{{Short description|British journalist (born 1984)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Sophy Ridge | image = Sophyridge.jpg | image_upright = .8 | caption = Ridge in 2012 | birth_name = Sophy Ridge | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|10|17|df=yes}}<ref name=RTS/> | birth_place = London, England | education = Tiffin Girls' School | alma_mater = St Edmund Hall, Oxford (BA) | occupation = {{hlist|Journalist|presenter}} | spouse = | children = 2 }}
'''Sophy Ridge''' (born 16 October 1984) is an English television journalist. She has worked for Sky News since 2011.
Born in London, Ridge studied English Literature at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, before working for the tabloid newspaper ''News of the World''. She left the newspaper to join Sky News as a political correspondent in 2011. Six years later, she started hosting her own politics show on the channel, ''Sophy Ridge on Sunday''.
Ridge hosted the primetime show ''Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge'' from September 2023 to October 2025. She was also involved in the 2024 general election coverage on Sky News. Ridge began presenting ''Sky News Breakfast'' in November 2025 alongside Wilfred Frost.
==Early life== Ridge was born on 17 October 1984 in Richmond upon Thames, London.<ref name=RTS/> Both her parents are teachers. Ridge has one younger brother.<ref name=RTS/> Her secondary education was at the selective grammar Tiffin Girls' School in London. During her time there, she did work experience at the local newspaper, the ''Richmond and Twickenham Times''.<ref name=RTS/>
She continued her education at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, and obtained a second-class BA degree in English Literature.<ref name=RTS/><ref name=Oxford>{{cite web|url=http://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/about-college/sophy-ridge|title=Sophy Ridge|publisher=St Edmund Hall, Oxford|accessdate=10 May 2014|archive-date=12 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512224542/http://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/about-college/sophy-ridge|url-status=live}}</ref> During her final year of university, she did a period of work experience at the tabloid newspaper ''News of the World'', which led to a position on their graduate training programme.<ref name=RTS>{{cite web|url=https://www.rts.org.uk/article/sophy-ridge-woman-changing-screen-politics|title=Sophy Ridge, the woman changing on-screen politics|work=Royal Television Society|date=June 2017|accessdate=18 June 2017|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502061253/https://rts.org.uk/article/sophy-ridge-woman-changing-screen-politics|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Career== After graduation in 2006, Ridge was a trainee reporter at the ''News of the World''.<ref name="Saner">{{cite news|last=Saner|first=Emine|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/feb/19/skys-sophy-ridge-were-at-a-tipping-point-with-women-in-politics|title=Sky’s Sophy Ridge: 'We’re at a tipping point with women in politics'|newspaper=The Guardian|date=19 February 2017|accessdate=22 February 2017|archive-date=22 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222080311/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/feb/19/skys-sophy-ridge-were-at-a-tipping-point-with-women-in-politics|url-status=live}}</ref> After completion of her training programmes she initially worked as a consumer affairs correspondent in 2009. She then gained a job as a political correspondent on Sky News in 2011.<ref name=Oxford/><ref name=Guardian/>
Ridge covered the 2015 general election as a senior political correspondent for Sky News, reporting on the Labour Party's campaign and conducting interviews with party members. Her exclusives during this time included Ed Miliband's resignation as leader of the Labour Party following the result of that general election and Jeremy Corbyn's victory in the subsequent Labour Party leadership election.<ref name=RTS/>
In 2017 Ridge became the host of her own show, ''Sophy Ridge on Sunday''.<ref name=Guardian>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/nov/16/sophy-ridge-on-sunday-programme-launch-sky-news|title=Sophy Ridge to host new Sunday morning show on Sky News|newspaper=The Guardian|date=16 November 2016|last=Sweney|first=Mark|access-date=22 January 2017|archive-date=14 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614191215/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/nov/16/sophy-ridge-on-sunday-programme-launch-sky-news|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://corporate.sky.com/media-centre/news-page/2016/sky-news-launches-new-show,-sophy-ridge-on-sunday|title=Sky News Launches New Show, Sophy Ridge on Sunday|publisher=Sky|access-date=8 January 2017|archive-date=31 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731114234/https://corporate.sky.com/media-centre/news-page/2016/sky-news-launches-new-show,-sophy-ridge-on-sunday|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the same year Ridge released her first book ''The Women Who Shaped Politics'', a non-fiction book which discussed women's contribution to British politics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/culture/book-review-women-who-shaped-politics|title=Book review: The Women Who Shaped Politics|publisher=Total Politics|date=24 April 2017|accessdate=18 June 2017|last=Simpson|first=Keith|archive-date=3 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803092231/https://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/culture/book-review-women-who-shaped-politics|url-status=live}}</ref> She also started writing columns in the tabloid newspaper ''Metro''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facebook |url=https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1602721466685108&set=a.1495204710770118 |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=www.facebook.com}}</ref>
In 2022, she launched ''The Take with Sophy Ridge'', a 30-minute discussion show based on the interviews that had featured in that week's edition. In 2024, she was involved in the 2024 general election coverage on Sky News. She continued to present both programmes until July 2023 when it was announced that, from September 2023, she would present a new weeknight political programme for Sky News called ''Politics Hub''. Her last day on ''Politics Hub'' was in October 2025. Ridge hosted the primetime show ''Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge'' for roughly two years, beginning in September 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tvnewsroom.co.uk/news/final-sophy-ridge-on-sunday-this-weekend-politics-hub-starts-in-september-285051/ |title=Final Sophy Ridge on Sunday this weekend – Politics Hub starts on September |work = TV Newsroom|date = 14 July 2023|access-date=17 July 2023 |archive-date=21 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721030744/https://www.tvnewsroom.co.uk/news/final-sophy-ridge-on-sunday-this-weekend-politics-hub-starts-in-september-285051/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Ridge began presenting ''Sky News Breakfast'' in November 2025 alongside Wilfred Frost, who has been in the slot since the departure of Kay Burley in February 2025.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sky News launches new breakfast show Mornings with Ridge and Frost |url=https://news.sky.com/story/sky-news-launches-new-breakfast-show-mornings-with-ridge-and-frost-13442576 |access-date=2025-10-16 |work=Sky News}}</ref>
==Awards== Ridge won the MHP Communications ''30 to Watch'' award in 2012, and was shortlisted as Young Journalist of the Year in the Royal Television Society Awards in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mhpc.com/blog/mhp-announces-winners-inaugural-mhp-30-watch/|title=MHP announces the winners of the inaugural MHP 30 to Watch – recognising the most talented young journalist stars of the future|publisher=MHP Communications|accessdate=22 January 2017|archive-date=2 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202075521/http://www.mhpc.com/blog/mhp-announces-winners-inaugural-mhp-30-watch/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-announces-winners-television-journalism-awards-2013|title=RTS Announces Winners For Television Journalism Awards 2013|publisher=Royal Television Society|accessdate=22 January 2017|archive-date=2 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402080758/https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-announces-winners-television-journalism-awards-2013|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2016, she won an award for Broadcast Journalist of the Year at the ''Words by Women'' awards.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/mar/22/words-by-women-awards-winners|work=The Guardian|title=Words By Women awards make their mark with celebration of solidarity|date=22 March 2016|access-date=18 June 2017|last=Belam|first=Martin|archive-date=5 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405064524/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/mar/22/words-by-women-awards-winners|url-status=live}}</ref>
In March 2025, Ridge won the award for Network Presenter of the Year at the 2025 Royal Television Society Journalism Awards.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sky News wins best News Channel at Royal Television Society awards - as Sophy Ridge named Presenter of the Year |url=https://news.sky.com/story/sky-news-wins-news-channel-of-the-year-for-eighth-year-in-a-row-at-rts-journalism-awards-13322406 |date= 6 March 2025|access-date=6 March 2025 |website=news.sky.com}}</ref>
==Personal life== Ridge has two children.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=sophyridgesky|number=914432982974369793|date=1 October 2017|title=I'm on maternity leave – you're in the capable hands of @skynewsniall}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/sky-news-announces-sophy-ridge-20604732|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|title=Sky News announces Sophy Ridge on Sunday replacement as she goes on maternity leave|date=16 May 2021|accessdate=18 July 2021|last=Otter|first=Saffron|archive-date=14 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614191215/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/sky-news-announces-sophy-ridge-20604732|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sky News announces new weekly topical shows with hosts Sophy Ridge, Trevor Phillips and Beth Rigby |url=https://news.sky.com/story/sky-news-announces-new-weekly-topical-shows-with-hosts-sophy-ridge-trevor-phillips-and-beth-rigby-12525133 |publisher=Sky News |date=25 January 2022 |access-date=13 March 2022 |archive-date=13 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313085426/https://news.sky.com/story/sky-news-announces-new-weekly-topical-shows-with-hosts-sophy-ridge-trevor-phillips-and-beth-rigby-12525133 |url-status=live }}</ref>
She is a Sheffield Wednesday supporter.<ref>https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/nostalgia/the-usual-reaction-is-why-wednesday-the-sheffield-wednesday-story-of-broadcaster-sophy-ridge-2901974</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == *[https://news.sky.com/author/sophy-ridge-554 Sky profile]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridge, Sophy}} Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of St Edmund Hall, Oxford Category:21st-century British women journalists Category:English feminists Category:News of the World people Category:People educated at the Tiffin Girls' School Category:People from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Category:Sky News newsreaders and journalists Category:British women television journalists Category:21st-century British journalists Category:Journalists from London Category:British television journalists