Melissa Porter

Melissa Porter (born 18 December 1972[1]) is an English television presenter, best known for her BBC programmes To Buy or Not to Buy and Escape to the Country.

Melissa Porter
Born
Melissa Jayne Tindiglia

(1972-12-18) 18 December 1972
Wythenshawe, Manchester, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationTV presenter
Known forTo Buy or Not to Buy
Escape to the Country
The Renovation Game
Get a New Life

Early life

Melissa Jayne Tindiglia was born in Wythenshawe, Manchester,[1] the middle of three sisters of Italian-Czech parentage. Her father was an importer of luxury Italian motorcars.[2] Porter got the property bug from her parents as they moved from one house renovation project to the next in Cheshire.

Career

After graduating with a degree in Retail Marketing from Manchester Metropolitan University, Porter worked as a marketing manager for Marks & Spencer, Kodak and a brand manager for Playtex. She then worked as a professional relocator for a company based in Knightsbridge.

While on a team building exercise, her colleagues suggested she ought to consider a career in television. Porter put a show reel together and CV, and got her first break in 2002 on Granada TV's Men and Motors. Porter then moved to the BBC, presenting a number of shows including Put Your Money Where Your House Is and Get a New Life.[3] Porter has written on property for the Mail on Sunday and Yahoo.

In 2007, Porter presented in the series Countryfile: The Summer Diaries[4][5] and Escape to the Country.[5][6] Porter has also presented new segments on travel, relocation and buying property for Barclaycard on GMTV.[5] She has also presented on Live the Dream: As Seen on TV with Nick Barratt.[7]

Together with Charlie Smurfit she was the co-founder of property design and renovation company Porter & Smurfit. She has renovated and sold hundreds of homes and sold several without using an estate agent. In 2009, Porter joined Uber Interiors, a bespoke property design services & resource centre.

She was the frontperson for Oral B toothpaste television advertisements.

Personal life

Formerly married,[2] Porter has a son from a relationship with an American; Peter Rinfret, the son of former White House aide Pierre Rinfret.

Porter is a patron of the British Thyroid Foundation.[8]

Porter enjoys sport, particularly tennis, motoring, sailing and skiing, and both water-skiing and black runs on snow.

References
  1. "Me & my health: Melissa Porter". The Journal (Newcastle, England). 31 July 2003. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  2. "Fame and Fortune: Melissa Porter". London: The Telegraph. 25 March 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2009.
  3. "Melissa Porter – Arlington Enterprises". Archived from the original on 16 July 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2009.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. "Countryfile: The Summer Diaries episode guide". BBC One. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  5. "Melissa Porter". SpeakOut!. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  6. "Escape to the Country". Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  7. "Live The Dream As Seen on Scre". Lifestile. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  8. Patrons BTF Website Archived 5 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
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