Lucy Owen Biography 2026: Age, Height, Husband Rhodri Owen, BBC Wales Today, X-Ray & Net Worth
Lucy Owen (née Lucy Jane Cohen; born June 18, 1971) is a Welsh television newsreader. She presented Wales Tonight on ITV Wales for more than a decade before joining BBC Wales Today in 2007, where she has been one of the faces of Welsh evening news ever since.
She is also known for consumer journalism on X-Ray and for speaking publicly about IVF, her son, and a 2023 detached retina that nearly cost her her sight. Here is everything to know about her age, height, family, career, and net worth.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Lucy Jane Owen (née Cohen) |
| Nick Name | Lucy |
| Profession | Television newsreader and presenter |
| Birth Date | June 18, 1971 |
| Age | 55 years 4 months old |
| Birth Place | Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales |
| Nationality | Welsh (British) |
| Known For | BBC Wales Today; Wales Tonight; X-Ray |
| Ethnicity | White Welsh |
| Zodiac | Gemini |
| Height | About 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) — reported |
| Weight | Not publicly disclosed |
| Hair Color | Dark brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Qualification | Howell’s School, Llandaff; Royal Holloway, University of London |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Marital Status | Married (separated) |
| Spouse | Rhodri Owen (m. June 2004), a Welsh television presenter |
| Relationships | Married since 2004; the couple have separated and co-parent in Cowbridge |
| Children | 1 son (b. March 10, 2008) |
| Family Tree | Daughter of a Welsh family from Llandaff, Cardiff |
| Hobbies | Reading, writing, charity work |
| Current Work | Presenter, BBC Wales Today and X-Ray |
| Years Active | 1991–present |
| Net Worth | Estimated $2–5 million — unverified |
Readers who follow Lucy Owen often also search for Rhodri Owen, BBC Wales Today, Wales Tonight, X-Ray, and Howell’s School Llandaff — her husband, her programs, and the school where she grew up in Cardiff.
Early Life & Education
Lucy Owen was born Lucy Jane Cohen on June 18, 1971, in Llandaff, Cardiff. She was educated at Howell’s School, Llandaff, and later studied at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Her path into broadcasting began at BBC Radio Wales, where she started as a researcher before moving into reporting and then co-presenting a features programme. That progression — researcher, reporter, presenter — is the classic route through British regional broadcasting, and it gave her a grounding in production that many on-screen presenters never acquire.
Career Journey
BBC Radio Wales and HTV Wales (1991–1996)
Owen’s first broadcast work was at BBC Radio Wales. In 1995 she joined HTV Wales as a newsreader for regional opt-outs during GMTV, which put her in front of a daily television audience for the first time.
Wales Tonight (1996–2007)
Between 1996 and 2007 she co-presented Wales Tonight, the regional news programme on ITV Wales, broadcast from Cardiff. During that period she also presented on the now-defunct ITV News Channel and anchored main ITV News bulletins including Lunchtime News, Evening News, and Weekend News — an unusually national profile for a regional presenter.
She signed off from her last edition of Wales Tonight on Friday, October 19, 2007. Eleven years in the same chair made her one of the most recognisable faces in Welsh broadcasting.
Regional news presenting is a particular craft. A programme like Wales Today covers a nation of three million people, which means the same presenter may introduce a story about a school closure in Carmarthenshire and a political row in Cardiff Bay within the same half hour. It requires range, and it requires a kind of local knowledge that national anchors rarely need.
BBC Wales Today (2007–Present)
From November 5, 2007, Owen began presenting BBC Wales Today, the BBC Wales evening news programme, replacing the long-standing presenter Sara Edwards. The move took her from commercial television to the BBC, and it also reunited her professionally with her husband, Rhodri Owen, who was already on the BBC Wales team.
She joined the team of the BAFTA award-winning consumer programme X-Ray as a result of the channel move, and since 2016 she has co-hosted it with Rachel Treadaway-Williams and the comedian Omar Hamdi. Consumer journalism suited her: it combines the authority of news with the practical, viewer-facing purpose of resolving real problems.
That local knowledge pays off most directly in consumer journalism. X-Ray investigates faulty goods, disputed bills, and businesses that have let customers down — stories that end with a resolution rather than a headline. It is one of the longest-running consumer programmes on British television and has won BAFTA recognition during its run.
Other Work
In May 2012, Owen was one of eight people chosen to spend a week learning Welsh on a campsite in Pembrokeshire for the S4C series cariad@iaith:love4language. She has also worked with St John Ambulance in Wales and has written for publication, including a children’s book.
She has also written for publication, including a children’s book, and has worked with St John Ambulance in Wales — the kind of quiet community involvement that regional presenters often take on and rarely publicise. In a broadcasting career built on being trusted by an audience, that consistency between the on-screen and off-screen life matters.
Career Stats
- BBC Radio Wales: Researcher, reporter, co-presenter (early 1990s)
- HTV Wales: Newsreader for GMTV regional opt-outs, from 1995
- Wales Tonight: Co-presenter, 1996–2007
- ITV News Channel: Presenter before its closure
- BBC Wales Today: Presenter since November 2007
- X-Ray: Co-host, including with Rachel Treadaway-Williams and Omar Hamdi since 2016
- S4C: Participant in cariad@iaith (2012)
Personal Life
- Husband: Rhodri Owen, a fellow Welsh television presenter. They married in June 2004 at St Andrew’s Church in St Andrews Major near Dinas Powys.
- Son: Born on March 10, 2008, by caesarean section, weighing 5 lb 12 oz. The couple conceived after IVF treatment.
- Separation: The couple have separated and co-parent together in Cowbridge.
- Health: In 2023 she came close to losing her eyesight due to a detached retina, discovered during a routine eye test.
- Faith: She is Jewish.
- Charity: She has worked with St John Ambulance in Wales.
Dating History and Affairs
Owen’s public romantic history centres on her marriage to Rhodri Owen, a fellow Welsh television presenter. They married in June 2004 in a church ceremony near Dinas Powys, and their son was born in March 2008 after IVF treatment — a subject she has discussed openly, at a time when few public figures did.
The couple have since separated and now co-parent in Cowbridge. There have been no reported affairs or relationship scandals, and neither has discussed the separation in detail publicly.
Her decision to speak publicly about IVF in 2007 was unusual at the time. Fertility treatment was rarely discussed by television presenters in the UK, and her willingness to describe the process helped normalise a subject that many viewers had experienced privately. She has since spoken about her son with the same straightforwardness.
Controversies
Owen has avoided public controversy throughout her career.
- Birth date errors: Some older biographies list her birthday as August 28, 1970. The correct date, confirmed by Wikipedia and consistent with her school and university timeline, is June 18, 1971.
- Privacy: Her separation from Rhodri Owen has been reported but not accompanied by public dispute.
- Health disclosure: Her 2023 detached retina was widely reported because she chose to speak about it publicly to encourage routine eye tests.
- Net worth claims: Estimates ranging from $2 million to $5 million circulate widely but are not independently verified.
Awards & Achievements
- More than a decade presenting Wales Tonight on ITV Wales
- Presenter of BBC Wales Today since 2007
- Co-host of the BAFTA award-winning consumer programme X-Ray
- Anchored national ITV News bulletins including Lunchtime News and Evening News
- One of the most recognisable newsreaders in Wales for nearly three decades
Physical Statistics
- Height: About 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) — reported
- Weight: Not publicly disclosed
- Hair Color: Dark brown
- Eye Color: Brown
- Build: Average
- On-Air Style: Formal broadcast attire with a warm, conversational delivery suited to regional evening news
Quotes
“If I hadn’t had that routine eye test, I would have lost the sight in that eye.”
Lucy Owen, on her 2023 detached retina, BBC News
Favorites
- Program: BBC Wales Today, which she has presented since 2007
- Format: Consumer journalism on X-Ray
- Region: Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, where she grew up and still lives
- Cause: Eye health awareness, after her own detached retina
- Charity: St John Ambulance
- Food, Travel, Film: Not publicly disclosed
Earnings
Owen’s net worth is estimated between $2 million and $5 million, built from more than three decades in Welsh regional broadcasting. BBC and ITV presenter salaries in Wales are modest by international standards, so the range reflects a long career rather than a single lucrative contract.
- BBC salary across nearly two decades as a Wales Today presenter
- ITV Wales salary during her Wales Tonight years
- X-Ray presenting fees
- Writing and publication income
No official net worth figure has been published. The range should be treated as a press estimate.
Interesting Facts
- She presented Wales Tonight for eleven years before moving to the BBC.
- She anchored national ITV News bulletins as well as regional ones.
- Her son was born after IVF treatment, which she discussed publicly in 2007.
- She learned Welsh on S4C’s cariad@iaith in 2012.
- In 2023 a routine eye test detected a detached retina that could have blinded her.
- She is married to fellow Welsh presenter Rhodri Owen.
- She has anchored both regional and national ITV News bulletins.
- She has presented BBC Wales’s evening news for nearly two decades.
Did You Know Already?
- Her maiden name is Cohen.
- She attended Howell’s School in Llandaff, Cardiff.
- She studied at Royal Holloway, University of London.
- She co-hosts X-Ray with Rachel Treadaway-Williams and Omar Hamdi.
- Her correct birth date is June 18, 1971 — not August 28, 1970.
- She and Rhodri Owen co-parent in Cowbridge.
Social Media Links
- X (Twitter): @LucyOwenTV
- BBC profile: Lucy Owen on BBC Radio Wales
- IMDb: Lucy Owen at IMDb
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Lucy Owen?
She was born on June 18, 1971, which makes her 55 years old as of November 2026.
What does Lucy Owen present now?
She presents BBC Wales Today and co-hosts the consumer programme X-Ray on BBC One Wales.
What is X-Ray about?
X-Ray is BBC Wales’s consumer affairs programme, investigating faulty products, disputed bills and poor service. Owen has co-hosted it since joining BBC Wales in 2007, and since 2016 alongside Rachel Treadaway-Williams and Omar Hamdi.
Who is Lucy Owen’s husband?
Rhodri Owen, a fellow Welsh television presenter. They married in June 2004 and have since separated; they co-parent their son in Cowbridge.
Does Lucy Owen have children?
Yes. Her son was born on March 10, 2008, after IVF treatment.
What happened to Lucy Owen’s eyesight?
In 2023 a routine eye test detected a detached retina. She has said that without the test she would have lost the sight in that eye.
What is Lucy Owen’s net worth?
Estimated between $2 million and $5 million, based on three decades in Welsh television. No verified figure exists.
Where did Lucy Owen work before the BBC?
She began at BBC Radio Wales as a researcher, then joined HTV Wales in 1995 as a newsreader. From 1996 to 2007 she co-presented Wales Tonight on ITV Wales, and she also presented on the ITV News Channel and anchored national ITV News bulletins.
Conclusion
Lucy Owen has been a fixture of Welsh television for more than thirty years, first on ITV Wales and then on the BBC, and she has done it without ever chasing a national profile. Her work on X-Ray and her decision to speak openly about IVF and her eyesight show the same instinct: use the platform to be useful.
Her career also illustrates how much of British television is made outside London. A presenter can spend three decades at the centre of a nation’s news without ever appearing on a network bulletin, and still be recognised in every shop in Cardiff. That is a different kind of fame, and Owen has never seemed interested in the other one.
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