He grew up in
Horsham,
West Sussex. After one term studying medicine at
London Hospital Medical College, Aldridge studied mathematics at
Bedford College (University of London). He joined the BBC in 1985, working in the production and archiving departments of
Radio 3. He became a newsreader at
Radio 5, then a Radio 4 staff announcer in 1995. He spent 2002 training new staff; then returned to the station as a senior announcer alongside
Harriet Cass, taking over from
Peter Donaldson. He sometimes reads and presents the ''Six O'Clock News'' on BBC Radio 4. In 2021, Aldridge stepped down from his role as senior announcer but remains on Radio 4 as a freelance announcer and newsreader. On 8 September 2022, Aldridge announced the death of
Queen Elizabeth II on
BBC Radio. He is married with two children; his hobbies include jogging, photography and playing the piano. ==References==