RACHEL Johnson is a radio presenter and the sister of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is trying her hand at Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
She’ll be trying her hand at Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins which is sure to introduce her to even more viewers. There’s much more to her than her brother “Bojo” though, so who is Rachel Johnson?
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Part of the Johnson family
The only daughter of Stanley and Charlotte Johnson, Rachel has three siblings including her politician brother.
Born in September 1965, Rachel was raised and educated in both the UK and Brussels as her father worked for the European Parliament.
While studying at Oxford, she edited the famous student newspaper Isis – which has also been edited in the past by former Chancellor and Evening Standard editor George Osborne.
Live on-air
After leaving university, Johnson pursued a career in journalism and has worked for the Financial Times and the BBC, along with writing columns for several other newspapers.
Many people will recognise her voice from her show on LBC, where she talks about current events and politics.
Rachel is no stranger to TV either, having appeared on discussion panels including Question Time and Sky News’ The Pledge.
She has also starred in Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, but was the second housemate eliminated from the show.
The radio presenter clashed with Reform UK spokesperson and former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe, while in the house.
In 2024, she thrilled fans by announcing that she would be joining the cast of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins alongside John Barrowman and Bobby Norris.
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Very different politics to her brother
In September 2019 Rachel branded her brother Boris “reprehensible” after a tirade against Remainers in the House of Commons in which he accused them of passing a “surrender act”.
She said it was “not helpful” for her sibling to blame Parliament for his Brexit difficulties, and claimed that he used the Commons dispatch box as a “bully pulpit”.
It came as furious Labour MPs demanded Boris apologise after he said the “best way to honour the memory” of Jo Cox is for Parliament to “get Brexit done” as John Bercow condemned the “toxic” House of Commons.
She has been very public in her politics and how they differ from her Conservative brother’s.
In 2019, she joined the anti-Brexit party Change UK in 2019, but is now an independent (as of September 2024).
Marital bliss
Rachel is married to Ivo Dawnay, who works for the National Trust.
The couple has three children – Oliver, James and Charlotte.
She splits her time between London and Exmoor.
Novelist and editor
As well as editing The Lady, a weekly magazine, Rachel has written several successful novels.
These include Notting Hell – a book about couples living in posh London area Notting Hill – and Shire Hell, a follow-up.
She has also written The Mummy Diaries and Winter Games.
In 2015 she released the third book of her Notting Hell series titled Fresh Hell.