Chiswick presenter’s £6m transfer deal from BBC settee to one at ITV

Chiswick resident Adrian Chiles is taking sofa surfing to a new level after accepting a £6 million deal to join ITV’s GMTV.

The television presenter is leaving The One Show after BBC bosses recruited Radio 2 breakfast host Chris Evans to be the show’s Friday night presenter. When his move to ITV was announced, Chiles said he was "disappointed" by the BBC's decision and would have been happy to stay if the format had not been altered.

"I've spent all my working life at the BBC," Chiles said, who is now signed to ITV and GMTV for a four-year stretch and will be at the forefront of breakfast and football television there.

His departure breaks up the on-screen partnership with Christine Bleakley on The One Show however, this may no be for long. Chiles’ arrival is said to be sparking a ‘GMTV clearout’ with Ben Shephard and Andrew Castle on the list to be axed and Kate Garraway and Emma Crosby could follow according to The Mirror if ITV bosses decide to reunite Chiles and Christine Bleakley on the sofa.

43-year-old Adrian Chiles was born in Birmingham. An initial stint of work experience with the BBC led him to present Radio 4's Financial World Tonight in 1993. Chiles became one of the broadcasting pioneers on the BBC's new rolling news and sports station, BBC Radio Five Live, which launched in 1994.

His profile as a football broadcaster grew when he became the presenter of Match of The Day 2, and in 2006 was one of the hosts of the BBC's World Cup coverage from Germany.

Chiles stepped up into another league in 2006 when the BBC piloted a new weekday early evening magazine programme, The One Show was initially co-presented by Nadia Sawalha, who was replaced by Myleene Klass before Christine Bleakley joined.


April 20, 2010