Emma Jesson is one of the longest-serving weather presenters on British television. She has appeared on ITV Weather since 1992, and viewers across Granada, Central and the wider north of England know her for one cheerful sign-off: “Bye Bye.”Her career goes well beyond the forecast. She is also an awards host, voiceover artist, media trainer, climate features presenter and the founder of a horse racing weather service.
This guide covers her age, family, education, career, relationships and latest 2026 work, using her own website, ITV profiles and recent press coverage.Emma Jesson is a Lancashire-born ITV weather presenter, aged 58 according to UK company records (born October 1968), who has presented forecasts across ITV regions since 1992.
Emma Jesson Quick Bio
| Detail | Fact |
| Full name | Emma Louise Jesson-Hargreaves (name used in company records) |
| Known as | Emma Jesson |
| Profession | ITV weather presenter, event host, voiceover artist, media trainer |
| Birth date | October 1968 per UK company records (some databases list 19 October 1970) |
| Age in November 2026 | 58 (or 56 if the 1970 date is correct) |
| Birthplace | Lancashire, North West England |
| Nationality | British |
| ITV Weather since | 1992 |
| Signature | The “Bye Bye” sign-off and the #ByeBye hashtag |
| Main regions | Granada and Central, with cover across other northern ITV regions |
| National work | Good Morning Britain weather cover, This Morning appearances |
| Early career goal | Veterinary work |
| Previous jobs | Runner, researcher, radio reporter, floor manager, stage manager |
| Father | Bob “Bobby” Hargreaves (died 7 April 2009) |
| Mother | Shirley Hargreaves (died March 2019) |
| Grandfather | Major Thomas Edward Jesson, racehorse owner and former MP for Rochdale |
| Racing business | Racing Weather and Racing Ladies |
| Stage roles | Fairy Forecast, Mrs Potts |
| Marital status | No confirmed husband |
| Best-known past relationship | Actor William “Bill” Roache, roughly 2010 to 2012 |
| Children | Not publicly confirmed |
| Net worth | No verified figure |
| Base | Between the UK and Los Angeles |
| Social media | @EmmaJessonTV on X, @the1emmajesson on Instagram |
Who Is Emma Jesson?
Emma Jesson is a British broadcaster best known as an ITV weather presenter. She delivers forecasts mainly for Granada and Central, and she has also covered northern regions such as Tyne Tees and Border.
ITV describes her as one of its longest-serving weather presenters. Wikipedia’s ITV Weather entry also names her as the longest-serving forecaster, noting more than 30 years with the service.
She is not a one-job presenter. Her work covers:
- Regional and national weather forecasts
- Countryside and news features
- Climate and sustainability reports
- Awards ceremonies and conferences
- Voiceovers and corporate videos
- Media training and event hosting
- Pantomime and stage appearances
Her professional profile describes her as based between the UK and Los Angeles, and she travels widely for work.
Emma Jesson Age and Date of Birth
Her birth year is the most confusing part of her biography, because sources disagree.
- October 1968: Several 2026 profiles cite UK company records, which list her birth month and year as October 1968.
- 19 October 1970: Some entertainment databases, including IMDb, give this exact date.
The company records are the more formal source, so October 1968 looks like the stronger option. On that basis, Emma Jesson turned 58 in October 2026. The exact day of her birthday has not been confirmed to the same standard.
If you quote her age, it is safest to say she is in her late fifties and was born in Lancashire in the late 1960s or very early 1970s, depending on the source.
Emma Jesson Early Life and Birthplace
Emma Jesson was born in Lancashire, and she still has strong ties to the county. A 2023 Blackpool Pleasure Beach announcement described her as Lancashire born and based.
ITV’s own profile says her interest in weather grew naturally from her North West roots, where there is, as it puts it, rather a lot of weather. Her upbringing also revolved around animals, horses and racing, which later shaped both her career plans and her business.
Emma Jesson Parents
Her father was Bob “Bobby” Hargreaves. According to Emma’s official website, he became an accomplished show jumper and one of the leading amateur National Hunt jockeys in the north of England. He also served with the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
Bob Hargreaves died of cancer on 7 April 2009. His favourite jockeys, including Carl Llewellyn, Richard Dunwoody and AP McCoy, kept in touch during his treatment.
Her mother was Shirley Hargreaves, whom Emma fondly called “Mammy J.” Shirley died in March 2019. Emma’s social media biography has carried a tribute to her mother.
Her Family Connection to Horse Racing
Horse racing runs deep in the family. Emma’s grandfather, Major Thomas Edward Jesson, lived in St Annes-on-Sea, Lancashire. He was a racehorse owner, retired lawyer, magistrate and MP for Rochdale from 1931 to 1935, and was nicknamed “The Galloping Major.”
Her father won the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree on Grand National Day in 1961 with a horse called Law and Order. In 2010, Emma and her mother donated that silver trophy to Aintree Racecourse so it could be presented every year in his memory. Emma made the first presentation exactly one year after her father’s death.
Emma Jesson Education
Emma Jesson did not set out to be a television presenter. She planned to become a vet.
ITV’s profile describes her move from “vet to met,” noting that working with exotic species gave her a useful grounding for television. A 2018 interview in the Majorca Daily Bulletin explained the turning point: during a year off, while working behind the scenes in a theatre, she was spotted by a talent agent who thought she would suit television.
No reliable source names the school or university she attended, or confirms a completed veterinary degree. Claims about a specific qualification should be treated with caution.
How Emma Jesson Started Her Career
Her route into broadcasting was practical rather than glamorous. Her official profile says she has been a runner, researcher, radio reporter, floor manager and stage manager, and has presented for ITV, BBC and Channel 4.
This behind-the-scenes experience gave her a full understanding of how a programme is built. ITV notes that she has done every job behind the camera and worked as a radio journalist before joining the weather team.
Her first radio report became a favourite story. She covered the hottest day of the year by frying an egg on the pavement, which combined two of her interests, weather and cooking.
Emma Jesson ITV Career Begins
Emma began presenting across ITV weather regions in 1992. Before that, and alongside it, she was a colourful and quirky regular on national breakfast television. IMDb Pro lists her GMTV credits across the 1993 to 2010 run of the programme.
Wikipedia’s list of ITV Weather on-air staff records her as presenting from 1992 to the present. That is the basis for the widely used “30-year” description of her ITV career, which now stretches past 34 years.
Emma Jesson and ITV Weather
Weather presenting remains the centre of her career. Her style is warm, informal and quick with humour, yet she shifts to a calm and direct tone for severe weather.
Typical regional forecasts cover rain, wind, snow, ice, fog, flooding and travel disruption. Emma explains these in plain language for viewers in cities, coastal areas and countryside.
In January 2026, she fronted ITV Granada coverage of Storm Goretti, explaining the risk of snow, ice, strong winds and rail disruption across the North West.
The Famous “Bye Bye”
Her “Bye Bye” is the detail most viewers remember. It is short, high-pitched and unmistakably hers, and she now uses the #ByeBye hashtag online.
She has joked that the high pitch comes from a helium balloon addiction. A radio DJ, Graham Mack, once wrote a tribute song to “cure” it, and the catchphrase inspired several remixes on local radio.
Good Morning Britain and This Morning
Emma has provided national weather cover for Good Morning Britain, extending her audience beyond regional ITV bulletins.
In 2024, she appeared on This Morning in a tribute to women in British weather broadcasting. She featured alongside Laura Tobin and former TV-am presenter Ulrika Jonsson, reflecting on the history of weather presenting on television.
Emma Jesson Climate and Environmental Work
Emma Jesson is described as a green ambassador for ITV. She has presented her own strand on Granada Reports about the environment and sustainability.
Her 2026 climate and features work includes:
- Living the Dream, Living the Green: a series on greener practices, including a hospital feature covering asthma and alternative anaesthetics
- A severe weather feature (August 2026): how extreme conditions affect waterways, ecosystems and pollution, told through a landowner facing a more volatile climate
- A farming package from Salford Quays for Granada Reports
This work links daily forecasts to bigger stories about land, health and climate change.
Emma Jesson Racing Weather Career
Racing is the most unusual part of her business. Her Racing Weather service produces forecasts tailored to the sport. Her website describes them as time specific, race specific and evapotranspiration specific, and says they are delivered directly into some of the top racecourses in the country.
The service grew into Racing Ladies, which organises ladies’ days and company race days. She has also organised tables at The Lesters, the annual horse racing awards.
Aintree and Cartmel
Emma’s racing forecasts are closely linked with northern courses.
- Aintree: Her 2026 coverage included forecasts around the Grand National meeting. Aintree is also where her father’s trophy is presented each year.
- Cartmel: In June 2026, she shared a pre-racing forecast from Cartmel Racecourse covering cloud, light rain, sunshine, temperature and wind.
Racing Weather Limited
Press profiles citing UK company records say Racing Weather Limited was incorporated in 2007, with Emma Louise Jesson-Hargreaves as a director, and dissolved in 2010. The Racing Weather name has continued as part of her professional work. Check Companies House directly if you need to confirm company details.
Racing Ladies Limited
The same profiles report that Racing Ladies Limited was incorporated in 2008 and dissolved in 2013. Its race-day and ladies’ event services form part of the Racing Weather brand on her website.
Corporate Events and Awards Hosting
Emma works as an awards host, conference chair and corporate presenter across the UK and Europe. Her official site lists testimonials from the Law Society and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, among others, and one client praised how well she interacted on stage with Paddy Ashdown.
Speaker agencies and press profiles also connect her with organisations such as the NHS, National Grid, Cadent, Kellogg’s, BMW, Coca-Cola, Sony and British Chambers of Commerce. Treat the full client list as agency marketing material rather than an audited record.
Recent example: in September 2026, she hosted the Enterprising Women Awards celebration for the Chamber, which welcomed around 300 guests.
She is also a registered celebrant, according to ITV’s profile.
Voiceover and Corporate Video Work
Emma’s voice has been used on radio and TV adverts across the country, along with travel, wildlife, medical and corporate videos. She also fronts corporate films and works as a media trainer.
Her professional profile says she was one of five finalists chosen from about 20,000 applicants in the search for a new voice for the BT Speaking Clock. This detail comes from her own promotional material.
Emma Jesson Theatre Career
Emma has taken her weather persona onto the pantomime stage. At Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s Globe Theatre, she joined the cast of Cinderella, and in 2023 she was announced for Beauty and the Beast.
Her stage characters include:
- Fairy Forecast: a playful nod to her weather career
- Mrs Potts: a comic role in Beauty and the Beast
Emma Jesson Husband and Relationships
There is no reliable source confirming that Emma Jesson has a husband or is currently married.
Her best-known relationship was with Coronation Street actor William “Bill” Roache, who plays Ken Barlow. Reports place the relationship at roughly 2010 to 2012, and they were never married. A 2018 interview described Roache as a close friend and a supporter during a difficult time.
Beyond that, Emma keeps her private life private. Her public material focuses on work, family memories, travel and hobbies.
Does Emma Jesson Have Children?
No dependable source confirms whether Emma Jesson has children. It would be wrong to treat the lack of a public statement as proof either way.
Emma Jesson Height, Weight, Religion and Ethnicity
- Height and weight: Not published by reliable sources
- Religion: Not publicly disclosed
- Ethnicity: Not stated. She is British and was born in Lancashire, but nationality and ethnicity are different things
Emma Jesson Accent
Emma speaks with a British broadcasting voice that carries her northern roots. There is no formal classification of her accent. Her voiceover work shows she can adapt her tone for adverts, documentaries and corporate films.
Emma Jesson Net Worth and Salary
There is no verified figure for Emma Jesson’s net worth or her ITV salary. Websites that quote exact numbers rarely show accounts or filings to back them up, so treat those numbers with caution.
Emma Jesson Sources of Income
Her earnings can reasonably be traced to the work she is known to do:
- ITV weather presenting and features
- Good Morning Britain weather cover
- Awards hosting and conference presenting
- Corporate videos and voiceovers
- Media training
- Racing Weather and race-day hosting
- Celebrant work
- Pantomime and stage appearances
Emma Jesson Latest News in 2026
Emma Jesson remains active on ITV in 2026. Recent highlights include:
- January: Storm Goretti coverage for ITV Granada
- Spring: Forecast coverage around the Aintree Grand National meeting
- June: A race-day forecast from Cartmel Racecourse
- August: A feature on severe weather, waterways and pollution
- September: Hosting the Enterprising Women Awards celebration
- Through the year: The Living the Dream, Living the Green series
Emma does not currently have a dedicated English Wikipedia biography, according to recent profiles, so her ITV pages and official website are the best primary sources.
Emma Jesson Legacy
Emma Jesson’s legacy is longevity with range. She joined ITV Weather in 1992 and has stayed relevant through major changes in television technology, graphics and audience habits.Her “Bye Bye” gave her a recognisable identity, but her career shows more than a catchphrase. She moved from vet ambitions to behind-the-scenes TV work, then into breakfast television, regional forecasting, climate features, racing and live events.
For many viewers in the North West and Midlands, she remains a familiar and friendly presence at the end of the evening news.
FAQs
1. Who is Emma Jesson?
Emma Jesson is a British ITV weather presenter, known for her “Bye Bye” sign-off, who has presented forecasts since 1992. She is also an awards host, voiceover artist and media trainer.
2. How old is Emma Jesson?
Emma Jesson is 58 in November 2026, based on UK company records giving October 1968 as her birth month and year. Some databases list 19 October 1970, which would make her 56.
3. Who are Emma Jesson’s parents?
Her father was Bob “Bobby” Hargreaves, a show jumper and amateur jockey who died in 2009. Her mother was Shirley Hargreaves, who died in 2019.
4. Is Emma Jesson married?
There is no confirmed evidence that Emma Jesson is married. She was previously in a relationship with actor Bill Roache, but they were never married.
5. Does Emma Jesson have any siblings?
Emma Jesson has not publicly confirmed any brothers or sisters. Reliable sources focus on her parents and grandfather.
