She's The One

With a degree in psychology and a grandfather who is a tribal chief, Michelle is no stereotypical Cheshire celebrity.

- Janet Reeder

SHE’S been dubbed ‘the new face of TV’ because her recent tenure on the BBC’s The One Show filling in for Alex Jones (on maternity leave) has thrust her into the spotlight. But Alderley Edge-based presenter Michelle Ackerley has been around for longer than people might think, working on everything from children’s programmes to hard-hitting crime shows.

The 32-year-old is a veteran of Watchdog and Blue Peter and she fronts the daytime investigative programme Council House Crackdown. But the prime time One Show is a dream for the former pupil of Alderley Edge School and her natural charm has won her a legion of new fans.

‘It couldn’t have gone better. I started guest presenting for them around last September then sat in on the sofa when Alex was doing Shop Well for Less,’ reveals Michelle as she relaxes with her mum, Mavis, in her Alderley Edge home before catching the train to London to present The One Show later that evening.

‘Then I got a call around December asking me to be the main presenter when Alex went on maternity leave, so it all happened incredibly quickly.’

Her biggest fans are probably her mother, her dad, Marcus, and her brother, Jonathan, as well as her extended family who include her maternal grandfather. He was chief of the Ga tribe in Accra before moving to the UK to marry a Congleton girl.

And it’s her family’s gift for communicating, as well as her degree in psychology from Manchester University that have really helped Michelle in her chosen career.

‘I’ve always been fascinated by psychology. It’s been a family thing. My mum’s a life coach and my granddad when he was in Accra, Ghana, was chief of the tribe, which meant he was a kind of ombudsman – you have to listen and communicate with people all the time in that role, so it was a natural fit for me.’