Leah Boleto was born on 8 April 1982 in East London, United Kingdom. She grew up in a multicultural household in East London, and has spoken publicly about her mother having worked as a cleaner, a background that has shaped her values and empathy as a journalist. Details about her parents’ nationalities are not publicly confirmed, though she has described her heritage as multicultural.

She began her career in commercial radio before moving into television. Her early broadcasting credits included BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat, where she worked as a journalist in the early stages of her career. She then joined CBBC’s Newsround, the BBC’s flagship news programme for young people, where she would become one of its most recognisable presenters over more than a decade.

During her decade at Newsround, she travelled the world covering US elections and natural disasters, and presented the BAFTA-nominated and RTS award-winning special on the 70th anniversary of Hiroshima. Other notable credits during her BBC years included co-hosting BBC 5 Live Drive and presenting for BBC Sport, Stargazing Live, and Autumnwatch.

In November 2021, she completed her first week at Sky News, having left the BBC after 16 years. She is currently a reporter and presenter for Sky News, including the Sky Early Rundown and Sky News Breakfast at weekends, both of which reach an overnight global audience. She has also presented Sky News’ The Climate Show and 5 News on Channel 5.

Beyond broadcasting, Leah is a live event host, contributed opinion pieces to The Guardian, and is a passionate advocate for diversity in the newsroom. She lives in London with her husband and two children.