Ed Balls: Biography, Career, Wife, Children, and Net Worth

Few former politicians have navigated the transition from Westminster to the TV studio quite like Ed Balls. Once a Labour MP and cabinet minister, he now greets millions of viewers each morning on Good Morning Britain.

Born: 25 February 1967 ·
Age: 57 (as of 2024) ·
Spouse: Yvette Cooper (married 1998) ·
Children: 3 ·
Former MP for: Morley and Outwood (2010–2015) ·
Current roles: Broadcaster, Professor of Political Economy

Seven facts about Ed Balls, one pattern: from Treasury adviser to TV anchor, his career has crossed economics, politics, and media with unusual breadth.

What are Ed Balls doing now?

Ed Balls has built a second career that stretches far beyond the Commons chamber. He co-hosts Good Morning Britain on ITV, holds a professorship, and co-presents a popular economics podcast.

What do Ed Balls do for a living?

• Co-presenter on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, sharing the hot seat with Susanna Reid since November 2021 (Ed Balls television page)
• Professor of Political Economy at King’s College London, appointed in 2020 (Ed Balls official website)
• Host of Political Currency podcast alongside former Chancellor George Osborne (Ed Balls official website)
• Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School (Ed Balls official website)
• Co-Chair of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation (Ed Balls official website)

What TV show does Ed Balls present?

He regularly co-hosts Good Morning Britain on ITV, frequently alongside Kate Garraway, Ranvir Singh, and Charlotte Hawkins (Ed Balls television page). His move into broadcasting surprised some observers but has become a defining part of his public profile.

The implication: Balls’ portfolio of media and academic roles gives him a platform that most former frontbenchers can only imagine. For a politician who once held the second-highest economics post in the country, the shift to a sofa and a lecture hall is both unexpected and, by audience numbers, successful.

This combination of roles reflects a deliberate rebrand from policy architect to public explainer.

Who is Ed Balls’s wife?

Ed Balls married Labour MP Yvette Cooper in January 1998. The couple are one of the most prominent political partnerships in modern British history.

Is Ed Balls married to Yvette Cooper?

• Yes – they married on 10 January 1998 in Eastbourne, according to Wikipedia (crowd-sourced encyclopedia)
• They were the first married couple to sit together in the Cabinet, under Gordon Brown (Politics.co.uk UK politics reference)
• Both remain senior Labour figures; Cooper currently serves as Shadow Home Secretary

Has Ed Balls any children?

• Three children – details kept private, per Ed Balls official website (personal biography)
• The family splits time between London and Castleford (Ed Balls official website)

Who is Ed Balls’ brother?

• His brother is Andrew Balls, a financial journalist and editor at the Financial Times (Politics.co.uk UK politics reference)
• Their father was a professor of zoology, according to BBC News (public service broadcaster)

What this means: Ed Balls’ family life is tightly interwoven with Labour politics – his wife, his brother, even his father-in-law (former Labour minister Tony Cooper) all have deep ties. The Cooper-Balls household is arguably the most powerful political family in modern Britain.

How wealthy are Ed Balls?

Public records do not confirm Ed Balls’ net worth. Parliamentary declarations and company filings provide only partial clues.

How much do ED balls earn a year?

• His ITV salary is not publicly disclosed
• As an MP, ministerial salaries ranged from £85,000 to £140,000 per year (House of Commons data)
• Academic appointments typically add £50k–£80k for professorial roles

What is Ed Balls’ net worth?

No verified figure exists. Some media outlets have speculated around £1.5 million, but no authoritative source – such as official financial disclosures or Companies House filings – confirms that number. The gap in reliable data is typical for former politicians who move into media: earnings from TV and speaking are often held privately.

The trade-off: the public knows Balls’ professional roles far better than his personal finances. For a figure who chaired the Treasury’s economic policy, the lack of transparency is itself a data point.

This financial opacity is common among former politicians who move into media.

How old is Ed Balls?

Born on 25 February 1967, Ed Balls is 57 years old as of 2024. His biography covers Oxford, Harvard, the Treasury, the Cabinet, and now television.

What is Ed Balls’ political affiliation?

• Labour and Co-operative Party member throughout his career (Britannica encyclopedia)
• Served as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2011 to 2015 (Britannica encyclopedia)
• Still considered a Labour figure, though no longer an MP

When did Ed Balls leave Parliament?

• Lost his seat in Morley and Outwood at the 2015 general election (BBC News)
• Did not stand again in 2017 or 2019

What is Ed Balls’ educational background?

• Keble College, Oxford – degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (BBC News)
• Kennedy Scholar at Harvard University (BBC News)

The pattern: Balls’ fast-track education and early Treasury career shaped his policy-heavy reputation. That same analytical bent now serves him well on a show that mixes news, opinion, and human interest.

His ability to adapt across these fields is rare among former frontbenchers.

What is Ed Balls Day?

An internet phenomenon that began as a simple typo on Twitter. Ed Balls Day is now an annual April event.

• Originated on 28 April 2012, when Ed Balls tweeted his own name (Wikipedia (crowd-sourced encyclopedia))
• The tweet – simply “Ed Balls” – became a viral meme and is re‑posted annually each 28 April
• No official endorsement from Balls himself, though he has acknowledged it in interviews

Why this matters: Ed Balls Day is a rare example of a politician embracing – even gently benefiting from – an internet joke. It underscores how Balls has often leaned into his public persona rather than resist it.

Timeline

Timeline signal: the sharp turn from losing a seat in 2015 to a TV career by 2017 is unusually fast. Most former ministers return to think‑tanks or corporate boards; Balls chose a live‑broadcast slot.

Clarity check

The balance of known and unknown reflects the typical privacy of a public figure who has moved from elected office to media.

Quotes

“I am a broadcaster, writer and economist.”

– Ed Balls, personal website (Ed Balls official biography)

Ed Balls has also said he loves his new role at ITV and the chance to talk about current affairs (BBC News (public service broadcaster)).

The pattern: Balls consistently frames his identity as a communicator, not a politician. The quotes reinforce a deliberate rebrand from policy wonk to public explainer.

Summary

Ed Balls has pulled off one of the more unusual career pivots in British public life: from Labour cabinet minister to breakfast‑TV co‑host and university professor. His path is not a template – most ex‑politicians don’t jump to live television – but it explains why he remains far better known than many former frontbenchers. For anyone watching Good Morning Britain, the takeaway is simple: the man who once wrote Gordon Brown’s budgets now explains them over tea and a split screen.

Frequently asked questions

These questions cover the most common queries about Ed Balls’ life and career.

For more on other British media figures, see Dermot O’Leary and Alice Roberts.