Michael Fitzgerald was born on 10 May 1970 in Cork, Ireland, the son of a mechanic father and a mother who worked as a waitress in Naas. He has a younger brother, John, and a sister, Elizabeth, born in 1972.

He began racing on the pony circuit in Ireland, riding out for trainer Richard Lister in County Wexford from age 16, before moving to the Curragh. A switch from flat racing to National Hunt followed due to his growing height and weight.

After early yards in South West England, he became stable jockey for trainer Nicky Henderson in Lambourn, a partnership that lasted the rest of his riding career and produced his biggest wins, including the 1996 Grand National on Rough Quest and the 1999 Cheltenham Gold Cup and King George VI Chase on See More Business.

A second serious spinal injury, sustained in a fall at the 2008 Grand National, forced his retirement from riding at age 38. He moved into broadcasting, working for Sky Sports, then Channel 4 Racing from 2013, ITV Racing from 2017, and is now a presenter for Sky Sports Racing, where he also serves as manager of Team Ireland in the Racing League.

Fitzgerald lives in the Lambourn area of Berkshire with his wife and remains closely involved in racing, advising at Nicky Henderson’s yard and coaching young jockeys at the British Racing School.