SKILLS
Matt is an authoritative broadcaster with a relaxed on-screen presence and a dry sense of humour. He is as comfortable presenting international news bulletins and programmes about in-depth defence issues as he is at covering sport or entertainment. Matt has a talent for setting interviewees at ease enabling him to get the very best out of them on camera.
Matt is also an award-winning producer and director of documentaries, programmes and news features as well as a talented editor, giving him real insight into how great television is put together. He is also an engaging media trainer and speaker.
CAREER HISTORY
After graduating with a degree in Broadcast Journalism in the mid 90's Matt's first job was photocopying the scripts and operating the autocue for ITV's regional news service in the East Midlands. It was a foot in the door but after realising the job wasn't really for him (the colour-coded script system was not designed for the colour blind), Matt switched to production and spent ten years as a researcher, director, producer and eventually series producer of a variety of regional and network programmes. His diverse assignments have seen him drive coast to coast across America filming a documentary about the infamous Gumball Rally, follow high-profile politicians to the White House and film with British and American troops on operations in Afghanistan. He's produced documentaries about unsolved crimes, politics and football as well as working on programmes about motoring, travel and food.
After more than a decade behind the camera, Matt was offered a position as sports reporter and presenter for ITV News Central in the Midlands. As well as covering top flight football, cricket, rugby, tennis and athletics, he produced a series of award-winning features about the Special Olympics in Rome and Shanghai. He also covered the death of former Warwickshire cricket coach, Bob Woolmer, in Jamaica. Around this time, Matt won a coveted national Royal Television Society presenting award.
In 2007 Matt left ITV in the Midlands to be main anchor for newly formed rolling sports news channel, Setanta Sports News, produced by ITN. In addition to spending 18 months anchoring four hours of daily live output, Matt also fronted shows on mixed martial arts, boxing and football as well as presenting coverage of the inaugural season of the multi-million dollar Indian Premier League cricket tournament. Subsequently, Matt spent nine months presenting national ITV news bulletins as well as anchoring ITV News London.
After going freelance in 2009, Matt continued to work for ITN while also presenting sports bulletins for Sky News and fronting nightly news programme, 'British Forces News' for BFBS. In 2010 Matt covered the World Cup from South Africa for Bloomberg and also presented their Wimbledon coverage as well as returning to his production roots to work on a documentary series filmed in Afghanistan for Discovery. Matt filmed with British, American and other ISAF Forces at Camp Bastion, in Kabul and at Camp Marmal in northern Afghanistan.
In 2012, Matt returned to his spiritual home of ITV in the Midlands where he now presents the Midlands nightly six o'clock news programme combining the role with his various other freelance commitments. Since his return, as well as interviewing Prime Ministers, politicians, celebrities and dozens of people with a story to tell, Matt has also anchored live outside broadcasts on breaking news stories and special events. In 2016 he was shortlisted for the Midlands RTS on-screen personality of the year award.
Away from work, Matt is a keen, if occasional, cricketer and loves nothing more than spending time with his family. For over ten years he’s organised a charity food festival in rural Herefordshire, which allows him to combine his passion for local produce with his love of his home county - www.shobdonfoodfestival.co.uk. The event has raised over a hundred thousand pounds for charities and good causes.
