huddle and women’s cricket has helped give female athletes, coaches and media professionals greater attention. She has used her position to support fair coverage while keeping the main focus on sporting performance and personal achievement.

A Career Built Step by Step

Her progress did not happen overnight. She spent years developing her skills before becoming a regular television presenter. That steady path helped her build confidence, credibility and a lasting place at Sky Sports.

Final Thoughts

Hannah Wilkes has built a respected broadcasting career through education, practical experience and consistent work. Born in July 1990, she studied at Loughborough University, completed NCTJ training and entered Sky through work experience. She then progressed from production junior to assistant producer, reporter and full-time presenter.

She is now known for Sky Sports Breakfast, Sky Sports News, NFL coverage, cricket and live events. She is married to Jonathon Sheppard and has a daughter named Lily. Her career shows the value of learning every part of an industry. She began behind the camera, developed strong journalism skills and earned a trusted place in front of it.

BritainBlogs.co.uk

Eleanor Edwards

Eleanor Edwards is a biographical writer and celebrity interviewer at Britain Blogs. She specialises in well-researched profiles, career stories and interviews with figures from entertainment, media and popular culture. Her work presents clear, engaging and factual insights into the lives and achievements of notable personalities.

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