Стивен Нолан: Солтүстік Ирландияның белгілі теле және радио жүргізушісі

Northern Irish radio and television presenter

Stephen Raymond Nolan (born 20 August 1973) is a Northern Irish radio and television presenter for BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Radio 5 Live. Nolan is the highest earning BBC broadcaster in Northern Ireland.

Born in the Shankill Road area of Belfast, Nolan was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and the Queen's University of Belfast, where he studied French and Business Studies, graduating with a BA in 1995.

In 2002, Nolan joined Belfast CityBeat, where he won a Sony Radio Academy Award. The following year, he was hired by BBC Northern Ireland, where he has worked since 2003, presenting The Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster. Since 16 July 2005, Nolan has presented his own weekend phone in show for BBC Radio Five Live, airing from 10 pm to 1 am every Friday and Sunday, and from 9pm to 12am every Saturday. Until 2017, he also hosted Question Time Extra Time, a simulcast of BBC One's Question Time, followed by a continuation of debates on Five Live. In 2006, Nolan was involved in a mock boxing match with Gerry Anderson in aid of the BBC's Children in Need appeal. On 13 October 2021, he launched a podcast, Nolan Investigates.

Following coverage of the Bobby Storey funeral during the COVID pandemic, Sinn Fein – the largest nationalist political party – began boycotting the show. The SDLP also began boycotting the show following the abrupt removal from the air of the SDLP's Stormont leader, Matthew O'Toole, in March over comments about the spokesman for the Loyalist Communities Council – an umbrella group which issues statements on behalf of some loyalist paramilitary groups. This has resulted in no major nationalist party taking part in the show. The Irish Times reported that a "heated" meeting took place between the SDLP and BBC Northern Ireland director Adam Smyth in April, with party leaders raising concerns about the balance of the programme's contributors and editorial accountability. Smyth sent the party an email in late June 2023, confirming that an assessment of "content" on the program over a "typical one month period" had been performed to address the issues mentioned in the meeting. The BBC's Executive Complaints Unit concluded that Nolan was justified in stopping O'Toole's participation during the 3 March. The SDLP described the BBC's handling of the situation as "extremely poor", and has not set a date to meet Smyth and other BBC executives until it has a copy of the review into The Nolan Show. In 2023, Nolan gained access to Maghaberry Prison for his 6 part documentary for BBC television, screened nationwide, "Jailed: Inside Maghaberry Prison." His television and radio shows have been accused of having a pro Unionist bias and have been referred for impartiality/bias by Ofcom to the BBC. Nolan has defended himself against such claims.

In total, Nolan has won twelve Sony Radio Academy Awards. Of these, seven are Gold, giving him the record for the most Golds in the history of the awards. Five of these were awarded during his time with Belfast CityBeat radio, including: UK Speech Broadcaster of the Year 2003 and for his show, The Nolan Show, The Speech Programme Award of the Year 2006. He also won the Royal Television Society's Regional Presenter of the Year Award in 2005 and 2006, as well as being nominated for the National Presenter Award in 2008.

Nolan often discusses starting work aged 12, in a video store while at school. Religion is a regular feature on his radio shows. In 2015, he stated he was an atheist and as a result he issued an apology for breaching BBC guidelines. In February 2021, Nolan criticised online trolls on Twitter and said: "It's clear I have a weight problem." Nolan lives in Mahee Island in County Down.