George Clarke (television presenter)

Clarke was born in Sunderland and brought up on a council estate in Washington. His mother, Anne, worked at Oxclose Comprehensive School, in Oxclose, where Clarke was a pupil. His father, a printer, died at the age of 26 from a water-skiing accident; George was 7 at the time. By his own account, Clarke was a very shy teenager. Both Clarke's grandfathers were builders and, after spending school holidays in and around building sites, he decided he wanted to be an architect from the age of 12: There was nothing else I ever wanted to do. When most of the kids were playing with building blocks and pieces of Lego, I was actually on building sites. Whilst he was a student, Clarke supported himself by renovating people's homes in his spare time. ==Career==

Architecture After graduating in 1995, Clarke trained and worked with FaulknerBrowns in Newcastle upon Tyne, before joining the Terry Farrell practice, working in both London and Hong Kong. In 1998, with partner Bobby Desai, he formed his own company, clarke:desai. Clients included Simon Fuller and Jamie Oliver. In 2011, Clarke left clarke:desai and set up a new company, George Clarke + Partners, with 25 staff. Between 2001 and 2003, Clarke was a visiting lecturer at Newcastle University. He is currently a visiting lecturer at Nottingham University's School for the Built Environment. Clarke was offered the job, and then went on to present two more property shows for Channel 5 before being commissioned to present The Restoration Man for Channel 4. all for Channel 4. In the later part of 2020, he presented a six part series for Channel 4 visiting National Trust properties which were closed during the coronavirus pandemic (''George Clarke's National Trust Unlocked''). During early 2024, Clarke presented ''George Clarke's Adventures in Americana'', a four-part series about the various nostalgic styles of American buildings. In February 2025, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned an advert for Scottish Power, which featured Clarke. The ASA received three complaints that the advert was not obviously distinguishable from Clarke's Amazing Spaces TV series. The ASA banned the advert on the grounds that viewers were "likely to believe [they] were watching a programme". In August 2025, George Clarke’s Homes in the Wild, a six-part series featuring Clarke visiting some of the wildest homes along New Zealand’s coastline and Australia’s eastern seaboard, premiered on Sky Open. Books Clarke is the author of several books, including Home Bible (Orion), and Build a New Life: by Creating Your New Home. His first children's book, Building a Home, was released on 1 February 2024. Other positions Clarke was on the judging panel of the Affordable Home Ownership Housing Awards in 2007. Clarke is a patron of the Civic Trust Awards scheme. He is an ambassador for the housing and homeless charity Shelter, as well as a Building Community ambassador for the Prince's Foundation. He is also a supporter of Sunderland A.F.C. In January 2025, it was announced that Clarke is an ambassador for the National Trust. In October 2025, it was announced that Clarke would become the Chancellor of Northumbria University ==Personal life==

Clarke grew up with three younger sisters. He met his first wife, Catriona, a Spanish national, when he undertook renovation work for her brother. The couple were married for over 10 years. They had three children before separating in 2013 and subsequently divorcing. Clarke subsequently married Katie Morgan Jones in 2018, but reportedly split from her in 2022. Clarke lives in Notting Hill, West London and Gloucestershire. He has completely renovated his 1910 house in Notting Hill, transforming the interior into a modern home, whilst restoring the exterior to its original appearance. He still has family in Blackfell, Washington, and Sunderland, and visits the area at least two or three times a year. ==Honours==

In July 2012, Clarke carried the Olympic torch through Camden after his brother-in-law Swiggy Drummond, who was the original candidate for the honour, died of cancer. In January 2014, Clarke became the youngest person ever to be awarded honorary membership of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Hon RICS). In July 2015, Clarke was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Leeds Beckett University for his contribution to the arts. In September 2015, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Wolverhampton as a Doctor of Technology and, in December 2015, he received an honorary doctorate from Northumbria University. In July 2023, he received an honorary doctorate from Teesside University. ==References==