Elizabeth Rizzini’s partner is Frank Gardner, the BBC’s security correspondent, journalist and author. Their relationship became publicly known in 2020, when Rizzini appeared in the BBC documentary Being Frank: The Frank Gardner Story. The couple reportedly met at work, and their relationship was still described as ongoing in August 2026.
Although Gardner and Rizzini have been together for several years, there is no reliable public confirmation that they are married. News coverage has generally identified Gardner as her partner rather than her husband.
Their story connects two experienced BBC broadcasters whose careers are quite different: Rizzini specialises in weather reporting, while Gardner covers international security, terrorism and conflict.
Who Is Elizabeth Rizzini’s Partner, Frank Gardner?
Frank Gardner is a British journalist and author best known for his work as the BBC’s security correspondent. His reporting has covered international terrorism, conflict zones, intelligence and major security developments.
Gardner joined the BBC in 1995 and subsequently worked as a Gulf correspondent and Middle East correspondent. His expertise in international affairs helped establish him as a prominent figure in British broadcast journalism.
His life changed dramatically on 6 June 2004, when he and cameraman Simon Cumbers were attacked by al-Qaeda gunmen while reporting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Cumbers was killed, while Gardner survived multiple gunshot wounds that caused permanent injuries. He has used a wheelchair since the attack.
Despite these injuries, Gardner returned to journalism and continued working as a foreign and security correspondent. He has also written books and presented documentaries about his experiences.
His personal history later became the subject of Being Frank: The Frank Gardner Story, which also introduced viewers to Elizabeth Rizzini as his girlfriend.
How Did Elizabeth Rizzini and Frank Gardner Meet?
Elizabeth Rizzini and Frank Gardner first encountered each other at the BBC.
Gardner discussed their meeting in an October 2020 interview with The Mail on Sunday, subsequently quoted in an August 2026 article.
He explained that they had first met in a lift at work. He also said he had admired Rizzini’s television presentation style and the engaging way she delivered weather forecasts.
Both were already established broadcasters, although they worked in different areas of BBC journalism.
When did they start dating?
Some later accounts date their relationship to 2019, but the precise starting date is not consistently documented.
What is clear is that they were publicly identified as a couple by 2020. Their relationship was discussed in media interviews that year, and Rizzini appeared in Gardner’s BBC documentary in November.
A professional broadcasting profile published by The TV Room on 26 November 2023 also records their relationship becoming public in October 2020.
The distinction matters because the date a relationship becomes public is not necessarily the date it began.
Their Relationship in the BBC Documentary Being Frank
One of the clearest public records of Elizabeth Rizzini and Frank Gardner’s relationship came through the BBC Two documentary Being Frank: The Frank Gardner Story, first broadcast on 5 November 2020.
The programme explored Gardner’s life after the 2004 shooting, including his physical injuries, his return to journalism and the challenges of living with a disability.
It also examined his changing personal life.
Rizzini appeared in the documentary as Gardner’s girlfriend, offering a more personal perspective on the journalist than viewers usually encountered through his news reporting.
In its contemporaneous review of the documentary, published on 5 November 2020, The Irish Times described Rizzini as his new girlfriend.
The review also noted that she described Gardner as “devastatingly handsome”.
The film was primarily concerned with Gardner’s experiences, independence and professional life rather than presenting the couple’s relationship as a celebrity romance.
Nevertheless, Rizzini’s appearance established their connection publicly and gave audiences an opportunity to see them together.
Is Elizabeth Rizzini Married to Frank Gardner?
Elizabeth Rizzini and Frank Gardner are publicly known as long-term partners, but their marriage has not been confirmed.
The distinction between a partner and a spouse is particularly relevant because several online biographies refer to Gardner as Rizzini’s husband without providing evidence of a wedding.
Their appearance together in a documentary, their public outings and their long relationship do not independently establish that they are legally married.
An article published on 18 August 2026 continued to describe Gardner as Rizzini’s long-term partner rather than identifying him as her husband.
There is no dependable public wedding announcement establishing that their relationship has become a marriage.
Consequently, describing Gardner as Rizzini’s partner is the more accurate approach.
Was Frank Gardner previously married?
Yes. Frank Gardner was previously married to Amanda Pearson.
Their marriage lasted more than two decades, and the couple have two daughters.
Their separation was discussed in Being Frank, including the important role Pearson had played in Gardner’s recovery after his injuries in Saudi Arabia.
The November 2020 review in The Irish Times described the end of their marriage and identified Rizzini as Gardner’s new girlfriend.
Gardner’s earlier marriage should not be confused with his subsequent relationship with Rizzini.
What is known about Elizabeth Rizzini’s previous marriage?
Some biographical websites describe Rizzini as previously married and provide claims about her former husband and the date of their separation.
However, the more detailed claims about her earlier marriage are not consistently supported by direct interviews or authoritative public documentation.
Her former husband’s identity and an exact divorce date should therefore not be presented as established facts.
Her publicly documented relationship with Frank Gardner is much clearer.
Do Elizabeth Rizzini and Frank Gardner Have Children?
Elizabeth Rizzini has two daughters, a detail recorded in her professional broadcasting biography at The TV Room.
That profile contains information Rizzini provided directly in February 2021 about her television career and experiences broadcasting from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She mentioned that her younger daughter had briefly appeared during a BBC Radio 5 Live broadcast.
Frank Gardner also has two daughters from his earlier marriage.
An August 2026 media profile described Rizzini and Gardner as having two children each from their previous relationships and did not report children together.
Neither their children’s identities nor additional family arrangements are necessary to understand the couple’s public relationship.
Who Is Elizabeth Rizzini Beyond Her Relationship?
Elizabeth Rizzini has an established broadcasting career of her own.
She is a Met Office-trained weather presenter who has worked across BBC regional, national and international programming.
According to her professional profile at NMP Live, her broadcasting credits include BBC Breakfast, BBC News at One, BBC News at Six, BBC News at Ten, BBC World, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live.
Her professional background combines meteorological training with an academic interest in environmental journalism and climate change.
Her early broadcasting career
In correspondence published by The TV Room, Rizzini explained that she joined the Met Office around 2008–2009.
Her television debut followed in November 2010 on BBC South East Today.
She subsequently expanded her broadcasting work to national television and radio.
Her interests extend beyond ordinary daily forecasts. She has produced and presented coverage relating to astronomy, space weather and stargazing, including material associated with the BBC’s The Sky at Night.
She has also presented weather forecasts from Wimbledon, reflecting her interest in tennis.
Rizzini previously lived and studied in France and Spain, including spending several years in Madrid. Her professional biography also records her ability to speak Spanish and Italian.
Charity work and her 2025 television appearance
Rizzini has supported several charitable causes during her broadcasting career.
In 2025, she won an episode of BBC One’s Celebrity Mastermind, choosing Céline Dion as her specialist subject.
Her appearance raised funds for Hospice in the Weald, an organisation that had supported her cousin Jo before her death in 2021.
In an account published by Hospice in the Weald, Rizzini spoke about the care her cousin received and her reasons for supporting the charity.
The appearance provides a more recent example of her television work outside weather forecasting.
Are Elizabeth Rizzini and Frank Gardner Still Together in 2026?
The most recent clearly dated reporting examined for this article, published on 18 August 2026, described Elizabeth Rizzini and Frank Gardner as being in a long-term relationship.
Their relationship is also documented through the 2020 BBC documentary, subsequent broadcasting biographies and media coverage.
However, the August article was a retrospective profile rather than a new joint statement from the couple. It should not be treated as independent confirmation of every aspect of their private lives in November 2026.
What can be stated confidently is that Gardner has been publicly identified as Rizzini’s partner for several years, and their relationship continued to be reported in 2026.
There is no need to assume a wedding, separation or other personal development without a direct statement or reliable report establishing it.
For readers searching for Elizabeth Rizzini’s partner, the central answer remains Frank Gardner: an experienced BBC journalist whose relationship with the weather presenter has been publicly documented since 2020.
Sources
- The Irish Times — ‘I wish Simon had survived’: BBC reporter on the attack that killed Irish cameraman. Published 5 November 2020. Contemporary review of Being Frank, confirming Rizzini’s appearance and her relationship with Gardner.
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/i-wish-simon-had-survived-bbc-reporter-on-the-attack-that-killed-irish-cameraman-1.4401196 - AOL / Tianna Corbin — Inside BBC Breakfast’s Elizabeth Rizzini’s life from famous partner to tragic death. Published 18 August 2026. Contains recent reporting on the relationship and references Gardner’s October 2020 interview.
https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/inside-bbc-breakfasts-elizabeth-rizzinis-072824000.html - The TV Room — Rizzini, Elizabeth – Showreel. Published and last updated 26 November 2023. Includes career information supplied directly by Rizzini in February 2021 and records her relationship becoming public in 2020.
https://showreel.thetvroom.com/talent-profiles/14780/rizzini-elizabeth/ - NMP Live — Elizabeth Rizzini | Host & Presenter. Professional biography documenting her weather broadcasting, meteorological training, education and other presenting work. No publication date displayed.
https://www.nmplive.co.uk/elizabeth-rizzini - Entertainment Daily / Helen Fear — Frank Gardner’s journey from attack to BBC correspondent. Published 1 July 2021; updated 28 June 2022. Documents Gardner’s career, injuries, relationship and the documentary’s original broadcast date.
https://www.entertainmentdaily.com/tv/being-frank-on-bbc-two-who-is-frank-gardner-and-what-happened-to-him/ - Hospice in the Weald — Celebrity Mastermind winner earns vital funds for the Hospice. First-hand organisational account of Rizzini’s participation and fundraising. No publication date displayed.
https://www.hospiceintheweald.org.uk/news-and-stories/celebrity-mastermind-winner-earns-vital-funds-for-the-hospice/
