Ashley Blake - Career

Career

Blake has had a career "from driving and renting out cars and trucks to working with young offenders in the care of social services in Birmingham." After spending almost three years as a flight attendant for Britannia Airways, followed by a post-graduate degree in journalism, Blake started working in Liverpool for L!VE TV, before moving to its sister station in Birmingham (UK).

In 2001, he moved to London where he worked as a reporter on Watchdog as well as both BBC London News and ITV's London Tonight. Blake produced various holiday reports and then worked on London Weekend Televisions "Dream Ticket" programme. He had a short period of service as a presenter on National TV for BBC Breakfast, before he returned to his home city to become a presenter and reporter on the BBC's Midlands Today. During his time at Midlands Today, Blake worked as a regular reporter, whilst also presenting the Friday Evening Late News Bulletin and the weekly edition of Inside Out for the region. Blake also regularly filled in for Nick Owen as presenter of the main edition of Midlands Today, and had occasionally presented the BBC Breakfasteditions in addition to presenting the Midlands regional segments of the BBC's annual Children in Need telethon with Shefali Oza and Sarah Falkland. Blake presented his last edition of Midlands Today on 23 January 2009, before being suspended following an incident at the New Oscott restaurant, The Place 2 B, which he co-owned with his partner, Jessica Hayes, from 2003 until February 2009. This incident eventually resulted in him being sacked by the BBC.

In 2007, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Staffordshire University for his contributions to television journalism.