A warm voice, a lively delivery and a cheerful “Bye Bye” sign-off have made Emma Jesson one of Britain’s most recognisable regional weather presenters across the north of England. She has presented ITV Weather since 1992, yet her career reaches far beyond daily regional forecasts, into radio journalism, corporate hosting, voiceover work, climate features and horse racing. Her story also carries a puzzle, because different sources give different birth years, and her private life has been reported with care rather than certainty. This article brings together the documented facts about her age, family, career and earnings, explains where the sources disagree, and separates what is verified from what remains unconfirmed.
Quick Facts
| Birth month and year | October 1968 |
| Age in 2026 | 57 years old |
| Birthplace | Lancashire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Profession | Weather presenter, television presenter, event host and voiceover artist |
| Career start | ITV Weather from 1992 |
| Known for | ITV Weather and the “Bye Bye” sign-off |
| Father | Bob “Bobby” Hargreaves, show-jumper and amateur National Hunt jockey |
| Mother | Shirley Hargreaves |
| Former partner | William “Bill” Roache, actor known for Coronation Street; the relationship ended in 2012 and they were never married |
| Business interests | Racing Weather and Racing Ladies |
| Net worth | Not verified; salary not disclosed |
Who Is She?
Jesson is an experienced British broadcaster whose name has been connected with ITV Weather since 1992. She became known for presenting regional forecasts across northern England and the Midlands, while also providing national weather cover. Her television personality is cheerful without being overly formal, and the phrase most closely linked with her career is her distinctive “Bye Bye” sign-off, which she continues to use as part of her professional identity. Emma Jesson has also worked on environmental stories, countryside features, corporate events, awards ceremonies and voiceovers, so her public work reaches well beyond the weather bulletin.
Age and Date of Birth
One of the more confusing parts of her biography concerns her year of birth. Some entertainment databases give 19 October 1970 as her date of birth. However, UK Companies House records connected with Emma Louise Jesson-Hargreaves give her birth month and year as October 1968. Historical newspaper coverage from February 2013 also described her as 44 at the time, which matches an October 1968 birth year. For that reason, October 1968 is the stronger documented date for Emma Jesson, making her 57 years old in August 2026, while the exact day has not been established with the same level of certainty.
Readers checking the birth date can follow these steps:
- Start with the Companies House record, which gives October 1968.
- Compare it with the February 2013 newspaper report, which also points to 1968.
- Treat the 19 October 1970 database date with care, since it conflicts with those records.
- Accept the month and year, but do not present an exact day as verified.
Early Life and Birthplace
Jesson was born in Lancashire, England. Her northern roots later became closely connected with her television career, especially through ITV Granada and other regional services. Her family had strong links with horses and racing, and this background later influenced one of the most unusual parts of her professional career: specialist weather services for horse racing.
Parents
Her father was Bob “Bobby” Hargreaves, an accomplished show-jumper and amateur National Hunt jockey who became a respected figure within northern racing circles. He died on 7 April 2009 after cancer. Her mother was Shirley Hargreaves, with whom Jesson shared a very close relationship. Shirley died on 18 March 2019, and Jesson has spoken warmly about her family in her professional and social media material.
Family Connection to Horse Racing
Her grandfather, Major Thomas Edward Jesson, also had links with horse racing. He was a racehorse owner, lawyer and magistrate, and he served as MP for Rochdale between 1931 and 1935. The family’s racing background helps explain why Emma Jesson later developed professional work combining forecasting and horse racing.
Education
Before entering television, Jesson planned to work with animals. She trained towards becoming a vet, but her career changed during time away from that path, and television opportunities eventually took her in a different direction. A specific university or veterinary school has not been firmly established through strong primary evidence, so claims about a completed veterinary degree should be treated with care. What is clear is that veterinary work was her original career ambition before broadcasting became her profession.
How Her Career Started
Jesson did not begin her working life as a television weather star. She gained experience in different production and media roles, including work as a runner, researcher, radio reporter, floor manager and stage manager, and she also worked as a radio journalist. These jobs gave her a broad understanding of how broadcasting works both behind and in front of the camera. Emma Jesson began her association with ITV Weather in 1992, became a colourful regular on breakfast television, and went on to work across different ITV regions in northern England and the Midlands, including Granada, Central and other regional services.
ITV Weather
Weather presenting remains the central part of Emma Jesson’s career. Her delivery style is friendly and informal, which helped her become familiar to viewers who saw her regularly on regional bulletins. She has also provided national cover for Good Morning Britain, giving her work a wider audience beyond regional broadcasts, and she has appeared on This Morning. In 2024, she joined other women from television weather broadcasting for a feature looking at female weather presenters and the development of weather presentation on British television, and she continued to make ITV appearances in 2026.
The Famous “Bye Bye”
One of her best-known television habits is her cheerful “Bye Bye” at the end of forecasts. It became so closely connected with her television identity that she now uses #ByeBye on social media. The phrase is simple, but it helped create a strong personal style that viewers could instantly recognise.
Climate and Environmental Work
Weather is closely connected with climate, and Jesson has expanded into environmental presenting. She has worked on sustainability and climate features for Granada Reports and has described her professional role as including climate ambassador duties. In 2026, she presented material under the title Living the Dream, Living the Green. One hospital-focused feature explored asthma, alternative anaesthetics and ways greener healthcare practices can improve the patient experience while reducing environmental impact. Her climate work gives her career a wider focus than daily temperature and rainfall forecasts.
Racing Weather Career
Horse racing has become another important part of her working life. Jesson developed Racing Weather, a service focused on detailed forecasts for race meetings. Unlike a general weather bulletin, racing forecasts can include conditions relevant to race timing, rainfall, temperature, wind and ground conditions. Emma Jesson has delivered forecasts connected with Aintree and Cartmel Racecourse, and in 2026 she shared detailed weather coverage for the Aintree Grand National meeting, including forecasts for Ladies’ Day and Grand National Day.
Racing Companies
A company called Racing Weather Limited was incorporated in 2007, with Emma Louise Jesson-Hargreaves serving as a director. The company was later dissolved in 2010, although the Racing Weather name continued as part of her professional work. Jesson was also a director of Racing Ladies Limited, incorporated in 2008 and dissolved in 2013. Her racing services have included race-day experiences as well as weather-related work.
Corporate Events, Voiceover and Theatre
Television is only one part of her income. She has built a significant career as an awards host, conference presenter and corporate event professional, working with major organisations and brands including BMW, Coca-Cola, Sony, Hitachi, Kellogg’s, National Grid, Cadent, NHS, the Law Society and British Chambers of Commerce. She has hosted large events with audiences numbering thousands of people. Jesson has also worked as a professional voiceover artist, covering television, radio, travel material, wildlife content, medical videos and corporate projects, and she was among the finalists considered for the role of the BT Speaking Clock voice. She has occasionally moved from broadcasting to the stage, appearing in pantomime productions including roles connected with Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, with one of her best-known stage characters being Fairy Forecast, a playful reference to her weather career.
Husband and Relationships
There is no confirmed current husband in reliable records connected with the ITV presenter. Her best-known relationship was with William “Bill” Roache, the actor famous for playing Ken Barlow in Coronation Street. Their relationship lasted for roughly three years and ended in 2012. Jesson later spoke of remaining close to Roache after their romantic relationship ended, and they were not married.
Does She Have Children?
No dependable source confirms that Jesson has children. It is therefore better to state that her children have not been publicly confirmed rather than claim she definitely has or does not have them.
Net Worth and Salary
There is no verified figure for her net worth, and online figures should not be treated as factual unless backed by financial records. Her ITV salary is also private. Her professional income can come from several sources, and the range of that work shows that broadcasting is only one part of her professional earnings.
- ITV television presenting and weather broadcasting
- Awards hosting and corporate conferences
- Voiceover projects and corporate videos
- Media-related training
- Racing Weather services and race-day hosting
- Stage appearances
Latest News in 2026 and Legacy
Jesson remains active in 2026. Recent work includes ITV Granada weather broadcasts, climate features, farming-related regional television pieces and racecourse forecasts. She also presented content from Salford Quays connected with Granada Reports and produced new environmental material through Living the Dream, Living the Green. Her career stands out for its longevity and range: she entered ITV Weather in the early 1990s and remained part of British regional television through major changes in broadcasting. Her “Bye Bye” sign-off gave her a memorable identity, but her career goes far beyond one catchphrase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is she?
She is a British television presenter best known for ITV Weather, which she has presented since 1992, alongside awards hosting, voiceover work and climate features.
How old is she in 2026?
Emma Jesson is 57 years old in 2026, with October 1968 as the stronger documented birth month and year from company records.
Who are her parents?
Her father was Bob “Bobby” Hargreaves, a show-jumper and amateur National Hunt jockey, and her mother was Shirley Hargreaves, with whom she was very close.
Is she married?
No current marriage has been publicly confirmed. Her best-known relationship was with actor William “Bill” Roache, which ended in 2012, and they were never married.
What is her net worth?
No verified net worth figure exists for her, and her ITV salary is private, so online estimates should not be treated as confirmed facts.
Conclusion
Emma Jesson has built one of the more varied careers in British regional broadcasting, from ITV Weather since 1992 to climate features, racing forecasts, corporate hosting, voiceovers and pantomime. The documented record supports her October 1968 birth, her Lancashire roots, her long ITV career and her racing family background, while her net worth, salary and private family details remain unverified.
For further research on Emma Jesson, start with her ITV and Granada work, her climate and racing projects, and the company records behind her birth date. Treat online birthdays, wealth estimates and relationship claims with care, and check every new detail against a named source before accepting it.
