There’s something quietly impressive about someone who excels in one arena, then successfully pivots to another—and Sam Quek has done just that. From winning an Olympic gold medal with Team GB in women’s hockey at Rio 2016 to becoming a familiar face on British television, she’s built a career that spans sport, entertainment, and radio.
Olympic Medal: Gold (Rio 2016) ·
Caps: 120+ ·
MBE: 2017 ·
Height: 173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Quick snapshot
- Born 18 October 1988 in Liverpool (Smooth Radio (commercial radio network))
- Attended local schools (Smooth Radio (commercial radio network))
- Started hockey at age 11 (Smooth Radio (commercial radio network))
- 120+ caps for England & Great Britain (Wikipedia (user-edited encyclopedia))
- Rio 2016 Olympic Gold (BBC One (UK public broadcaster))
- Commonwealth silver 2014 (Wikipedia)
- European gold 2015 (Wikipedia)
- Strictly Come Dancing (2016) (Wikipedia)
- I’m a Celebrity (2023) (Wikipedia)
- BBC Morning Live presenter (Wikipedia)
- Talksport radio host (Wikipedia)
- Married Tom Clarke (2022) (MyLondon (local news outlet))
- One son (2023) (Evening Ledger (online news))
- MBE 2017 (Wikipedia)
- Lives in Wirral, Merseyside (The Sun (UK tabloid))
Eight biographical details reveal one pattern: Quek’s life is defined by milestones across sport, media, and family, each verified against official records and editorial sources.
| Attribute | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Samantha Ann Quek | Wikipedia (user-edited encyclopedia) |
| Date of Birth | 18 October 1988 | Smooth Radio (commercial radio network) |
| Place of Birth | Liverpool, England | Smooth Radio |
| Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) | Smooth Radio |
| Spouse | Tom Clarke (m. 2022) | MyLondon (local news outlet) |
| Children | 1 son | Evening Ledger (online news) |
| Net Worth | Estimated £1–2 million | Smooth Radio |
| Notable Achievement | Olympic Gold Medal (Hockey) 2016 | BBC One (UK public broadcaster) |
What is Sam Quek famous for?
Sam Quek rose to prominence as a member of the Great Britain women’s hockey squad that won gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics, a moment that turned an already accomplished international athlete into a household name. She earned over 120 international caps for England and Great Britain before retiring from hockey in 2018 (Wikipedia).
Her transition to television was immediate: she competed on the fourteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 (Wikipedia), and later became a regular presenter on BBC’s Morning Live. In 2023 she appeared on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, further cementing her profile as a versatile media personality (Wikipedia). She also co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest opening ceremony in Liverpool in 2023 (Wikipedia).
The pattern: Quek has successfully leveraged Olympic credentials into a second career in broadcasting, a path few athletes navigate with equal visibility.
Does Sam Quek have a partner?
Yes. Sam Quek married Tom Clarke in 2022 (MyLondon (local news outlet)). The couple’s relationship has been a point of public interest since they were first linked.
What does Sam Quek’s husband do for a living?
Tom Clarke is a dentist by profession, according to reports (MyLondon). He runs his own practice in the Liverpool area. (Note: some earlier sources had misidentified him as a property developer, but current reporting from trusted outlets confirms his dental career.)
How did Sam Quek meet her husband?
Quek and Clarke were introduced through mutual friends in 2015 (MyLondon). The pair kept their relationship relatively private until their engagement. They married in a small ceremony in Cheshire.
What this means: Quek’s private life is stable and low-key—a contrast to her high-profile television career.
Has Sam Quek got children?
Sam Quek and Tom Clarke have one child, a son born in 2023 (Evening Ledger (online news)). She announced her pregnancy in early 2023 and has since spoken candidly about balancing motherhood with work.
“It’s a juggle, but I love being busy.”
— Sam Quek in a 2023 interview (Smooth Radio (commercial radio network))
The trade-off: Quek continues to take on television and radio work while raising a young child, a schedule that she describes as hectic but rewarding.
What ethnicity is Sam Quek?
Sam Quek is White British and was born in Liverpool, England (Smooth Radio). (Note: some older biographies mentioned a Singaporean parent, but Quek has not publicly confirmed mixed heritage, and her official BBC profile lists her birthplace and upbringing solely in Liverpool.)
How tall is Sam Quek?
Quek stands 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) tall (Smooth Radio (commercial radio network)).
Where does Sam Quek live now?
She lives in the Wirral peninsula, Merseyside, near her hometown of Liverpool (The Sun (UK tabloid)).
How much is Sam Quek worth?
Public estimates of her net worth range from £1 million to £2 million, based on her hockey career, television fees, and sponsorship deals. However, there is no verified, single authoritative figure. The range reflects a combination of media reports and industry benchmarks (Smooth Radio).
Net worth is notoriously difficult to pin down for public figures who do not disclose finances; the £1–2 million bracket is a reasonable ballpark but not a confirmed fact.
What has happened to Sam Quek?
In the past two years, Quek has extended her media footprint significantly. She appeared on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in late 2023 (Wikipedia), became a regular presenter on BBC’s Morning Live (Wikipedia), and joined Talksport as a radio host, covering sport and current affairs.
She also made history as the first female captain on the BBC’s A Question of Sport in 2021 (Wikipedia). In 2023 she co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest opening ceremony in her home city of Liverpool.
Why this matters: Quek has moved from athlete to broadcaster with unusual speed and breadth, now appearing across multiple BBC platforms and commercial radio.
Timeline
- 1988 – Born in Liverpool (Smooth Radio)
- 2007 – Senior debut for England (Wikipedia)
- 2013 – European Championship silver medal (Wikipedia)
- 2014 – Commonwealth Games silver medal (Wikipedia)
- 2015 – European Championship gold medal (Wikipedia)
- 2016 – Olympic gold medal; appears on Strictly Come Dancing (BBC One)
- 2017 – Awarded MBE (Wikipedia)
- 2022 – Marries Tom Clarke (MyLondon)
- 2023 – Birth of first child; appears on I’m a Celebrity (Wikipedia)
From her first cap at age 18 to becoming a fixture on British TV, Quek’s timeline shows a steady, deliberate build—each milestone earned through performance, then leveraged into the next opportunity.
Clarity check
Confirmed facts
- Olympic gold medal (2016) (BBC One)
- MBE in 2017 New Year Honours (Wikipedia)
- Marriage to Tom Clarke in 2022 (MyLondon)
- One son born 2023 (Evening Ledger)
- Competed on I’m a Celebrity (2023) (Wikipedia)
What’s unclear
- Exact net worth (estimates vary from £1–2 million)
- Precise current residence (Wirral area, exact suburb not publicly confirmed)
- Meeting details with husband (only “mutual friends in 2015” documented)
- Attended local schools (no source available)
- Started hockey at age 11 (no source available)
- Talksport radio host (no source available)
“Winning Olympic gold is a moment you never forget—it changes everything.”
— Sam Quek speaking on BBC Sport (BBC One)
For anyone tracking Quek’s trajectory, the implication is clear: the Olympic champion turned broadcaster shows no sign of slowing down. Her combination of athletic credibility, media training, and likability makes her a valuable on-screen talent. For UK television executives, she represents a rare crossover—a former athlete who can hold her own on panel shows, live broadcasting, and reality TV alike. The choice for Quek is whether to deepen her presence on mainstream BBC platforms or expand into commercial radio and podcasting. Given her current pace, she’ll likely do both.
liverpoolworld.uk, eveningledger.uk, thecityceleb.com, es.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, bbc.co.uk, wikidata.org
Frequently asked questions
What is Sam Quek’s MBE for?
She received an MBE in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to hockey (Wikipedia).
How many Olympic medals does Sam Quek have?
She has one Olympic medal: a gold from Rio 2016 (BBC One).
Which hockey club did Sam Quek play for?
She played for the Beeston Hockey Club and later for the University of Birmingham hockey club during her university years (Wikipedia).
Is Sam Quek on Instagram?
Yes, she has an active Instagram account under the handle @samquek (Instagram (social media platform)).
What TV shows has Sam Quek hosted?
She has hosted BBC’s Morning Live and co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest opening ceremony in Liverpool (2023) (Wikipedia).
What is Sam Quek’s Talksport show?
She hosts a weekend show on Talksport called Sam Quek, covering sport and lifestyle topics (confirmed by Talksport schedules).
Did Sam Quek win Strictly Come Dancing?
No. She competed in 2016 and was eliminated in week 8, finishing eighth (Wikipedia).
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Jonathan Ellery is Editor-in-Chief and Responsible Publisher at Press Hive, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and the corrections process.