Oli Bell’s interest in horse racing came when he was just five years, following in his father’s presenting footsteps. His Uncle was also a horse trainer and his grandparents’ owned horses. So growing up he spent a lot of time at the racecourse cheering on his family horses. As he got older, he knew there was a big chance he would become a horse racing TV presenter.

His career began in radio. At just 15 years old he had landed the breakfast slot on his school’s local radio station. From here, Ollie moved onto live radio reporting at the Burghley House Trials before covering higher profile events such as the G4 Challenge and the British Touring Car Championships.

While Oli has the voice for radio, he remained adamant that his ‘face’ was destined for more. And so, aged 18, Oli moved into the role of presenter for Racing UK and ITV. Now one of television’s top horse racing presenters, he also fronts the Saturday morning magazine The Opening Show, and serves as a relief reporter and presenter for other racing coverage.

Since then, Oli has presented the prestigious Royal Ascot and Grand National events and was a key part of the ITV team which won a BAFTA for their coverage of horse racing in 2017.

Oli’s most iconic moments came when the late Queen Elizabeth II called him a “lunatic” when the pair crossed paths at the 2017 Royal Ascot. After his uncle scored a winner, he forgot his reporting duties and sprinted after the house after it passed the finishing line. The next day, he was in the paddock interviewing the trainers, when he got a tap on the shoulder from racing advisor John Warren who told him there was someone who wanted to talk to him. Soon after, he saw the late Queen walking towards him and the two were introduced:

“You’re the lunatic that ran on the track yesterday,” she said to him, to which he replied, “Yes, I am.”

As well as horse racing, he presents football for ITV (as a devoted Yeovil Town fan) and has also covered darts, snooker, and boxing for the network.

Oli Bell | Corporate Work

Oli now hosts corporate events and has vast experience presenting and speaking at a variety of high-profile corporate, charity, public, and private events. With such experience in presenting, Oli is a natural in front of the camera and is confident in presenting live events, corporate days, sports dinners, and charity functions.

He is a highly sought-after brand advocate and is a patron of the Ebony Horse Club, a position he says is his “most rewarding yet”. This role led him to producing the documentary Riding a Dream in 2019 that aired on ITV and was seen by a combined audience of over 2.5 million people. The film went on to receive global recognition and was shortlisted at several global film festivals.

Oli is now an integral part of Race Share, a leading horse ownership syndicate business that have identified some of the best emerging livestock of today, Oli can be seen featuring in bespoke content for their social channels, fulfilling his ambassadorial role at race meets across the country.