Lisa Burke - Biography & Images

Born in 1977, Lisa Burke, lived in Ireland until she was 10 years old in Killeshin, on the outskirts of county Laois, near Carlow. Her mother is from Kilkenny and her father is from Killeshin. They moved to Ilford, in Essex.

Lisa graduated with a first class Masters degree (MSci) in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University in 1999. She specialised in chemistry but also studied mathematics, physics and geology, was ranked second in the university, won two university prizes and was made a scholar of New Hall.

She gave up the opportunity to start a Ph.D in October 2000 to work at Sky News, where she says the job of weather presenter suits her with its mix of personality and science.

Outside of work, Lisa’s primary passion is music. She has played many instruments since a child – including tin whistle and piano accordian – but her main instruments are piano, violin and singing. She currently sings with the BBC Symphony Chorus who, this summer 2000, performed in the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. She also sang with Cambridge University Choir and had performed solos (singing, piano and violin) in various venues.

Lisa grew up with music as her father was Pipe Major of the Killeshin Pipe Band. She also performs with her sister Toni – who is studying medicine at UCL – on occasion. She also has a brother, Carl.

In 2001, she took part in the Proms.

Lisa also enjoys swimming, jogging and dancing and has trained in Irish, tap, salsa – and even Egyptian! She has also had lessons in fencing and kick-boxing.