Ellie Costello is a British journalist, television presenter, and national reporter best known for her work with GB News. Her broadcasting career has taken her from the BBC World Service and the Victoria Derbyshire programme to live news reporting and breakfast television.
Costello has also attracted attention outside her professional work, particularly around her age, marriage, and family life. She married Gerard Durkan in April 2025 after announcing their engagement in 2023. At the time of the wedding, the Press Association described her as 31.
Her career, however, remains the main reason she is recognized by television audiences. She has worked as both a field reporter and presenter, covering major national stories while developing a regular role on GB News breakfast programming.
Who Is Ellie Costello?
Ellie Costello is a British broadcast journalist and television presenter. She began her professional career in radio and journalism before working with the BBC World Service and later the Victoria Derbyshire programme.
Her academic background includes a degree in English Literature from the University of Southampton and a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from City University London. Press Gazette has also documented her experience with the BBC World Service, Victoria Derbyshire and BBC News.
Costello joined GB News in 2021, initially working as the channel’s South-East reporter before its launch. Her responsibilities later expanded into national reporting and television presenting.
By 2025 and 2026, she had become a familiar face on the broadcaster’s breakfast schedule. GB News continues to list her as a presenter of Breakfast with Stephen and Ellie, alongside Stephen Dixon.
Ellie Costello Early Life and Education
Costello comes from Essex, England. Details about her childhood are relatively limited compared with information about her professional career, but her education played an important role in preparing her for broadcasting.
She studied English Literature at the University of Southampton before continuing her education in London with postgraduate training in broadcast journalism. That combination gave her a strong foundation in writing, research, interviewing, and television production.
During her university years, she also gained experience in student media. Her early broadcasting work helped her develop skills that would later become central to her career, particularly live presentation and reporting.
Rather than entering television through celebrity or entertainment programming, Costello built her profile through journalism. Her early work involved radio and news reporting, giving her experience with both breaking stories and longer-form reporting.
Ellie Costello Career
Costello’s professional career developed through several stages, beginning with radio and progressing into national television.
BBC World Service
One of her important early professional roles was with the BBC World Service. She worked as a broadcast journalist and radio reporter, gaining experience in an international news environment.
The World Service requires journalists to communicate complicated stories clearly to audiences with different backgrounds. That experience provided Costello with a strong foundation before she moved further into television reporting.
Her work eventually took her into BBC television, where she became associated with the Victoria Derbyshire programme.
Victoria Derbyshire Programme
The Victoria Derbyshire programme gave Costello an opportunity to work on investigative and human-interest journalism.
Her reporting included investigations into issues affecting women and online culture. TV Newsroom notes that her work on the programme included investigations into bullying within the British beauty industry and influencers being solicited for sex.
This period was significant because it demonstrated that her journalism was not limited to presenting prepared news from a studio. She was also involved in reporting stories that required interviews, research, investigation, and on-location work.
Her experience at the BBC became an important part of the career path that eventually led to GB News.
Ellie Costello at GB News
Costello joined GB News in May 2021 as its South-East reporter, before the channel officially launched.
Her role later developed from regional reporting into national reporting and presenting. She has covered a wide range of major public events and appeared across the broadcaster’s programming.
Her work has included reporting on royal events, elections, legal stories, and other major national developments. She has also become closely associated with breakfast television.
GB News currently lists Breakfast with Stephen and Ellie as a programme presented by Stephen Dixon and Ellie Costello. Episodes listed by the broadcaster in 2026 show Costello continuing in that role.
Her career therefore combines two sides of television journalism: reporting from the field and presenting from the studio.
Ellie Costello Age
The exact birth date of Ellie Costello is not firmly established through the strongest publicly available sources.
A reliable reference point comes from April 12, 2025, when the Press Association reported that Costello was 31 as she married Gerard Durkan at Chelsea Old Town Hall in London.
She had previously been described as 29 in contemporary reporting about a stalking case in November 2022. ITV News reported that Costello had experienced a 16-month stalking ordeal and had spoken publicly about the impact it had on her.
Some online biography sites publish an exact date of birth, but those dates are not consistently supported by authoritative sources. For that reason, an exact birthday should not be presented as established fact.
Based on the ages reported in reputable coverage, Costello was in her early thirties in 2026.
Ellie Costello Husband: Who Is Gerard Durkan?
Ellie Costello’s husband is Gerard Durkan.
The couple announced their engagement in November 2023. Costello shared the engagement news on social media, including a photograph showing her engagement ring.
They married on April 12, 2025, at Chelsea Old Town Hall in London. The Press Association reported that Costello was 31 at the time of the ceremony and described Durkan as her partner and new husband.
Photographs from the wedding showed the couple leaving Chelsea Town Hall after the ceremony while friends and family celebrated outside.
Costello wore a white mini dress with a beaded headband and carried an all-white bouquet. The ceremony attracted media attention because of her profile as a GB News presenter, but she has generally kept details of her relationship more private than her professional life.
The marriage also explains why searches for “Ellie Costello husband” became more common after 2025.
Ellie Costello Children
Searches for Ellie Costello children are common, but there is no reliable public confirmation establishing that she has children.
Her marriage to Gerard Durkan has been publicly reported, but that does not provide evidence about whether the couple have children. Public coverage of Costello has focused mainly on her journalism career and wedding rather than parenthood.
Some online biography websites make claims about family life without providing strong sourcing. Those claims should not be treated as confirmed information.
As a result, there is currently no confirmed number of children that can responsibly be attributed to Ellie Costello.
Ellie Costello Personal Life
Costello maintains a clear distinction between her professional identity and her private life.
Her career naturally places her in the public eye, but most of the information she shares publicly relates to journalism, television work, professional events, and selected personal milestones.
Her 2023 engagement announcement and 2025 wedding were among the occasions when she publicly shared aspects of her personal life. Beyond those events, detailed information about her family and home life is limited.
This approach is particularly understandable given that Costello has previously spoken publicly about experiencing stalking.
Ellie Costello’s Stalking Case
One of the most serious personal experiences Costello has discussed publicly involved a stalking case.
In November 2022, ITV News reported that she had been stalked for more than a year by a man she said she had never met in person. The harassment lasted around 16 months and included unwanted messages, visits to her workplace, and appearances at locations where she was reporting.
The case became particularly alarming when she encountered the stalker while covering the Queen’s funeral in September 2022.
The man was later sentenced and received a five-year restraining order. Costello subsequently spoke about the experience and encouraged people experiencing stalking to report it rather than allowing unwanted behavior to continue unchecked.
The experience became an important part of her public story because it showed the risks that can accompany a highly visible broadcasting career.
Ellie Costello Physical Appearance
Costello is recognizable on television for her blonde hair and polished on-screen presentation.
She generally appears in professional television clothing and maintains the formal appearance expected of a news presenter. However, an exact height has not been reliably established through strong public sources.
For that reason, specific height figures sometimes published online should not be treated as confirmed.
Her television image is closely connected to her role as a presenter rather than to celebrity fashion or entertainment work.
Ellie Costello Net Worth
There is no verified public figure for Ellie Costello’s net worth.
Journalists and television presenters may have salaries that are not publicly disclosed, and GB News does not provide a verified personal earnings figure for Costello.
Various websites publish estimated net-worth numbers, but those figures are not sufficient to establish her actual financial position. Without documented financial information, presenting a specific amount as fact would be misleading.
Her career at the BBC and GB News demonstrates a sustained professional career in broadcasting, but it does not provide enough information to calculate her personal wealth accurately.
Ellie Costello’s Work as a Television Presenter
Costello’s career illustrates how modern broadcast journalists often move between several roles.
She has worked in radio, field reporting, investigative journalism, and studio presentation. Each position requires different skills, from researching stories and conducting interviews to handling live television.
Her work at GB News has increasingly placed her in front of a national audience. The broadcaster’s 2026 programme listings continue to show her presenting Breakfast with Stephen and Ellie with Stephen Dixon.
That role has made her a recognizable breakfast television presenter while allowing her to continue working within news journalism.
Interesting Facts About Ellie Costello
1. She studied English Literature
Before specializing in journalism, Costello studied English Literature at the University of Southampton.
2. She later completed postgraduate journalism training
She went on to study Broadcast Journalism at City University London, building specialist skills for a career in television and radio.
3. She worked for the BBC
Her early professional career included work with the BBC World Service and later the Victoria Derbyshire programme.
4. She joined GB News before its launch
Costello joined GB News in May 2021 as its South-East reporter before the channel went on air.
5. She married Gerard Durkan in 2025
The couple married at Chelsea Old Town Hall in London on April 12, 2025.
6. She has spoken publicly about stalking
In 2022, Costello discussed a lengthy stalking ordeal and its effect on her personally and professionally.
FAQs
Who is Ellie Costello?
Ellie Costello is a British journalist, television presenter, and national reporter associated with GB News. Before joining the broadcaster, she worked with the BBC World Service and the Victoria Derbyshire programme.
How old is Ellie Costello?
Costello was reported to be 31 when she married Gerard Durkan in April 2025. Her exact date of birth has not been firmly established through the strongest public sources.
Who is Ellie Costello’s husband?
Ellie Costello’s husband is Gerard Durkan. The couple announced their engagement in November 2023 and married at Chelsea Old Town Hall in London on April 12, 2025.
Does Ellie Costello have children?
There is no reliable public confirmation establishing that Ellie Costello has children. No confirmed number of children has been publicly documented by strong sources.
Where did Ellie Costello study?
She studied English Literature at the University of Southampton and later completed a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism at City University London.
When did Ellie Costello join GB News?
Costello joined GB News in May 2021 as its South-East reporter before the channel launched. Her career there later expanded into national reporting and presenting.
What did Ellie Costello do before GB News?
Before GB News, Costello worked with the BBC World Service and the Victoria Derbyshire programme. Her journalism experience included radio reporting, television reporting, and investigative work.
What is Ellie Costello’s net worth?
Her exact net worth has not been publicly verified. Online estimates should not be treated as confirmed financial figures.
Conclusion
Ellie Costello has built her public profile through journalism rather than celebrity entertainment. From her early work with the BBC World Service and Victoria Derbyshire programme to her role as a GB News presenter, her career has developed across radio, investigative reporting, field journalism, and live television.
Interest in Ellie Costello has also grown around her personal life, particularly since her engagement and 2025 marriage to Gerard Durkan. She was 31 when the couple married, while details such as her exact birth date, net worth, and whether she has children remain less firmly documented.
For viewers who know her primarily from breakfast television, her wider career provides a fuller picture of the journalist behind the screen presence. Her progression from journalism training to national reporting and regular presenting has made Ellie Costello an established figure in British broadcast media.
