BBC Olympics host Hazel Irvine is a familiar face on TV – but many inquisitive fans want to know about her marital status: so does she have a husband?
The Scottish broadcaster hails from St Andrews on the east coast of Fife. She read for an MA in History of Art at the University of St Andrews.
She began her career in radio before working as a continuity announcer. Hazel later broke into sports journalism and covered her first Olympics in 1988.
In 1997, she became the youngest-ever presenter of Grandstand aged 32.
Hazel has gone on to be a highly-regarded broadcaster across a number of sporting events, including Wimbledon, the Olympics and World Cups.
Does Hazel Irvine have a husband? Is she married?
According to reports, Hazel, 59, married her long-term boyfriend in Scotland in 2008.
She is quoted as saying it “felt like the right time” for them to get wed.
It is believed the couple live in London and share one daughter, born in 2009.
An unnamed source reportedly told The Sun: “Hazel is really friendly and gets on great with everyone but she keeps her personal life to herself.
“She only talks to close friends about that sort of thing so even people who work with her didn’t know about the wedding until after it happened.”
At the time, her rep confirmed they’d tied the knot, and shared a few more details.
“I can confirm that she married her long-term partner a few months ago.
“It was a small and very private affair, and she and her husband are very happy. She wants to keep all the details private.”
Confession about her daughter
Although fiercely private, Hazel did give an insight into her pregnancy while at an event.
Joking about her own “credit crunch” looming, Hazel said: “My clothes are already feeling the squeeze. My husband and I have a new arrival coming in the spring – which is going to be a drain on my own profits.”
Hazel’s daughter, whose name she hasn’t revealed, is 14 or 15 now.
Hazel Irvine growing up
Hazel has revealed a nice life growing up, telling the Daily Mail: “As a child, I spent my pocket money on stickers for an Olympics sticker book.
“I had a very happy childhood doing sport and outdoors stuff. My dad, Bill, made this half-size snooker table for my brother and me as kids, and Mum crocheted the pockets!
“My parents still live in Scotland,” she said. Hazel added: “My mum Norma was a musician and music teacher.”
‘I had to fight for opportunities’
Speaking to Happiful magazine back in 2019, Hazel spoke of the difficulties she faced when starting out in the industry.
“It was challenging because I was the only woman in the room. I was the first woman in Great Britain to fully anchor a dedicated football programme, and that brought its challenges, clearly. I was a curiosity in the early days, I would say. No one said no to being interviewed by me, but they were very interested to see what I brought to the party.”
She added that she had to “fight” for presenting roles, too. “Yes, I had to fight hard for the opportunities I was given. Whether I had to fight any harder because I was a woman, possibly. But my memories of that time are happy memories about new opportunities, about grasping them, and about working really hard to justify my involvement.”
Speaking about the important of female role models in sports broadcasting, Hazel added: “Broadcasting by its very nature is a visible genre. So, if you see somebody, it just normalises the process. You have someone to aim for. You have something to aim at. It’s taken a long time and I’ve been doing this for 32 years, but it’s perfectly normal and acceptable to see women sport broadcasters on television.”
What do BBC Olympics viewers think about Hazel Irvine?
Going by social media, Hazel Irvine is clearly one of the most respected sports hosts on the BBC.
One observer recently commented on Twitter: “I reckon you could ask Hazel Irvine for information about the semi-professional handball scene in Lithuania, and she’d confidently pad out two minutes of air time. Just a top class broadcaster.”
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Another hailed her: “Love listening to the always excellent Hazel Irvine talking about the gymnastics in the studio. They add so much to the coverage.”
And someone else added: “Hazel Irvine is an elite presenter. #bbc.”
Hazel presents the BBC’s coverage of the Paris Olympics.
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