Vicki Butler-Henderson | |
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Butler-Henderson in 2008
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Born |
Victoria Jemma Butler-Henderson 16 February 1972 Hertfordshire, England |
Occupation |
Racing driver Television presenter |
Years active | 1994–present |
Spouse(s) | Phil Churchward (m. 2007) |
Children | 2 |
Victoria "Vicki" Jemma Butler-Henderson (born racing driver and television presenter.
16 February 1972) is a BritishButler-Henderson was born into a racing family. Her grandfather used to race a Frazer Nash at Brooklands, her father was in the British karting team and her brother Charlie is a racing driver. She has an older sister, Lottie, who does not race. Butler-Henderson grew up on the family farm, and was educated at the independent Perse School for Girls in Cambridge. She is the great-granddaughter of Eric Butler-Henderson, a director of the Great Central Railway, after whom the preserved GCR Class 11F locomotive "Butler-Henderson" is named.
Butler-Henderson started racing karts at the age of 12, being overtaken by David Coulthard in her first race. She holds a car race licence as well as a power boat racing licence. After supplementing her income as a racing instructor at Silverstone Circuit, she also undertook a dual career in journalism where she worked on numerous British motoring magazines including Auto Express, What Car? and Performance Car. She was the assistant launch editor and mechanic in Max Power magazine, referred to simply as "VBH."
In 1997, she joined the BBC's flagship motoring show Top Gear. After the BBC cancelled the original show in 2001, Butler-Henderson, along with co-presenters Quentin Willson and Tiff Needell, moved to Five in 2002 to continue their work on a show now called Fifth Gear. In 2004, she presented ITV's coverage of the British Touring Car Championship, in which her brother Charlie briefly competed in 2004; and from February 2006 the ten-part series Wrecks To Riches for Discovery Real Time.