The presenter on his love of architecture, being too shy for TV, and losing his dad aged seven
Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in 1974, George Clarke is an architect and television presenter. After gaining a first-class degree from the School of Architecture at Newcastle University and a postgraduate diploma from the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, his media career began in 2005 as the host of Channel 5’s Build a New Life in the Country. He has since launched a string of architectural franchises on Channel 4: George Clarke’s Remarkable Renovations, Amazing Homes and Old House, New Home, as well as campaigning for better social housing. His children’s book, How to Build a Home, is out now.
This was taken in the garden of Oxclose, our estate in Washington. That wasn’t my bike – I must have seized the opportunity to sit on my sister’s while she wasn’t looking. Hence the cheeky expression. There are more photos of me on a bike than not as a child, and, to this day, two wheels – well, a motorbike – remains my preferred mode of transport.
