Charlie’s broadcasting career coincided with the rise of satellite TV. After two years at Capital Radio he spent the next 25 years at Sky, working first as a reporter and then as a presenter.
He has covered numerous sporting events and interviewed hundreds of sportsmen and women during the past three decades.
The 2005 Ashes
Charlie had been Sky’s cricket reporter for much of the 90s, so when he became a presenter at Sky News he was their go-to man whenever there was a big cricket story. And they didn’t come any bigger than the Ashes of 2005. By the time it reached its climax in September it was already being called the Greatest Series Ever. England’s long-suffering cricket followers had become used to defeats by the all-conquering Australians, but now their team was heading into the Fifth Test 2-1 up and needing only a draw to win the Ashes for the first time in more than 18 years. Over the course of the next five days, Charlie anchored Sky News’ coverage live from the Oval, witnessing every nailbiting twist as south London, and indeed the entire country, went cricket mad.
2012 Olympics - Jessica Ennis
In the summer of 2012, London hosted the Olympic Games for the first time since 1948. From July 27th to August 12th, Charlie was part of Sky News’ Olympics team, anchoring their coverage live from the new Olympic Park. The high point of the Games was the evening of August 4th, known as Super Saturday. During one remarkable hour in front of an ecstatic Olympic Stadium crowd, Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah all won gold for Britain. Jessica had gone into the Games carrying a huge weight of expectation but she rose to the challenge, winning the heptathlon. Charlie was there to interview her the following morning.
2012 Olympics - Tom Daley
On August 11, the final Saturday of the Games, Tom Daley, then just 18, claimed bronze in the 10m platform dive. In doing so he became the first Briton to win a medal in the discipline since 1960. He finished with a score of 556.95, a mere 11 points behind the winner. It capped an emotional year for Tom, who had lost his father to cancer in 2011. Charlie spoke to him after the event.