Denise Nurse is a familiar face to many as the presenter of BBC One’s beloved show, Escape to the Country. Since 2007, she’s been guiding viewers through picturesque landscapes and charming properties.
After taking a nine-year break to focus on family, Denise made a triumphant return to the screen in 2022 and is set to grace our screens once again on Friday, 19 April, helping a new crop of buyers search for their dream home in Norfolk.
But Escape to the Country is not the only show where you may have seen Denise. She has also presented the weather for Sky News, including live broadcasts from Glastonbury, and served as a travel presenter for Sky Travel, both on location and in the studio.
(Image: denise.nurse/instagram)
(Image: denise.nurse/instagram)
Before making her mark on television, Denise carved out a successful career as a solicitor. In an interview with The Lawyer, she revealed, “I first got interested in law when I was about 14. I enjoyed English and history at school, and I was on the debating club, usually as the chairperson. I liked to win!
“And I also liked novels about the legal process and TV dramas – LA Law, quite frankly. The legal arguments, the idea of winning a case – I liked all that.”
Denise’s journey to television stardom began with a pivotal moment in 2003 when she entered the Sky Talent competition, where she worked at the time as an in-house commercial lawyer.
(Image: PA)
She shared in the interview: “I made it through to the top 10. As a prize we were sent to the National TV and Film School for a week and got training. We all came out with a show reel and everyone in the company voted for their favourite.
“That meant all the channel heads saw our stuff and as it turned out, the Head of News saw my show reel and invited me to a meeting. I said, ‘Why would I quit being a lawyer? The only reason I might quit would be to be a journalist. He said I couldn’t be a journalist – you have to do your time and work your way up – but they did want someone to cover weather.
“I said, ‘I know nothing about weather, I’m a lawyer!’ But he said, ‘Go on, it’ll be fun. Who doesn’t want to stand in front of a green screen?’
“It was a big decision: I just got my dream job as a Sky Sports lawyer – how could I quit that to be a weathergirl? How could I leave my career?”
(Image: Sky News)
(Image: denise.nurse/instagram)
Denise landed a secondment from her legal job to present the weather for Sky News, setting her on a path that would lead to presenting travel, law, and property programs, as well as creating a flex law firm to balance her legal career with her passion for television.
In 2007, Denise co-founded Halebury, a groundbreaking law firm that revolutionised the industry with its flexible working practices. She successfully sold the business in 2018.
Beyond her professional achievements, Denise is a force for good in the community. As the Co-Founder of Black Founders Hub, she empowers ambitious Black entrepreneurs in professional services, and through Support SEND Kids, she champions easier access to educational rights for children with special needs and disabilities.
In 2016, Denise opened up about her decision to step back from presenting, citing family commitments. She told The Lawyer magazine: “I stopped filming since I had my son. I now have a family, I have two stepchildren and I got married last year. I couldn’t do everything so I pulled back on the TV bit, although I’m looking to get back into it.”
Now back on our screens, Denise lives in SW London with her husband and three children and cat.
View news Source: https://www.ok.co.uk/tv/escape-to-country-denise-nurse-32591783
