It’s a weekday morning in Britain, long before most of the country has properly woken up, and Ellie Costello is normally live on air. She is calm, cool and collected as she takes viewers through the first news of the day. In this position you have to be able to think straight under pressure, adjust your tone fast, and be in the moment when things are happening. To a lot of people she looks like someone they see every single day at breakfast. But behind the scenes her tale is one of constant ambition, newsroom discipline and a career formed by both reporting from the field and hosting from a desk.
Ellie Costello is not a celebrity in the traditional meaning of the word. She’s an experienced journalist who’s built her reputation through her reporting, live broadcasts and ability to interact with people. But her growing popularity on GB News and public discussions about her own life are shining a spotlight on her life, her profession and what it’s like to be a TV anchor today.
Early Life and Background
Ellie Costello grew up in Essex, a county in south-east England that has spawned its fair share of celebrities, but still feels like a normal part of British life. “She has said she has been home for most of her life outside of university, in Essex. That sense of place has impacted her global view.
She has kept much of her private life away from the public, and little is known about her family history. Her parents’ jobs are unknown and she may or may not have siblings. Many journalists make a conscious decision to separate their personal history from their job identity.
What is certain is that Costello’s early years were not spent in easy access to TV or media circles. Instead she took a more traditional route into British media, one that depended on education, persistence and a hands-on experience in a newsroom rather than connections in the company.
Education and Early Ambitions
Costello studied English Literature at the University of Southampton, showing that from an early age he had an interest in storytelling, language and analysis. In the UK many writers start off with an English degree which teaches them how to write and think critically, not how to do technical reporting.
She went on to graduate from college and then earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism at City University in London. It is often said that the greatest method for British journalists to learn their trade is at school in a newsroom, and to learn about the law and ethics as well. Students gain abilities in radio, television and digital reporting. They do live broadcasts often and operate on tight deadlines.
She chose to go that way and it means she had a clear goal from the outset. Some people become broadcast journalists not by chance, they have to undergo specific training and there is a lot of rivalry for positions. When her graduate education was over, Costello was ready to work in one of the most challenging fields in the country.
Starting at the BBC
Costello’s first work was with the BBC World Service, a global broadcaster with a reputation for honesty and clarity that seeks to reach people all over the world. Good editorial discernment and the ability to think on your feet are important, particularly as a rookie journalist.
Reporters for the World Service typically have to cover world stories for a range of audiences. This may also give them an advantage in explaining difficult topics in a way that everyone can grasp. Information, context and trust are important. Personality doesn’t mean anything here.” That early experience undoubtedly moulded Costello’s controlled cadence and his perspective that news had to be both clear and accurate.
Later she came to the BBC news and current affairs programme Victoria Derbyshire which is noted for its focus on social issues and human interest tales. The change was a move away from covering the whole world to delivering more personal stories about the UK. The show’s caring and enquiring and often emotionally grounded tone helped her master new abilities.
Making a Voice for Reporting
Costello’s experiences as part of the Victoria Derbyshire show have involved persistence and attention. Included in her portfolio were reports about social media abuse, internet harassment and personal testimony. They weren’t only built on catchy headlines, they were built on interaction, trust and being careful with people who could easily be injured.
At this key time in her career, she has transformed the way she reports news. She stopped reading mainly politics and current news and started reading stories that explore the human impact of events. That delicate combination of hard news and real-life stories would later come to influence her work as a writer and host.
She was then spotted, and in stories of her professional life, the BBC branded her a “Rising Star”. Those kinds of designations aren’t very formal, but they do suggest her work was seen inside the organization, which is hard to do in a major newspaper.
Going to GB News
Costello joined GB News as a South-East reporter in May 2021. He was among the first people to work for the station a few months before it opened. GB News made its debut in the UK media landscape as a challenger broadcaster, intending to take on established broadcasters like Sky News and the BBC.
When you join a new channel there are chances and hazards. On the one side, it helps writers scale swiftly as the firm scales. On the other hand, it puts them under the microscope for every editing decision. Costello was a regional reporter, therefore he spent a lot of time out in the field, covering stories in the south east of England.
In her early positions she had to do live reports from huge national events and assist news stories come together. And at this phase of her career she became more of a reporter than just a studio host, and that is something that still affects the way she conducts her job now.
Change to becoming a country host
Costello has progressed up in GB News over time, from reporting from the field to more key duties as a host. She was brilliant at live broadcasts, interviews and keeping her cool under pressure so studio work was a breeze.
Her stint on breakfast TV was a major turning point in her life. Breakfast shows require a different skill level, as they have to blend important news with light-hearted pieces, speak and keep viewers engaged. The presenters have to change the subject rapidly but preserve the same tone.
Costello became a regular presenter on GB News Breakfast, before eventually becoming the host on a five-day-a-week basis. She has hosted alongside Eamonn Holmes and Stephen Dixon, placing her in the same league as both seasoned and newer presenters.
Big jobs and boots-on-the-ground reporting
Costello’s work has maintained related to reporting, even as she’s begun hosting shows. She has covered a number of major events including the death of Queen Elizabeth II, which she reported from outside Windsor Castle as the news broke.
She was also among the journalists at the scene of the killing of MP Sir David Amess. This was a story that concerned the entire nation, and it concerned her since it occurred in the southeast. “Reporting on that kind of work has to be done very carefully, especially right after something upsetting happens.
Her work also includes writing about court cases, protests, and shifts in politics. These actions improve her reputation as a journalist and illustrate that her job is not just reading headlines. It also means collecting and analysing information.
Stalking: The Problem
It turned out that Costello had been pursued by a guy she’d never met for sixteen months. That was one of the hardest times of her life. The incident started after a business meeting via Zoom, proving that even everyday work can have unexpected effects.
The stalking escalated from sending her unwanted messages online to doing things in real life such as sending her undesirable stuff and turning up in places associated with her profession. Costello subsequently stated he found the experience incredibly disturbing, adding that it made him feel uneasy, terrified and that he was constantly being watched.
Eventually the perpetrator was convicted and handed a suspended sentence and restraining order. Costello chose to go public about what happened, not for the sake of herself, but to highlight the dangers of stalking and how crucial it is to report it immediately.
What she said may be true for many people, but especially for women in public life. It also underscored the dangers of being seen in the digital age, when it can be tougher to preserve personal boundaries.
Personal life and marriage
In April 2025, a ceremony was performed in Chelsea Old Town Hall in London to marry Gerard Durkan. Her growing fame as a TV anchor was highlighted by the wide media coverage of the event.
The couple said they were getting married in late 2023. The wedding was portrayed in news accounts as a small, joyous affair with relatives and friends. Costello has been tight-lipped about her relationship since she wishes to keep it private, despite the attention of many.
Her approach to her personal life is representative of writers in general. Actors and entertainers make a living from being seen by lots of people. But journalists try to keep their personal lives separate from their work life. Costello has largely done that, talking about big things, but not turning them into running public stories.
Public & Media Image
Costello is not a celebrity, and her public persona rests upon her work as a broadcaster. She is noted for her calm on-camera presence, clear speech and ability to host live talks with ease.
Her work with GB News places her in a particular class of British journalists. The channel has its dedicated viewers and severe critics and its hosts are regularly caught up in bigger discussions over the standards of journalism and media.
Costello’s image, on the other hand, is more rooted in her
professionalism on a contentious subject. She is not known for making loud political arguments or saying things that split people. Her approach is more about opening up talks and giving people knowledge.
Income, net worth, job security
There is no official number that shows how much Ellie Costello makes or her net worth. Sometimes estimates are presented online, but rarely backed up by concrete financial information or verified reports.
She is a TV personality for a national news station, thus she presumably earns around the typical salary for mid to high level broadcasters in the UK. These figures might be fairly wide-ranging based on the work, experience and parameters of the contract.
It’s prudent to be cautious in making such predictions. Any figure that has not been proved should be considered a conjecture, not a fact. She has certainly acquired a certain level of stability in her work, which places her among the famous broadcast journalists.
Ellie Costello’s Current Work
Ellie Costello is one of the top presenters on GB News Breakfast in 2026, seen most weekday mornings. She does more than just host. She does live interviews, she broadcasts breaking news, she connects with the audience.
She is still trying to cover important events and assist the channel’s total output. Looks like her work is going in the correct direction, more responsibility, more attention for her.
It’s intriguing that her career mirrors the way journalism is developing in general. “Today’s presenters must be able to change gear between reporting, presenting and digital interaction. There is another way to look at Costello’s career.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ellie Costello’s job?
Ellie Costello is a British TV presenter and journalist, best known for her work at GB News. She began her career at the BBC, as a national correspondent and presenter of a breakfast show. She does field news and studio hosting as part of her work.
Is Ellie Costello married or single?
Ellie Costello is married to Gemard Durkan. They announced their engagement in 2023 and married in London in April 2025. After these public events, she has kept most of the facts of her relationship private.
Ellie Costello is 21 years old.
Ellie Costello was reported to be 31 years old in 2025. She doesn’t have specific information about her date of birth in many public sources and she hasn’t made this a large part of her résumé.
What does GB News’ Ellie Costello do?
Costello is a presenter on GB News Breakfast and co-hosts the morning show. She covers the news, chats to guests and explains what’s going on each day as part of her profession.
The case of Ellie Costello being stalked was dropped.
Costello was followed for more than a year by a man. He called her after they had worked together. The culprit was convicted and ordered to stay away. She notified others later about what happened to make them aware of stalking.
Ellie Costello net worth is an estimated $1.5 Million.
The public has no idea how much she is worth. There are estimates on the Internet but those don’t have any hard evidence behind them so be careful with those.
Conclusion
Looking at the work of Ellie Costello you can see how she built her fame over time. She moved from school to a career with a national media firm, combining reporting experience with on-the-job training. That road is the one that modern journalism takes where one earns trustworthiness over time and not in a day.
People know her from her work on GB News Breakfast but it’s her past as a reporter that makes her relevant. She’s worked on the field and in the studio, so she knows how news work.
Personal concerns, like having to deal with being stalked, have added a new chapter to her public story. They reveal that there is a human being beneath the polished image of a presenter who has to contend with the same hazards and pressures that accompany being well-known in today’s media.
Her work is part of a generation of journalists that are transforming what it means to be a broadcaster. She reports the news and she is also in an industry that is changing and getting less and less obvious as to who’s the reporter and who’s the host. That transformation is likely to have repercussions not only for her future but also for what people will anticipate from people who choose the same path.
