Sam Mason

Sam Mason (born 1968) is a British radio and television presenter.

Mason began her broadcasting career in the late 1980s as a continuity announcer for HTV West and presented the station's overnight strand Night Club (also broadcast on HTV Wales).^[1] She later progressed onto presenting HTV News bulletins and presenting various regional programmes including makeover show The House, local music contest First Cut, interior design series Living it Up! and topical debate programme Late & Live.^[2] She also presented and researched Custom Choppers for Men & Motors in 2007.

Mason later joined BBC Radio Bristol as a freelance presenter for two years, then went on to present a Sunday morning show and latterly, from 29 September 2008 until her dismissal in November 2008, the station's weekday afternoon show.

==BBC dismissal and attacking partner

Wikinews has related news: BBC Radio Bristol presenter fired over 'racist' phone call

On 8 November 2008, after coming off air from a weekday afternoon show, Mason was suspended by BBC Radio Bristol following an incident in which she made allegedly racist remarks made in an off-air phone conversation during a weekday afternoon show. Whilst phoning a taxi firm in order to send her 14-year-old daughter from Mason's Clifton home to her grandparents' home, she was said to have asked the company not to send an Asian driver.^[3] The day after her suspension, Mason was told by the BBC that she would no longer be working for the Corporation.^[4] The phone call was illegally recorded by an operator for Streamline Black & White and sent to The Sun. The taxi company says the operator has since been sacked.^[5]

Mason was previously convicted in 2003 and 2004 of speeding and public order offences, whilst battling alcohol addiction.^[6]

In 2018 she appeared at York Crown Court after smashing a wine glass over her partner’s head - then going upstairs to watch TV as he bled from a gaping wound.She was convicted of attacking Adrian Cooke while his back was turned, leaving a gash on the back of his head which required several stitches. The “callous and appalling” attack happened at the couple’s then home in Filey, North Yorkshire, where Mason, the ex-wife of Bristol millionaire Andrew Bush, who was murdered by his Slovakian girlfriend in Spain four years ago - flew into a rage during an argument. Mason was taken in for questioning about the attack but initially claimed she had acted in self-defence. She ultimately admitted wounding Mr Cooke but without intent, a plea accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service. She appeared for sentence on Friday, May 11, when the court heard about her dramatic fall from grace since her days as a TV host.

Prosecutor Nicola Alistari said the mother-of-one had struck Mr Cooke with a single blow by using a wine glass as a “weapon”. She added Mason had previous convictions for serious driving offences. In 2003, Bristol magistrates gave her a 12-month driving ban for failing to provide a breath specimen after she was stopped on suspicion of drink-driving. Less than two months later, she was caught speeding and driving while disqualified, but escaped prison after testimony from her family and a TV colleague, who said she was “crying out for help”.

Personal life

She was the ex-wife of millionaire business man, Andrew Bush, from Bristol, who was murdered at his home near Marbella on the Costa del Sol by a former girlfriend in April 2014. They have a daughter Ellie.^[7]

References

External links

• Official website