The BBC Weather presenter who sent viewers into meltdown this week over a supposedly ‘racy’ outfit on the Six O’Clock News is no stranger to the spotlight — nor to quiet resilience behind the scenes.
Elizabeth Rizzini, 49, has long been admired for her polished on-screen style and glamorous wardrobe, often seen at prestigious events such as Wimbledon’s Royal Box. But the broadcaster found herself at the centre of a social media storm after eagle-eyed viewers claimed they spotted a flash of black lace stockings during a live forecast.
While the internet buzzed with speculation, Elizabeth’s personal life tells a far more compelling story. The London-based presenter has been in a relationship since 2020 with Frank Gardner, the BBC’s respected security correspondent who was left paralysed following an Al-Qaeda attack in Saudi Arabia in 2004.
A divorced mother of two, Elizabeth has spoken openly about how inspired she is by her partner of six years, describing him as “devastatingly handsome” and quietly courageous.
Speaking in the documentary Being Frank: The Frank Gardner Story, she said:
“Frank is a security correspondent — not a disability correspondent. People know very little about his disability until he chooses to talk about it. That was his moment. He just gets on with it.”
Frank, for his part, has spoken fondly about how their relationship began — quite literally in a lift at work.
“I’d always admired how she presents the weather — she’s engaging and warm on camera,” he told the Daily Mail in 2020. “She’s wonderful company. Even after all my Middle Eastern travels, a simple holiday in Greece with her felt refreshingly adventurous.”
The couple were first photographed sharing a kiss in a London pub in 2019, one year after Frank’s split from his wife of 22 years, Amanda Pearson.
Little is publicly known about Elizabeth’s previous marriage, other than the fact her ex-husband is Italian and that they share two daughters, the youngest born in 2014. She divorced in 2016 and has since kept her family life fiercely private.
Elizabeth has worked at the BBC for 14 years and is Met Office trained. In a 2017 BBC interview, she revealed her punishing schedule — waking at 3am, arriving at work by 4.15am, and beginning forecasts before dawn.
“Yes, it’s busy,” she said, “but when you love your job, it never feels like work.”
Raised in Croydon, Elizabeth later lived and studied in France and Spain and speaks both Spanish and Italian fluently. She also holds a Master’s degree focusing on environmental journalism and climate change.
And it’s not just weather where she shines. Last year, Elizabeth stunned viewers by winning Celebrity Mastermind, choosing Celine Dion as her specialist subject.
She donated her prize money to Hospice in the Weald, which cared for her late cousin Jo before her death in 2021.
“Jo was full of life and joy,” Elizabeth shared. “The hospice gave her the dignified passing she wished for, surrounded by love.”
On social media, Elizabeth shares glimpses of her life with Frank — from sun-soaked trips to Mexico and Lanzarote to red-carpet events at the Royal Albert Hall and Trinity House, where she once met Princess Anne.
The renewed attention comes as BBC viewers continue adjusting to the departure of Carol Kirkwood, with some joking online that “there is life after Carol Kirkwood.”
During Wednesday’s broadcast, Elizabeth wore a sleek denim zip-up dress paired with beige studded heels — an outfit that sparked hundreds of comments after a dark band on her leg was spotted on screen.
While some joked that the weather forecast had “set pulses racing”, others were quick to pour cold water on the claims, suggesting cycling shorts, thermals or even a technical strap for her microphone.
One viewer quipped: “Sorry to rain on your parade — but it’s probably not lace stockings.”
Whatever the truth behind the viral moment, Elizabeth Rizzini’s story goes far beyond a fleeting on-air controversy — revealing a woman balancing glamour, grit, intellect and a deeply personal love story, all while calmly delivering the nation’s weather.
