Stephen Nolan

Stephen Raymond Nolan (born 20 August 1973) is an award winning Northern Irish radio and television presenter for BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Radio 5 Live, and is the highest earning broadcaster the BBC employ in the Province.[1][2]

For the Irish hurler, see Stephen Nolan (hurler). For the rugby league footballer for Ireland, see Steve Nolan.

Stephen Nolan
Born
Stephen Raymond Nolan

(1973-08-20) 20 August 1973
Shankill, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Alma materQueen's University Belfast
Occupation(s)Radio and television presenter
Years active2002–present
EmployerBBC

Early life

Born in the Shankill Road area of Belfast, Nolan was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and the Queen's University of Belfast, where he studied French and Business Studies, graduating with a BA in 1995.[3]

Career

Radio

In 2002, Nolan joined Belfast CityBeat, where he won a Sony Radio Academy Award. The following year, he was hired by BBC Northern Ireland, where he has worked since 2003, presenting The Stephen Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster.[4]

Since 16 July 2005, Nolan has presented his own weekend phone-in show for BBC Radio Five Live, airing from 10 pm to 1 am every Friday and Sunday, and from 9pm to 12am every Saturday. Until 2017, he also hosted Question Time Extra Time, a simulcast of BBC One's Question Time, followed by a continuation of debates on Five Live.[5]

In 2006, Nolan was involved in a mock boxing match with Gerry Anderson in aid of the BBC's Children in Need appeal.[6]

On 13 October 2021, he launched a podcast, Nolan Investigates.[7]

Television

Nolan has presented several television programmes. Nolan Live on BBC Northern Ireland is a weekly television debate and phone-in show. Fair Play, also on BBC Northern Ireland, was a weekly consumer watchdog programme. Mission Employable was a series focusing on helping a group of unemployed people to find their dream career. He has also presented the BBC's Children in Need Northern Ireland broadcast. Since 2008 he has presented Panic Attack, a new game airing on Friday nights in Northern Ireland. The show was repeated nationwide in a daytime slot starting in February 2010. In 2008 he stood in for Matthew Wright on Five's The Wright Stuff. In 2011, Nolan presented a documentary focusing on the Shankill Butchers. Since 2012, Nolan has hosted a weekly TV version of The Stephen Nolan Show on BBC Northern Ireland every Wednesday.

In 2013, a new series Story of a Lifetime, hosted by Nolan began with episode one focusing on the life of his Radio Ulster colleague Hugo Duncan.[8]

His television and radio shows have been accused of having a pro-Unionist bias and have been referred for impartiality/bias by Ofcom to the BBC.[9][10][11] Nolan has defended himself against such claims.[11]

The BBC released details of the broadcaster's pay for 2020–21 which was up £15,000 to more than £405,000. In the last three (available) years, Nolan was paid over £1m from BBC licence fee revenues.[1]

Awards
Nolan (left) posing with Paul Martin

In total, Nolan has won twelve Sony Radio Academy Awards. Of these, seven are Gold, giving him the record for the most Golds in the history of the awards. Five of these were awarded during his time with Belfast CityBeat radio, including: UK Speech Broadcaster of the Year 2003 and for his show, The Stephen Nolan Show, The Speech Programme Award of the Year 2006. He also won the Royal Television Society's Regional Presenter of the Year Award in 2005 and 2006, as well as being nominated for the National Presenter Award in 2008.

Personal life

Nolan often discusses starting work aged 12, in a video store while at school. Religion is a regular feature on his radio shows. In 2015, he stated he was an atheist and as a result he issued an apology for breaching BBC guidelines.[12]

In February 2021, Nolan criticised online trolls on Twitter and said: "It's clear I have a weight problem."[13]

Nolan lives in Mahee Island in County Down.[14]

References
  1. "BBC NI's Stephen Nolan's current salary revealed". BBC News. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  2. Shillam, Tania (2003). Radio. Crimson Publishing. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-85660-902-2. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  3. "Queen's University Belfast Notable Alumni". Daro.qub.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  4. "The Nolan Show". BBC. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  5. Edwards, Mark (28 November 2017). "Stephen Nolan leaving BBC Five Live radio show". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  6. Edwards, Rodney (10 May 2009). "'Nolan would be quicker knocking up a burger than knocking me out'". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  7. BBC Sounds (13 October 2021). "Nolan Investigates". BBC Radio Ulster (Podcast). BBC.
  8. "BBC 'Story of a Lifetime' Programme". BBC. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  9. "Compliants about the Nolan Show - BBC Radio Ulster" (PDF). Ofcom.org.uk. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. "BBC accused of bias over audience ban". Irishnews.com.
  11. "Furious Nolan hits back over claims he was manipulating Quinn parents". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
  12. "BBC presenter Stephen Nolan forced to say sorry after revealing he is an atheist". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  13. McStravick, Sheena (2 February 2021). "Stephen Nolan insists "I've got my flaws" as he opens up on public perception". Belfast Live. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  14. Beattie, Jilly (18 July 2017). "Stephen Nolan is dog tired of empty house syndrome". Belfast Live. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
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