The BV magazine, December ‘22 RANDOM 19
Interview by Laura Hitchcock
TV presenter Alice Plunkett takes on the Random 19 questions North Dorset resident Alice Plunkett is one of the leading horseracing presenters for ITV. She is a former eventer and National Hunt jockey herself – beginning with local point to points which led to her riding in the 1993 Fox Hunters’ Chase at Aintree. She was just 19 and riding Bold King’s Hussar, bred by her grandfather. It was only her fifth ride on a racecourse and she finished fourteenth. Alice went on to ride winners on the flat, over hurdles and fences. Switching to eventing, she rode at Badminton Horse Trials and represented Great Britain as part of the Under 21s team at the European Three Day Event Championships. Alice is the only woman to have ridden at both Badminton Horse Trials and over the Grand National course at Aintree. Her broadcasting career began when she became a runner on Festival Radio; she moved on to having her own show there, at The Derby and Royal Ascot. Following Royal Ascot she was asked to do a screen test for the Racing Channel, where she continued to present until it closed. Alice was on the main Channel 4 Racing team from 2001 to 2016 and then moved to ITV when they took over racing coverage in 2017 – she soon became one of the lead presenters for National Hunt Racing coverage. Alice has also been the Radio 5 Live equestrian correspondent and has hosted equestrian events for Eurosport, Sky Sports and Horse and Country. She has also presented two series of the equestrian-interest show Horse Tails on Animal Planet. Alice is married to top eventer William Fox-Pitt, and they have four children. 1. What’s your relationship with Dorset? I’ve lived here for 20 years! I’m a partner in a farm, and involved in a leading equestrian yard just outside Sturminster Newton. 2. What was the last song you sang out loud in your car? Ed Sheeran’s The Shape of You. Though to be fair, singing is a stretch. Wailing would be better. 3. The last film you watched? Oh, it was the latest Marvel movie in Dorch with the boys ... 30
Black something … (That’ll be Black Adam - Ed) (And actually it’s the DC Universe, not Marvel - Sub Ed). I nearly always get dragged to see them by 15 and 16 year-old boys and nearly always end up thoroughly enjoying myself! 4. It’s Friday night – you have the house to yourself, and no work is allowed. What are you going to do? I am calling the girls round to drink vodka! Black Cow vodka, obviously.
5. What is your comfort meal? Roast chicken. With cheesy leeks, roast potatoes, onion gravy and as many different veg as I can squeeze onto the plate. Actually, the Sunday roast at the White Horse in Hinton St Mary is amazing – I’ll happily go there for my roast chicken. 6. What would you like to tell 15 year-old you? Try to put some structure into your life. And write lists!