Discover the full Ellie Costello biography 2026 — her age, career journey at GB News, marriage to husband Gerard Durkan, wedding details, Irish heritage, education at City University London, Instagram presence, and latest updates as one of the UK’s most recognised broadcast journalists.
Quick Facts – Ellie Costello
| Full Name | Ellie Costello |
| Date of Birth | 23 November 1993 |
| Age (2026) | 32 years old |
| Place of Birth | Essex, England, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British (Irish descent) |
| High School | Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School, Essex (Head Girl, 2012) |
| University (UG) | University of Southampton — English Literature (2016) |
| University (PG) | City, University of London — Broadcast Journalism (MA) |
| Current Role | Breakfast Anchor & National Reporter, GB News |
| Joined GB News | May 2021 |
| Previous Employers | BBC World Service, Victoria Derbyshire Programme |
| Husband | Gerard Durkan |
| Wedding Date | 12 April 2025 — Chelsea Old Town Hall, London |
| Engagement Announced | November 2023 (Phuket, Thailand) |
| Awards / Recognition | BBC Rising Star (2020); 3× TRIC Award-winning Breakfast Show |
| @elliecostello (active) | |
| Notable Coverage | Queen’s Funeral, King’s Coronation, UK & US Elections, Pope Francis’ Death |
Ellie Costello Biography — Who Is She?
Ellie Costello is one of British broadcasting’s most compelling rising talents. Born in Essex on 23 November 1993, she has steadily built a reputation as a sharp, warm, and thoroughly credible journalist — one who brings the same fearless curiosity to a royal funeral as she does to a gripping investigative report. Today, she anchors the flagship Breakfast programme on GB News alongside Eamonn Holmes and Stephen Dixon, making her a daily fixture for hundreds of thousands of viewers across the United Kingdom.
Her career combines the technical rigour of the BBC, the investigative instincts developed at the Victoria Derbyshire Programme, and the live broadcasting confidence that GB News demands. At 32, she stands as both a role model for aspiring journalists and a trusted face for audiences navigating an increasingly complex news landscape.
Ellie Costello Age — How Old Is She in 2026?
Ellie Costello was born on 23 November 1993, which makes her 32 years old as of 2026. Despite being relatively young in an industry where experience is everything, she has achieved milestones that would impress journalists twice her age. From being shortlisted as a BBC Rising Star at 26 to anchoring a nationally watched breakfast programme before her 32nd birthday, her trajectory has been remarkably swift.
Her youth is, in many ways, an asset. She connects naturally with younger viewers without alienating older audiences — a balance that few broadcasters manage with such apparent ease.
Ellie Costello Education — From Essex School to City University London
Ellie’s educational journey reflects the ambition and determination that would come to define her professional life. She attended Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School (BUCHS), a Catholic school in Brentwood, Essex, graduating in 2012. During her final year, she was elected Head Girl — an early signal of the leadership and communication skills that would serve her well in broadcasting.
She went on to study English Literature at the University of Southampton, graduating in 2016. There she immersed herself in student media — editing for the university news magazine Wessex Scene and working as a presenter at SUSUtv, the student television station. These formative experiences gave her an appetite for storytelling that formal study alone could not satisfy.
She later completed a postgraduate degree in Broadcast Journalism at City, University of London — one of the most respected journalism schools in the UK and a long-established pipeline for talent entering the BBC and beyond. It was from City that she stepped directly into her first professional broadcast role.
Ellie Costello Career Highlights — From the BBC to GB News
Ellie’s career began in earnest during her university years, experimenting with student radio before landing early roles at Surge Radio and Bauer Media. After completing her journalism postgraduate qualification, she joined the BBC as a broadcast journalist and radio reporter, contributing to landmark output including Outside Source, BBC Minute, and The Global News Podcast — the BBC’s most downloaded podcast at the time.
Her transition to television came via the BAFTA award-winning Victoria Derbyshire Programme, where she made her mark as an investigative reporter. Two of her pieces — one exposing influencers being solicited for sex online and another uncovering bullying within the British beauty industry — became among the most-watched films in the programme’s history, amassing millions of views. These investigations earned her a BBC Rising Star nomination in 2020, a distinction that publicly confirmed what colleagues had privately known: Costello was a journalist of real substance.
“It was never a surprise to anyone that I wanted to pursue a career in broadcast journalism. I’m a naturally gregarious person, a storyteller, and incredibly curious.”— Ellie Costello, GB News
In May 2021, she made the bold decision to join GB News as a South-East England reporter — before the channel had even launched. Her timing was strategic: arriving early allowed her to shape her role as the channel found its voice and grew its audience. She quickly transitioned from regional reporter to national correspondent, covering some of the most significant events of the decade: the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the coronation of King Charles III, the 2024 UK General Election, and the US Presidential Election.
Since December 2024, she has co-anchored the weekday GB News Breakfast Show, joining Eamonn Holmes and Stephen Dixon in what has become one of the channel’s most-watched programmes. The show has won the TRIC Award for Best News Programme three consecutive times — a remarkable achievement and a testament to the team Costello is part of. In 2025, she also covered the death of Pope Francis, broadcasting live from Rome and Vatican City as the historic events unfolded.
Ellie Costello at GB News — Anchor, Reporter & Presenter
At GB News, Ellie occupies a unique position: she is simultaneously a national reporter in the field and a studio anchor at the breakfast desk. This versatility — the ability to chase a story across the South East one day and hold senior politicians to account in live interviews the next — has made her one of the channel’s most valuable assets.
She has interviewed the majority of the front bench of government, challenging politicians from Labour, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats with the kind of preparation and directness that her journalism training instilled. Alongside her news duties, she co-hosted Saturday Morning Live with Peter Andre, demonstrating an ability to move comfortably between hard news and lifestyle programming.
In 2025, she sat down with the Vice President of Apple Health, Dr Sumbul Desai, to discuss groundbreaking hearing-aid features on AirPods — a story that spoke to her interest in reporting beyond politics, into technology and human impact.
Ellie Costello and Husband Gerard Durkan — Their Love Story
Ellie’s relationship with Gerard Durkan captured public attention long before their wedding, largely because of Ellie’s warmth in sharing snippets of her personal life with her followers. The couple had been together for several years before Gerard proposed during a holiday in Phuket, Thailand, in late 2023.
Ellie announced the engagement on social media with characteristic openness and joy, writing: “There’s so little good news in the world right now… I hope you don’t mind me sharing some of my own. I said YES.” The post generated an outpouring of congratulations from colleagues, viewers, and friends alike.
Gerard Durkan maintains a low public profile and is not a media figure himself. He has appeared in Ellie’s social media posts over the years, and the couple appear to share a strong, grounded partnership — a private anchor for a woman whose professional life is anything but.
Ellie Costello Wedding — Chelsea, Provence & a Honeymoon in Kenya
The Ellie Costello wedding took place on 12 April 2025 at Chelsea Old Town Hall, a venue celebrated for its elegance and historical significance in the heart of London. The ceremony was intimate — attended by close family, friends, and colleagues — and deliberately understated in the best possible way.
Ellie chose a long-sleeved, buttoned white mini dress for her bridal look, finishing the ensemble with a beaded headband and an all-white bouquet. The couple emerged from Chelsea Old Town Hall to confetti thrown by loved ones, with photographs of the moment published widely across the British press.
Three months later, the celebrations continued in spectacular fashion at Chateau de Robernier, a breathtaking 16th-century château in Provence, France — affectionately nicknamed the “Sleeping Beauty Castle” by locals. The three-day celebration in the French countryside gave the couple the larger romantic gathering they had dreamed of, and Ellie described it as “the best day of our lives.” Their honeymoon took them to Nairobi, Kenya, where they celebrated their union with a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
In a characteristically charming moment, Ellie had told viewers on-air the day before her civil ceremony that she was getting married the following day — playfully announcing that she planned to put “the Lord before the law” by planning a religious celebration too.
Ellie Costello’s Irish Heritage — A Proud Cultural Identity
Though born and raised in England, Ellie Costello is proud of her Irish roots, and that connection runs deep. She is of Irish descent and has spoken openly about her genuine love for Irish music, food, and culture. This heritage has shaped not just her identity but, in many ways, her storytelling sensibility — a warmth, an ease with people, and a natural gift for narrative that her Irish cultural background nurtures.
Her marriage to Gerard Durkan — an Irish surname — has only strengthened that connection, and followers of her social media accounts will often spot subtle nods to her cultural heritage woven into her personal content.
Ellie’s Stalking Ordeal — A Chapter of Courage
No account of Ellie Costello’s life would be complete without acknowledging one of its most difficult chapters. For approximately 16 months, she was stalked by a man who had convinced himself he knew her personally from watching her on television. The experience was, by her own account, terrifying — bringing panic attacks, a loss of ease in public spaces, and a lasting impact on how she moved through the world while doing her job.
During the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Ellie realised the man was standing just ten feet away from her, watching her. He had also turned up at the TV studio where she worked. When the case came to court in late 2022, Ellie gave her evidence from behind a curtain. The perpetrator pleaded guilty to stalking and harassment, received a suspended prison sentence, and was handed a five-year restraining order.
Ellie has spoken about the experience with candour, turning a deeply personal ordeal into a wider conversation about the vulnerability of women in the public eye — and the courage required to continue showing up regardless.
Ellie Costello on Instagram — Connecting With Her Audience
Ellie is an active presence on Instagram under the handle @elliecostello, where she shares a blend of professional updates, behind-the-scenes glimpses from the GB News studio, and personal milestones — including, memorably, her engagement announcement, her wedding, and the first photos from her honeymoon in Kenya.
Her social media presence is consistent with her on-screen persona: warm, genuine, and unafraid to show personality. She uses her platform not just to promote her journalism but to speak honestly about life as a woman in broadcasting — including the experiences that have shaped her, both joyful and difficult. Her followers reward that authenticity with genuine engagement and loyalty.
Ellie Costello 2026 Updates — What Is She Doing Now?
As of 2026, Ellie Costello is firmly established as one of GB News’s most prominent faces. She continues to anchor the channel’s Breakfast Show, where she has covered major international stories including the death of Pope Francis and conducted high-profile interviews with figures from tech, politics, and beyond.
Newly married and settled in London, Ellie enters this chapter of her life with both professional momentum and personal contentment. The TRIC Award victories continue to validate the quality of the Breakfast programme she helps lead, and her reputation within the British journalism industry has never been stronger.
For a journalist who began her career producing radio content for student stations, Ellie Costello’s ascent to one of the UK’s most-watched breakfast news desks is a story of talent meeting relentless preparation — and the kind of fearless curiosity that no classroom can teach.
“Don’t be afraid of hard work. Be kind to everyone around you. And don’t be afraid to put yourself forward for opportunities — it’s the only way you’re going to succeed.”
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