Alison Mitchell
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BBC test match special cricket commentator, sport broadcaster and journalist
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1st woman to commentate on international cricket for ABC’s Grandstand
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Sports Broadcaster of the Year by the Sports Journalists Association
Alison Mitchell is an award winning presenter and commentator, and the first woman to commentate regularly on the BBC's Test Match Special. A trailblazer in the world of sports commentary, she was also the first woman to commentate on international cricket for ABC Grandstand in Australia. She has toured to every Test playing nation to cover the England team.
In March 2014 Alison was voted Sports Broadcaster of the Year by the Sports Journalists Association (SJA).
Alison is a respected journalist, having handled hard sports news such as the death of Bob Woolmer at the Cricket World Cup in 2007 when police launched a murder inquiry - a story Alison broke on air and had to cover single handedly as the only BBC reporter in Jamaica's capital at the time.
As well as cricket, Alison Mitchell commentates on and presents live from Wimbledon and the Australian Open tennis, the Open golf and artistic gymnastics for BBC TV and BBC Radio Five Live. She was the gymnastics commentator for Five Live at the London 2012 Olympic Games, helping the station to win a Sony Gold Award for its coverage. She was also part of Channel 4's Bafta Award winning coverage of the Paralympics, and she occasionally presents sport on Radio 4's flagship breakfast programme, Today.
Alison holds a PgDip in Broadcast Journalism from Falmouth College of Arts and a BA in Geography from the University of Nottingham, where she was captain of the hockey club. She represented Northamptonshire and the Midlands at hockey, earned a district vest in athletics and still plays recreational sport, enjoying tennis, cycling and horse riding in particular. She is trained on the classical guitar, loves the great outdoors and enjoys the theatre.
Alison Mitchell is a well travelled and engaging speaker and presenter, and is able to host events and facilitate conferences both in the sporting and the business world.
She can give entertaining illustrated talks about her career experiences and deliver keynote speeches, drawing on her experiences as one of few females in her expert field, achieving the unachievable, performing under pressure and succeeding through teamwork.
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It was a total joy to work with Alison when she hosted the Women of the Future Summit. She was a true professional engaging with us in the run up to the event. Her preparation was fantastic. She was the perfect host - articulate, engaging and warm. She ensured that all the speakers were involved and enabled the audience to participate with ease. She has grace and style and we would definitely use her again.
Alison was the first foreign guest speaker at our Dean's Lecture. She shared her pathway to success with a very diverse audience ranging from the academic community to national, regional and local sport industry stakeholders. From the feedback I received, our guests were particularly impressed with Alison's ability to personalise her delivery and engage with the audience, yet showcase her impressive international track record, and path towards it.
Alison hosted the ECB England Cricketer of the Year Awards 2014, which was a glittering occasion with all the game's key players and administrators. She was professional, charming and courteous, and managed to extract some amusing and sensible comments from the award winners. It was an immensely successful evening thanks to her. She is extremely knowledgeable about the game, and is the preeminent female commentator.
Alison Mitchell has hosted a number of our Chance to Shine events over the last few years and I can confidently say that her reliability, professionalism and attention to detail is second to none. Ali is an accomplished presenter and has proven that she can adapt to any situation. The feedback that we have received from guests has been excellent, which leaves with me with little hesitation in recommending her to anyone looking for a quality host.
Alison hosted the inaugural Celebration of Disability Cricket event in the Investec Media Centre at Lords in November 2014. Alison was my first choice when thinking about a host for the event. Her passion for the sport and the level of professionalism that she displayed in preparing for the event and researching the subject confirmed that I made the right choice. Alison was easily able to ensure that a semi-formal event was delivered in a relaxed yet business like manner, ensuring that key points were delivered. Her easy going nature put everyone at ease and I have no hesitation in recommending Alison to any organisation looking for a confident, accomplished and professional host.
Alison Mitchell has a wealth of sporting stories, in particular cricket anecdotes, which are really brought to life by her engaging style and manner. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining evening - even appealing to those who wouldn't necessarily consider themselves sports fans.
The inaugural Sports Heritage Network conference was a terrific occasion, and Alison Mitchell hosted the final session of the day in the Investec Media centre at Lord's. Her relaxed and engaging manner combined with up-to-the minute sporting knowledge set the tone perfectly, ensuring things finished on a high.
How to book Alison Mitchell for your event
To book Alison Mitchell, please submit an online enquiry to booking.agent@nmp.co.uk or contact one of our booking agents on +44 (0)20 3822 0003.
Sports presenter on BBC Radio 4's 'Today' programme
TV presenter and broadcaster (LBC 97.3, TalkSport, SKY, GMTV, BBC, ITN)
Former England cricketer and internationally renowned poker expert
Former Sky Sports News presenter and model
Television and radio presenter