The Politics Show South East

Natalie started working for the BBC in Sussex in 1996 and quickly discovered that being out on the road as a reporter was what she enjoyed doing most.

She began as Southern Counties Radio's woman in Crawley and enjoyed a political baptism of fire during the '97 General Election, interviewing Tony Blair and a host of Conservative ministers as the party tried (unsuccessfully) to defend its small majority.

Natalie then moved to Brighton as a radio car reporter for BBC Southern Counties' breakfast programmes.

Her favourite memories of the SCR Breakfast Show include eating fruit salad on toast - on air - as part of a feature on unusual breakfasts.

After four years she moved into television, working for BBC South Today in Southampton and then to South East Today when it launched in 2001 from its new Tunbridge Wells studios.

Since then she's been reading the news and reporting from Sussex.

Helen started her career in journalism at GMTV, where she joined as a runner, learning the basics of television news as well as how to stay awake at four in the morning!

She later worked for Sky News, Five News, ITV Central and BBC Midlands Today. She did a stint on the Politics Show in the West Midlands before joining the South East team in 2008.

Since working on the Politics Show she has covered a wide range of issues- from forced marriages in the Asian community to hate crimes against disabled people.

She is known for presenting stories from the least-expected, often most controversial viewpoints.

Outside of work Helen spends a lot of her time travelling, sometimes in luxury and other times with little more than a backpack and her flip flops!