Alex Polizzi
| Alessandra Maria Luigia Polizzi | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Alessandra Maria Luigia Polizzi di Sorrentino[1] Poplar, London, England |
| Education | University of Oxford |
| Occupation |
Hotelier Businesswoman Television presenter |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Employer | Channel 5, BBC |
| Known for |
The Hotel Inspector Alex Polizzi: The Fixer Alex Polizzi's Secret Italy Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial |
| Spouse(s) | Marcus Miller (m. 2007) |
| Children |
Olga Miller Rocco Miller |
| Parent(s) |
Alessandro Polizzi (father) Olga Polizzi (mother; née Forte) |
| Relatives | Charlie Polizzi (sister) |
Alex Polizzi (born Alessandra Maria Luigia Polizzi di Sorrentino; 28 August 1971, Poplar, London) is a British hotelier of Italian descent and the presenter of the British television series The Hotel Inspector on Channel 5.[3]
Early life
Polizzi comes from a family of hoteliers, with her maternal grandfather being Lord Forte. Her mother is the Hon. Olga Polizzi, a hotel designer who is Lord Forte's daughter and the sister of Sir Rocco Forte.[4] Her father was Count Alessandro Polizzi, who died in a car accident in 1980.[5]
Polizzi read English at St Catherine's College, Oxford. She trained at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, and worked for Marco Pierre White.[5]
Career
Polizzi and her husband started a wholesale bakery, Millers Bespoke Bakery, supplying bread to Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, and Fortnum & Mason.[6]
She manages the Hotel Endsleigh in Milton Abbot, near Tavistock in Devon, which is owned by her mother.[7]
Television
Since 2008, Polizzi has presented the Channel 5 series The Hotel Inspector, replacing Ruth Watson. The show sees Polizzi visiting struggling British hotels to try to turn their fortunes around by giving advice and suggestions to the owners/managers, and often undertaking renovation projects on their behalf.
She also fronts the BBC Two series, Alex Polizzi: The Fixer,[8] which focuses on her turning around family businesses, not just hotels.[9] The first series aired in 2012; the second in 2013; a third in 2014 and a fourth has been confirmed to air in 2015. Polizzi also presented a revisited series called The Fixer Returns in 2013, as well as a Christmas special, which aired in December 2013.
In October 2014, Polizzi launched a new Channel 5 series, Alex Polizzi's Secret Italy,[10] where she visits either lesser-known places within Italy or well-known towns and cities and, using local connections, shows areas that tourists would not ordinarily experience.
On 30 October 2014, it was announced that Polizzi would host a new BBC Two series, Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial, where she visits various food outlets. The series began airing on 20 April 2015.[11]
Personal life
Polizzi lives in London with her husband Marcus Miller, whom she married in 2007, along with their daughter Olga and son Rocco. Polizzi is bilingual, being fluent in both English and Italian.
Her step-father is the writer The Hon. William Shawcross, CVO.
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008— | The Hotel Inspector | Herself | Presenter | Polizzi (replacing Ruth Watson) overhauls failing hotels using her industry knowledge. She also presents The Hotel Inspector Returns. |
| 2012 | Sunday Brunch | Guest | 1 episode | |
| 2012 | Richard E. Grant's Secret Hotels | |||
| 2012, 2014 | The Wright Stuff | 2 episodes | ||
| 2012— | Alex Polizzi: The Fixer | Presenter | Polizzi visits failing family businesses in order to make them viable again. She also presents The Fixer Returns. | |
| 2014— | Alex Polizzi's Secret Italy | Polizzi acts as a tour-guide around her ancestral Italy. | ||
| 2015 | Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial | Polizzi assists restaurants in finding the perfect head-chef. | ||
| Alex Polizzi's Italian Islands | Series for Channel 5 | |||
| Alex Polizzi: Hire Our Heroes | 2-part series for BBC Two | |||
References
- ↑ Ancestry UK
- ↑ "Alex Polizzi – British Hotelier and Television Presenter". Hotel & Resort Insider. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ↑ Tryhorn, Chris (24 January 2008). "News Media Channel 5 Polizzi checks in as new Hotel Inspector". theguardian.com. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ↑ "Alex Polizzi". TVLives.com. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
- 1 2 Rivkin, Annabel (20 January 2012). "Alex Polizzi, a most unlikely sex bomb". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ↑ Barber, Lynn (30 October 2005). "At last, a country house where fun isn't frowned on". The Observer. London: theguardian.com. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
- ↑ "Relative Values: Olga Polizzi and her daughter Alexandra". The Sunday Times. Times Newspapers Ltd. 1 July 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2013. (subscription required)
- ↑ "Re-launch celebration after Yeadon store's refurb". Wharfedale Observer. Retrieved 2016-08-31.
- ↑ "Hotel Inspector Alex Polizzi poached by BBC for new show". The Daily Telegraph. London: Telegraph.co.uk. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- ↑ "From Venice to the Amalfi coast: Alex Polizzi reveals her secret Italy". Retrieved 2016-08-31.
- ↑ Twofour. "Twofour commissioned to produce Alex Polizzi For Hire". www.twofour.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-08-31.