Lauren Salter (née Jenkins) is a rising star among Welsh sports broadcasters, best known as a presenter and pitchside reporter covering rugby for outlets such as BBC Sport, S4C, and Premier Sports. She was born around 1991, making her 34 or 35 years old. A native of Llanelli, she studied languages at Bristol University before switching to sports journalism and rising through the ranks at BBC Sport Wales (on a bursary) and S4C.
From Llanelli to Limelight
Lauren grew up in the rugby-mad town of Llanelli, South Wales, literally with a stadium in her backyard – her family home’s back garden overlooked Stradey Park, the town’s rugby ground. As a youngster, she was a regular at rugby matches and even spent Six Nations weekends as social events during her university years. With sporting roots in her veins, Lauren (then Lauren Jenkins) went on to study modern languages (French and Spanish) at the University of Bristol. A year abroad in France revealed quickly that “I absolutely couldn’t speak French – I probably knew a bit about French history and literature, but had no idea how to really speak it”. Undeterred, she hustled through odd jobs (even selling Louis Vuitton handbags in Paris) to force herself to learn the language. That Parisian gig turned out to be more than just a story – six months selling luxury goods gave her practical French and the confidence to pass her degree, a turning point she looks back on as “brilliant for my French”.
Her education also included a master’s degree in journalism, but Lauren’s path to journalism wasn’t linear. She had once imagined herself as a war correspondent inspired by famed reporters like John Simpson, but an internship at an English-language Riviera newspaper in Nice steered her toward sports journalism. An introductory three-month sports-broadcasting bursary at BBC Sport Wales turned into nearly a decade at the corporation. “I thought I’d be there for three months,” she recalls, only to find herself given significant on-air responsibilities early on. Lauren credits staying in Wales – rather than chasing London – with making her career; she says being “a much bigger fish in a small pond” allowed her to present at a younger age than she would have if she’d gone to, say, Sky Sports in London.
Paris, Press Pass, and Pitchside Debuts
Before she was on TV, Lauren polished her skills in behind-the-scenes roles. At BBC Wales, she cut her teeth editing footage and assisting production – even calling press conferences – so that by the time she sat in a presenter’s chair, she’d already tasted all sides of sports TV work. S4C (the Welsh-language broadcaster) also offered opportunities that built her confidence: speaking Welsh opened doors on Welsh rugby shows like Rygbi Pawb (the under-18 league) at an age many presenters wouldn’t normally host. “I know I wouldn’t be where I am without speaking Welsh,” she notes, since S4C gave her early presenting duties that might not have come in English-language media.
Her on-screen career took off when she started covering big rugby tours. Lauren’s first international event was as a pitchside reporter on the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand. From that point on, she regularly worked major games: she has fronted British & Irish Lions, Six Nations and autumn international coverage, often live with players, coaches, and pundits in the mix. As a freelancer since 2019, she has lent her voice and face to multiple outlets. In recent years, she’s worked for BBC Scrum V (the flagship Welsh rugby show, which includes TV on S4C and radio/podcast on BBC Radio Wales), presented live on-premises coverage for S4C, and served as pitchside reporter for Premier Sports and Amazon’s Prime Video Sport (including World Cup games).
On the Scrum V Sofa: Climbing the Ranks
By 2022, Lauren was so well-known that BBC Radio Wales gave her one of its top roles: co-hosting Scrum V, the weekly rugby magazine show loved in Wales. “That was what the show meant to me growing up,” she laughed, remembering an early time when she practised on the Scrum V sofa and started answering a question without planning. Her natural excitement (“I had no idea if I could broadcast live…they said ‘Lauren, stop talking’ after three minutes,” she says with a smile) made viewers like her. Scrum V features co-hosts and experts, including rugby stars Alex Cuthbert and Shane Williams, but Lauren’s ability to ask smart questions keeps the show interesting.
Under her stewardship, Scrum V has tackled Welsh rugby’s toughest moments. During 2022-23, she fronted coverage of the turmoil behind the scenes (including the fallout from national team coach changes and contract disputes). She’s also led BBC’s coverage of Wales’ 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign, going pitchside in Paris (Stade de France) for their quarter-final against Argentina and other World Cup matches. Outside Wales, Lauren’s work has even appeared on ITV’s Six Nations coverage: in 2026, she served as an English-language presenter for ITV’s Nations Series broadcasts (for example, hosting the Wales vs Argentina test).
Fluent in Four Different Languages
A unique part of Lauren’s career is her ability to speak multiple languages. Welsh by background, she speaks both Welsh and English fluently and also knows French and Spanish. Her university language studies and experience working in Paris helped her a lot: she once did a live interview in French on Welsh TV, which became very popular. During a 2024 Six Nations warm-up show, she asked Wales’ opponent Leo Cullen questions in French and smoothly switched back to Welsh for his answers, impressing viewers (the video was widely shared among Welsh media fans).
She credits this linguistic ability with opening doors. On S4C, she has leveraged her Welsh fluency to present early in her career; on S4C’s Rygbi Pawb (youth rugby), she moved smoothly between Welsh and English commentary. Speaking Spanish and French also allows her to interview a broader range of players. “The idea of having public figures like Alex Jones, Huw Edwards, Huw Stephens learning Welsh – it shows the next generation anything is possible,” she said of the growing respect for accents and languages in UK media. She herself began learning Welsh seriously through the S4C program Iaith ar Daith alongside her duties. Her polyglot skill set humanises her as relatable and down-to-earth: Welsh fans often cheer when she slips between tongues, seeing a familiar face thriving while still celebrating her Welsh roots.
Life beyond Camera
Lauren married Andrew Salter, who co-founded Baffle Haus, in October 2025. After the wedding, she changed her broadcast and professional name from Lauren Jenkins to Lauren Salter. On Instagram (@laurenemmaj, 17.9K followers) and Twitter/X, she often posts behind-the-scenes clips, rugby training videos, travel photos, and her outfits—rugby presenters are famous for their bold fashion choices. In 2025, she even posted a fun “scrum selfie” with England star Siya Kolisi.
In short, from club rugby on S4C to the global stage at RWC, Lauren has become one of the most visible faces of Welsh rugby media.
