Presenter returns to screens 7 years after conviction BBC offers new chance for former Midlands Today journalist as he tries to rebuild life
FORMER Midlands Today presenter Ashley Blake has spoken of his joy at returning to the BBC seven years after he was sent to jail.
The broadcaster said it was “great to be back” after he fronted part of the Corporation’s Inside Out West Midlands show last week.
He also thanked well-wishers for their support after his TV appearance and – in an apparent swipe at his critics – added: “Haters will always”.
Blake – who was known for giving a cheery wave at the end of his bulletins – was considered one of the BBC’s rising stars until he was sacked after being jailed for two years in 2009.
He was found guilty of wounding a teenager with a wooden pole after trouble flared outside his Place 2B restaurant and bar in Sutton Coldfield in January the same year.
Blake was also given a six-month concurrent sentence for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
He was released in June 2010 and later had a spell as a trucker – once causing a traffic jam at the Dartford Tunnel – as he tried to get back into TV.
After Inside Out aired, Blake – whose convictions are now spent – said on Facebook: “Just wanted to say a huge thank you for all your messages and kind words of support. I’ve tried to reply to you all individually but may have missed a few, apologies. Overwhelmed to say the least.”
Earlier this year, he said: “My conviction is spent, so I should be treated like anybody else.”
The BBC said Blake appeared on Inside Out on a freelance basis.
A spokesman said: “After his conviction in 2009, Ashley Blake has served his sentence, and the conviction is now spent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
“Ashley is a very experienced broadcaster.
“As a freelancer, he is entitled to pitch ideas and offer his services as a presenter or reporter, and we felt this segment within Inside Out was a good fit for him on this occasion.’’
Ashley Blake has served his sentence, and the conviction is now spent BBC spokesman