Penny Smith

Edit
Penny Smith profile picture Enlarge Image

Penelope Jane Smith is an English television presenter, newsreader, and radio host. She has worked for Sky News, GMTV, Classic FM, BBC Radio London, talkRADIO and currently hosts Scala Radio's weekday mid-morning show, having moved there from the station's drivetime slot in 2023.

Quick Facts

Date of Birth
21-09-1958
Birth Place
Eastwood, United Kingdom
Height
1.66 m
Show all facts
Ex. Husband
Tony Birtley
Marriage Date
1984
Divorced Date
1987
Profession
Newsreader, television presenter
Employer
Talkradio
Alma Mater
Rutland College in Oakham
Boyfriend
Vince Leigh
Birth Sign
Virgo
T.V. Show(s)
The Krypton Factor, 3@Three etc.
Nationality
English,British
Ethnicity
White
Marital Status
Divorced
Charity
Age Concern, Age UK etc.
Birth Date
21 Sep, 1956
Age
63 yrs
Occupations
Presenter
Citizenship
United Kingdom
Birth Place
Eastwood
Gender
Female
Description
English television presenter and newsreader
Net Worth 2020
5 million

Explore Related Biographies

Selected for this profile

Biography and Age

Penelope Jane "Penny" Smith was born on September 21, 1958, in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire. Growing up in Rutland, Penny attended Uppingham Primary School and the Rutland High School for Girls in Oakham. As a young girl, she had an obsession with carrots. "When I was growing up, my mum grew most of our vegetables herself, but not many made it to the dinner table because I was permanently grazing in the garden. I am still absolutely obsessed with veggies. If I go around to a friend's house for dinner and they present me with a plate of pasta, I've been known to forage around for some veg to brighten things up. Whenever I go on a long car journey, I always take a bag of carrots with me to snack on, and I generally get through the lot. My friends laugh at my "travel carrots," but they always keep me going and are certainly a more nutritious alternative to coffee and cake."

Marriage, Wife, and Kids

Penny married Tony Birtley, a fellow journalist, in 1984. The marriage did not last for a long time, as it ended in divorce in 1987. Rory Bremner and Paul McKenna are Penny's only two past relationships known to the public. She has been in a relationship with the actor Vince Leigh since 2001. After her three-year marital life with Tony, she had no desire to marry another man again.

Penny and Vince have been living together for more than a decade. They met each other when Vince started a tour in a gender-bending adaptation of a Winter's Tale.


Help us edit this article and get a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift card.
Last Modified: Aug 2 2026

You May Also Like