Ask any classic bike fan in Britain to name a TV presenter, and there’s a good chance Henry Cole comes up first. He’s the bloke digging through cobwebbed barns on Shed and Buried, bartering at autojumbles on Junk & Disorderly, and putting rebuilt engines through their paces on The Motorbike Show. Three decades into a career that started with a drum kit rather than a camera, Cole has turned a genuine obsession with old machines into a television empire, a motorcycle brand, and a shelf of published books.
This page pulls together the full Henry Cole story: his background, how he actually broke into TV, the businesses he runs, and his family life. If you came here chasing something specific, like his net worth or how old his wife is, you’ll get a straight answer below, plus a link through to our full write-up on that topic.
- Henry Cole is an English television presenter who is popular for his work on motorbike and restoration programs such as Shed and Buried.
- He started the Gladstone Motorcycles firm in 2013 and runs the HCA Entertainment Production Company, which was established in 1995.
- He has two speed records, one being the Guinness World Record for the fastest tandem motorcycle, which he achieved in 2023.
- He is married to Janie Cole and has two sons. The Cole family lives a private life in the Cotswolds.
- His estimated net worth is somewhere between £2 million and $5 million.
Who Is Henry Cole?
Born in Norfolk in February 1964 (62 as of 2026), Henry Cole wears a lot of hats: presenter, producer, director, published author, and the man behind a bespoke motorcycle company. His name is now practically synonymous with British motorbike telly; The Motorbike Show, World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides, Shed and Buried, Find It, Fix It, Flog It, and Junk & Disorderly have all carried his name at one point or another.
Off camera, Cole runs Gladstone Motorcycles as founder and CEO, and owns HCA Entertainment, the production house responsible for most of his shows. He also happens to hold a Guinness World Record and was schooled at Eton, an odd detail for someone whose public image runs mainly on grease, sheds, and salt flats.
| Field | Details |
| Full name | Henry Cole |
| Born | February 1964, Norfolk, England |
| Education | Eton College |
| Occupation | TV presenter, producer, director, author, businessman |
| Known for | The Motorbike Show, Shed and Buried, Junk & Disorderly, Find It, Fix It, Flog It |
| Company | Founder & CEO, Gladstone Motorcycles; Founder, HCA Entertainment |
| Books | A Biker’s Life (2018), The Life-Changing Magic of Sheds (2020), Riding Route 66 (2024) |
| Spouse | Janie Cole |
| Children | Two sons, Charlie and Tom |
| Lives in | The Cotswolds, England |
Early Life and Education
Henry Cole grew up in Norfolk and studied at the elite Eton College, the same year as future PM Boris Johnson. Despite this posh background, his youth included a tough battle with addiction before he found his footing through humble jobs as a drummer and cameraman.
- Grew up in Norfolk, England
- Studied at Eton College, a top private school
- Same year group as future PM Boris Johnson
- Distantly related to former PM William Ewart Gladstone
- Named his motorcycle company after his great-uncle “Red Beard” Gladstone
- Battled heroin addiction from around age 19 to 24
- Has been clean since 1988
- Credits wife Janie with helping him through recovery
- First job was as a session drummer
- Later worked as a news and war cameraman for ITV and TF1
| Aspect | Detail |
| Hometown | Norfolk, England |
| School | Eton College |
| Famous classmate | Boris Johnson |
| Famous ancestor | William Ewart Gladstone |
| Company named after | Great-uncle “Red Beard” Gladstone |
| Difficult period | Heroin addiction (age 19–24) |
| Clean since | 1988 |
| Key support | Wife Janie |
| First career | Session drummer |
| Second career | News/war cameraman (ITV, TF1) |
Career Journey and Achievements
Cole’s route from cameraman to household name wasn’t a straight line. He moved into directing rock documentaries, then TV commercials, and eventually feature films, including the semi-autobiographical Mad Dogs and Englishmen, starring Elizabeth Hurley. When that film underperformed at the box office, Cole didn’t retreat; he pitched Channel 5 on something completely different.
That pitch, Stars and Cars, only got made because Cole offered to film a free Christmas special first. It rated well, Channel 5 commissioned a full series, and the show ran for five years. It’s the moment his on-screen career really began, and it led directly to him founding HCA Entertainment in 1995, the company that still produces most of his television work, alongside programmes he doesn’t front himself, such as Kensington Wives and Grimefighters.
| Period | Milestone |
| Early career | Session drummer, then news/war cameraman for ITV and TF1 |
| 1980s–90s | Directed rock documentaries, commercials, and feature films |
| 1995 | Founded HCA Entertainment |
| 1996–2000 | Presented and produced Stars and Cars on Channel 5 |
| 2011–present | Presents The Motorbike Show on ITV4 |
| 2012–2015 | Presented World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides |
| 2013 | Founded Gladstone Motorcycles; set Bonneville land speed record |
| 2015–present | Presents Shed and Buried |
| 2016–present | Presents Find It, Fix It, Flog It |
| 2018 | Published A Biker’s Life |
| 2020 | Published The Life-Changing Magic of Sheds |
| 2023 | Set Guinness World Record for fastest tandem motorcycle |
| 2024 | Published Riding Route 66 |
| 2025 | Launched themotorbikeshow.com |
| 2026 | Shed and Buried Series 8, Junk & Disorderly Series 4, third UK theatre tour |
Television Career and Popular Shows
Getting a motorbike show commissioned took longer than you’d think. Broadcasters, by Cole’s own account, weren’t keen on backing a format with no track record, until the Travel Channel took a chance on World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides and sent him globe-trotting on two wheels. That success opened the door to the run of shows he’s best known for today.
| Show | Network(s) | Years | Notes |
| The Motorbike Show | ITV4 | 2011–present | Flagship series; now also on themotorbikeshow.com |
| World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides | Travel Channel International | 2012–2015 | 70 episodes filmed across the globe |
| Shed and Buried | Travel Channel / Discovery / Quest | 2015–present | Now on Series 8; spin-off Classic Bikes in the works |
| Find It, Fix It, Flog It | Channel 4 / Quest / U&Yesterday | 2016–present | 170 episodes made to date |
| Find It, Fix It, Drive It | More4 | — | Sister format to Flog It |
| Junk & Disorderly | ITV4 / Blaze | 2020s–present | Series 4 aired 2026; Series 5 pencilled for 2027 |
| The Great British Treasure Hunt | ITV4 | — | Antiques and treasure-hunting format |
The same faces tend to show up across these programmes: engineer Allen Millyard and long-time mate Guy “Skid” Willison, whose easy banter has become part of the appeal.
What’s New in 2026
- themotorbikeshow.com, a subscription platform launched in September 2025, hosts old series plus fresh content like Shed Talk and Ground Up Restorations, with Series 14 aiming for a broadcast return in 2027.
- Shed & Buried Series 8 started in June 2026 on Quest, with more episodes due later in the year, alongside a Classic Bikes spin-off.
- Junk & Disorderly Series 5 is being discussed for early 2027.
- Cole is also midway through his third UK theatre tour, 19 venues running through 2026, including a TT Week special on the Isle of Man.
Business Ventures and Restoration Projects
In 2013, Cole launched Gladstone Motorcycles, a bespoke British manufacturer named for his great-uncle Dick “Red Beard” Gladstone. As CEO, he’s turned a private obsession with classic engineering into a working business building custom machines.
Restoration is really the thread tying his whole career together, whether it’s a rusted find on Shed and Buried or a bargain from an autojumble on Junk & Disorderly, the appeal never changes. Cole’s backed that passion with real results on the track: in 2013 he clocked 99.78 mph on a Brough Superior at Bonneville, setting a land speed record for pre-1955 750cc motorcycles. Ten years later, riding pillion with Allen Millyard on a home-built Viper V10, he hit 183.5 mph at Elvington airfield to claim the Guinness World Record for fastest tandem motorcycle.
| Record | Machine | Location | Result | Year |
| Pre-1955 750cc land speed record | Brough Superior SS100 | Bonneville Salt Flats, USA | 99.78 mph | 2013 |
| Fastest tandem motorcycle | Millyard Viper V10 | Elvington Airfield | 183.5 mph | 2023 |
Cole has also written three books and taken his stories on the road with three theatre tours to date.
| Book | Year |
| A Biker’s Life: Misadventures on (and off) Two Wheels | 2018 |
| The Life-Changing Magic of Sheds | 2020 |
| Riding Route 66 | 2024 |
Henry Cole’s Wife and Family
Henry Cole has been married to Janie Cole (sometimes written as Jane) for more than 20 years. The pair have two sons, Charlie and Tom, and live a quiet, private life in the Cotswolds that’s a world away from Cole’s public persona on screen.
Janie was a steady presence through one of the toughest stretches of Cole’s life, his recovery from addiction in the late 1980s, and he’s credited her openly with keeping him grounded through decades of filming, touring, and running two businesses. The family keeps their sons well away from the cameras entirely.
| Detail | Information |
| Wife | Janie Cole (also known as Jane) |
| Married | 20+ years |
| Children | Two sons; Charlie and Tom |
| Lives in | The Cotswolds, England |
| Previous marriages | None reported |
| Pets | Two Norwich Terriers, Jelly Bean and Jelly Tot |
How Old Is Henry Cole’s Wife?
Janie’s exact age has never been made public. She keeps details like her date of birth firmly out of view, so any figure floating around online is guesswork rather than fact. Our full profile digs into what’s actually known about her: How Old Is Henry Cole’s Wife?
Who Is Henry Cole’s Wife?
Janie has remained largely out of the spotlight throughout her husband’s television career, choosing family life over public appearances. For the fuller story of how they met and built a life together, see: Henry Cole’s Wife.
Henry Cole’s Net Worth
Figures vary depending on who’s reporting them, but most estimates put Henry Cole’s net worth somewhere between roughly £2 million and $5 million. That money comes from a genuinely varied set of sources rather than a single show or paycheque.
| Source | Description |
| TV presenting & royalties | Fees from shows like The Motorbike Show and Shed and Buried |
| HCA Entertainment | Production profits, syndication, international sales |
| Gladstone Motorcycles | Revenue from bespoke custom motorcycle sales |
| Book royalties | Sales of his three published books |
| Theatre tours | Ticket sales from live UK dates |
| Merchandise | Branded clothing, mugs, and shed-related products |
Interesting Facts About Henry Cole
- Went to Eton College at the same time as Boris Johnson
- Distantly related to former PM William Ewart Gladstone
- Overcame a five-year heroin addiction and has been clean since 1988
- Holds the Guinness World Record for fastest tandem motorcycle (183.5 mph)
- Also holds a Bonneville land speed record for pre-1955 750cc bikes
- Has written three books and completed three UK theatre tours
- His two Norwich Terriers, Jelly Bean and Jelly Tot, appear regularly on his shows
- Started out as a session drummer, not a broadcaster
Conclusion
Henry Cole’s career is a genuine reinvention story: Eton schoolboy turned news cameraman, addiction turned recovery, a failed film turned into one of British TV’s longest-running factual formats. Between The Motorbike Show, Shed and Buried, Junk & Disorderly, and Gladstone Motorcycles, he’s built something that runs on persistence as much as passion. With a new series, a growing streaming platform, and a national tour all happening in 2026, there’s clearly more of this story still to come.
FAQs
Q. Where does Henry Cole live?
A. Henry Cole lives in the Cotswolds, England, along with his family, where he and Janie keep their family life well away from the cameras.
Q. Is Henry Cole still married?
A. Yes, he is married to Janie Cole, for over 20 years, with no reports of separation.
Q. Does Henry Cole have children?
A. Yes, he and Jaine has two sons, Charlie and Tom, both kept out of the public eye.
Q. What breed are Henry Cole’s dogs?
A. Henry Cole’s two dogs, Jelly Bean and Jelly Tot, are Norwich Terriers who appear regularly alongside him on his TV shows.
Sources & References
- Wikipedia: Henry Cole
- Tuko: Henry Cole’s net worth
- Jonathan Conway: Henry Cole
- Tuko: Who Janie cole henry coles wife, family
- Henry Cole: About- Henry
- Henry Cole: new series update
- The motor bike show: Henry Cole bikes
