Samantha Washington was born in Brighton, England, though her exact date of birth has not been officially confirmed. Details about her parents are not publicly available, as she keeps her personal background private. She grew up in Brighton and went on to study at Oxford University.

Before entering journalism, Samantha built a career in the financial sector. She worked in the City first as a management consultant for Oliver Wyman and later at Barclays Capital. This grounding in economics and finance would later distinguish her as a business journalist.

She started her journalism career as a producer on the multiple award-winning Radio 4 programme Money Box, but quickly progressed to reporter and correspondent, and picked up a File on 4 award for investigative journalism in the process. She was the regular host of Your Money, a personal finance show on BBC News, and has also presented on BBC Radio 4 and 5 Live.

Samantha Washington joined Sky News in 2011 and presents business, world, and main news, and was one of the main faces on air during the Eurozone debt crisis. She currently presents Sky News Today with Samantha Washington on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00–14:00. Samantha is married and is a mother of three children. She keeps her family life strictly private and lives in England.