Alexa Chung (born 5.11.1983)
Alexa Chung is a former model and is currently a presenter of British television programmes.
Childhood: Alexa Chung is the youngest of four children born to an English mother and part-Chinese father. Alexa's eldest brother is Dom Chung, a DJ at the London club, Ministry of Sound.
Alexa attended Perins Community College and Peter Symonds College in Winchester. She was signed to a modelling agency after leaving school so did not attend either of the University courses that she had been offered. Alexa gained two A's at A-level (in English and Art) and one B (in History).
Modelling Career: Elite Model Management first noticed Alexa when she attended The Clothes Show, at age 14. Alexa never worked for Elite, but was again noticed at the Reading Festival two years later by Storm Model Management, with whom she signed a contract.
Alexa undertook a number of high profile assignments, including cover shots for Elle Girl and CosmoGIRL! as well as advertising campaigns for Sunsilk, Tampax, Sony Ericsson and Urban Outfitters.
Alexa later appeared in a number of music videos, for The Streets, Westlife, and Reuben, among others. She also shared an on-screen kiss with Holly Valance. In January 2008, Alexa was announced as the new face of Antipodium, a collection that retails in Harvey Nichols and Liberty.
TV Career: Alexa Chung was invited to present Channel 4's Popworld when Miquita Oliver and Simon Amstell both left in 2006. She had originally auditioned when she was 18 years old but didn't get anywhere. Along with Alex Zane, her co-presenter, Alexa also presented a Popworld internet radio show for seven months.
Alexa was featured in Ben Elton's topical satire show, Get A Grip, but the show was badly received by critics. Later in 2007, she signed a 'golden handcuffs' deal with Channel 4, reported to be worth £100,000. As part of the deal, she appeared on a number of shows, including 8 out of 10 Cats, Big Brother's Big Mouth, T4 Holiday Mornings, T4 Movie Specials, T4 Music Specials as well as presenting coverage of the V and T in the Park festivals.
Alexa Chung was number 18 in Broadcast's Hot 100 Talent list of 2007 and became one of four main T4 presenters, following June Sarpong's departure. She also presented Vanity Lair, a 10-week reality show exploring contemporary notions of beauty.
The BBC has also shown interest in Alexa's presenting talents and she presents the BBC Three show The Wall, along with Rhys Thomas.
Personal Life: For three and a half years, Alexa dated David Titlow. Titlow was the singer in 1980's pop group Blue Mercedes and is 20 years her senior.
Alexa was also briefly in a relationship with the singer from The Horrors, Faris Badwan. The relationship was put under strain when The Horrors' fans were angered by a Popworld interview with Alexa and the band.
In 2007, Alexa dated Klaxons' keyboardist James Righton, though the relationship only lasted a few months. She was also linked with Lostprophets' singer, Ian Watkins.
In July 2007, The Sun reported that Alexa Chung and Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys had paired up at T in the Park. Chung was supposedly still dating Watkins, though she officially split with him in August and has been photographed on numerous occasions since with Alex Turner. It has been reported that Chung and Turner plan to buy a London property together.
Biography by Contactmusic.com