Hannah Wilkes: The Remarkable Journey from Sky Sports Runner to Leading Broadcaster

Anwar Ali32 seconds agoLast Updated: July 26, 2026

Hannah Wilkes is a British sports presenter, journalist and live-event host best known for her work with Sky Sports. She presents Sky Sports Breakfast, contributes to Sky Sports News and works across NFL, cricket and World Nineball Tour coverage.

Her career reflects steady professional growth. She did not begin as a television presenter. She entered the industry through work experience, worked as a runner and spent years learning sports production. This strong foundation helped her become a confident broadcaster with experience on both sides of the camera.

She is also recognised for supporting women in sport. Her work has included Her Huddle, Rise With Us and programmes that explored the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s competitions.

Who Is Hannah Wilkes?

Hannah Wilkes is a British television and radio presenter based in England. She is closely connected with Sky Sports News, Sky Sports NFL and Sky Sports Cricket. Her broadcasting work includes studio presentation, live interviews, pitch-side duties, breaking sports news and major international events. She has covered American football, cricket, netball, rugby, equestrian sport, nineball and other competitions.

The Sky Sports author page identifies her as a Her Huddle presenter and NFL reporter. Her professional biography also confirms her work on Sky Sports Breakfast, Transfer Deadline Day, The Hundred and the World Nineball Tour.

Hannah Wilkes Age and Date of Birth

Hannah Wilkes was born in July 1990. She turned 36 in July 2026. Her birth month and year are recorded by Companies House under the name Hannah Jane Sheppard. The record also confirms her British nationality and residence in the United Kingdom.

Companies House does not provide her exact day of birth. Some online pages give a precise date, but that day has not been confirmed by Sky Sports, Loughborough University, the NCTJ or her professional representatives. The most accurate wording is that she was born in July 1990.

Hannah Jane Sheppard and Her Professional Name

She continues to use Hannah Wilkes as her broadcasting name. Formal business documents connected with Tall Girl Media Ltd later identify her as Hannah Jane Sheppard. Earlier filings for the same company name Miss Hannah Wilkes as director and person with significant control. Later records use Hannah Jane Sheppard. This creates a formal connection between her established professional identity and married surname. The Tall Girl Media Ltd filing history contains the relevant company documents.

Hannah Wilkes Husband and Family

Hannah Wilkes is married to Jonathon Sheppard. She has retained Wilkes for television and media work, while Sheppard is used in formal business records. Public wedding material and biographical coverage identify Jonathon Sheppard as her husband. The company record does not name her spouse, but it supports the change from Wilkes to Sheppard.

Who Is Jonathon Sheppard?

Jonathon Sheppard keeps a lower public presence than his wife. He has been connected with professional work in health communications. Hannah does not discuss many private details about their marriage during broadcasts. The couple have shared selected family moments while keeping most of their personal life away from media attention.

Hannah Wilkes’ Daughter Lily

Hannah and Jonathon have a daughter named Lily. Hannah’s Instagram biography describes her as “Lily’s mummy”. She has shared selected thoughts about motherhood and returning to broadcasting after maternity leave. However, she protects her daughter’s privacy and has not disclosed Lily’s complete date of birth through a dependable professional source.

Hannah Wilkes Education

Hannah studied Media and Communication at Loughborough University. Her university biography describes how student broadcasting helped prepare her for a career at Sky Sports. The Loughborough University graduate page confirms that she took part in LSU Media and used student television and radio to build practical skills and confidence.

Student Television at Loughborough

Her involvement with LSUTV allowed her to practise presenting, programme production and editing. It also taught her how to work under deadlines and contribute to a media team. Student broadcasting played an important role in preparing her for professional television. Loughborough has since recognised her as one of its graduates who moved into national sports media.

Study Abroad and Journalism Training

Her education also included an Erasmus period at Charles University, where she studied communications, media and culture.She later completed professional sports journalism training through the National Council for the Training of Journalists. This strengthened her skills in interviewing, news writing, media law and editorial judgement. In March 2026, the NCTJ selected Hannah Wilkes to host its Awards for Excellence at Brighton Dome. The organisation described her as an NCTJ alumna and Sky Sports News presenter.

How Hannah Wilkes Joined Sky Sports

Her relationship with Sky began in 2010 when she secured two weeks of work experience during university. The placement gave her direct experience inside a major sports broadcasting organisation. She later returned as a runner during weekends and university holidays. After graduating, she joined Sky on a full-time basis. According to Loughborough University, she worked through production roles before receiving opportunities to report on camera. Those assignments later developed into regular presentation work.

Production Junior

She worked as a production junior from June 2011 to May 2013. The position gave her experience in studio preparation, programme planning and live sports output. It also helped her understand how producers, editors, presenters and technical crews work together.

Assistant Producer

She became an assistant producer in May 2013 and remained in the role until September 2016. Her responsibilities increased as she helped prepare sporting content and support major broadcasts. She gained the editorial knowledge needed to identify important stories and present them clearly.

Assistant Producer and Reporter

From September 2016 to September 2021, she combined assistant production work with reporting duties. This period marked her move from behind-the-camera responsibilities to regular on-screen work. She conducted interviews, covered sporting events and developed her live delivery.

Full-Time Sky Sports Presenter

She became a full-time Sky Sports presenter in September 2021. Her professional biography states that she joined the regular Sky Sports News presentation team in summer 2022. These dates reflect two stages of her career. She was already working as a Sky presenter before becoming a regular member of the Sky Sports News team. The Riva Media biography provides details about her current broadcasting work and career development.

Hannah Wilkes on Sky Sports Breakfast

Hannah presents Sky Sports Breakfast, which replaced Good Morning Sports Fans following a relaunch in August 2025. The morning programme covers breaking news, interviews, match results and major developments from different sports. Presenters must move quickly between subjects while maintaining accuracy and control. Her background in production gives her a strong understanding of how live programmes operate. She knows how to respond when timings change or a major development breaks during a broadcast.

Sky Sports News Responsibilities

Her wider Sky Sports News work includes studio presentation, interviews and live updates. She also contributes to Transfer Deadline Day, one of the busiest occasions in the British football calendar. The event requires presenters to deliver rapid developments while separating confirmed transfers from speculation.

Hannah Wilkes and NFL Broadcasting

The NFL has become one of the central areas of her career. She presents Sky’s Sunday coverage, conducts interviews and covers international games. She has worked at multiple Super Bowls and interviewed players, coaches and media figures. Her responsibilities include studio hosting, sideline reporting, previews and fan-event presentation.

Super Bowl Coverage

Her Super Bowl work has taken her to the United States as part of Sky’s broadcast team. These assignments require detailed preparation, long working days and the confidence to conduct live interviews during one of the world’s biggest sporting events. The Sky Sports NFL section contains coverage featuring Hannah and the wider NFL broadcasting team.

Her Huddle

Hannah presented Her Huddle, a Sky Sports programme and podcast celebrating women who work across American football. The programme featured coaches, executives, journalists, athletes and specialists. It also covered NFL news, fantasy football and wider debates connected with the sport. Her Huddle gave female voices a stronger platform within American football broadcasting.

International NFL Events

Her work has taken her to NFL International Games in cities including London, Dublin and Berlin. She has also hosted major fan gatherings, including an event at Battersea Power Station attended by thousands of supporters. These duties require her to entertain live audiences, interview guests and manage changing schedules.

Hannah Wilkes and Sky Sports Cricket

Hannah joined Sky’s presenting team for The Hundred in 2023. She has covered both the men’s and women’s competitions at venues across England and Wales. Her cricket duties include introducing matches, interviewing players and guiding viewers through live coverage.

She has also contributed to major women’s cricket events. Sky selected her as part of its broadcasting team for the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup. The Sky Sports Cricket section covers the competitions and programmes connected with her work.

Netball, Equestrian Sport and Nineball

Her career extends beyond cricket and American football. She has covered the Netball Superleague, carried out live interviews and travelled for equestrian coverage. She has also presented World Nineball Tour events. These assignments helped her become a versatile broadcaster who can adapt to different sports, formats and audiences.

Game Changers

Hannah also worked on Game Changers, Sky Sports’ programme aimed at younger viewers. The show encouraged children to take an interest in sport and introduced them to different athletes and competitions. Her work on the programme added family broadcasting to her experience.

Hannah Wilkes at talkSPORT

Hannah also developed valuable radio experience with talkSPORT. She presented Early Sports Breakfast and Sportsday on talkSPORT 2. Radio strengthened her ability to conduct live interviews and communicate clearly without relying on television pictures.

British and Irish Lions Coverage

In 2021, she joined talkSPORT’s presentation team for the British and Irish Lions tour. The official Lions announcement named Hannah among the presenters involved in the coverage. The role added major rugby experience to her career and showed that she could lead extended sports programming outside television.

Supporting Women in Sport

Hannah has used her broadcasting work to give greater attention to female athletes and professionals. Her projects include Rise With Us, The Check In and Her Huddle. She also presented viewer reaction following Sky’s programme Cancelled: Women’s Sport and the Impact of COVID-19. The Sky Sports feature on women’s sport covered the discussion and Hannah’s role in continuing the debate. Her work in this area has combined sports coverage with conversations about opportunity, representation and the growth of women’s competitions.

Tall Girl Media Ltd

Tall Girl Media Ltd was incorporated on 8 May 2018 and operated within television programming and broadcasting activities. Hannah served as its director. The company was dissolved on 27 December 2022 following a voluntary strike-off process. The Companies House company page confirms its incorporation date, business category and dissolution. A voluntary strike-off does not, by itself, indicate wrongdoing. It means the company formally ended its operations.

Social Media and Live Events

Hannah uses @hannahjwilkes on Instagram and X. Her accounts focus on sports broadcasting, television work, travel and selected family moments. Her Instagram biography also directs professional event enquiries to Riva Media. Away from television, she works as an awards host, conference moderator and live-event presenter. These duties draw on her experience with interviews, live audiences and changing schedules.

Hannah Wilkes Wikipedia Status

Hannah does not currently have a standalone English Wikipedia page. She is mentioned on pages connected with Sky Sports News and Loughborough student media, but these mentions do not form a full personal biography. Her absence from a dedicated Wikipedia page does not reduce the importance of her work. Her Sky Sports career, radio experience and event-hosting record are established through professional sources.

Hannah Wilkes Salary and Net Worth

Her exact Sky Sports salary and net worth have not been confirmed by dependable sources. Sky does not publish her individual earnings, and Hannah has not disclosed her private financial position. Precise amounts published elsewhere should not be treated as confirmed facts. Her long career and range of broadcasting duties demonstrate professional success, but her personal finances remain private.

Why Hannah Wilkes Stands Out

Experience on Both Sides of the Camera

One of her greatest strengths is her understanding of the complete broadcasting process. She began with work experience and junior production duties before moving into reporting and presentation. This route gave her editorial skill and respect for every member of a television team. She knows how live broadcasts are planned, what producers require and how presenters must respond when a programme changes without warning.

Multi-Sport Ability

She can present morning sports news, cover an NFL event, host cricket, lead a radio programme or entertain a large live audience. This range has helped her build a lasting position at Sky Sports.

Supporting Female Voices

Her work on Her Huddle and women’s cricket has helped provide greater attention for female athletes, coaches and sports professionals. She has used her position to support fair coverage while keeping the focus on performance and achievement.

Final Thoughts

Hannah Wilkes has built her career through education, practical training and long-term commitment. She entered Sky through work experience, became a runner and progressed through production before moving into reporting and presenting. Her work now covers Sky Sports Breakfast, Sky Sports News, the NFL, cricket, nineball and major live events.

Born in July 1990, she uses Hannah Wilkes professionally and Hannah Jane Sheppard in formal company records. She is married to Jonathon Sheppard and is the mother of a daughter named Lily. Her journey shows that a strong television career can be built through patience and a deep understanding of broadcasting. She did not simply step in front of a camera. She learned how sports television works, earned greater responsibilities and developed into one of Sky’s versatile presenters.

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