Lynn M. Bowles (born 27 November 1963 in Cardiff, Wales) is a BBC Radio 2 traffic reporter and can be heard relaying the latest traffic news on a half hourly basis on the morning shows presented by Sarah Kennedy, Terry Wogan and Ken Bruce.

Bowles graduated from university with a BA (Hons) in Communication Studies and a PostGraduate in Film Criticism, after which she became Assistant Managing Editor of OSRATI - a Kuwaiti weekly women's magazine.

Before joining the BBC, Bowles worked in New Orleans for a TV news station, but traffic news called and she has presented travel news for, amongst others, Radio Caroline, Kiss 100, Choice FM and Invicta, even broadcasting from a helicopter. Lynn eventually became the daytime travel presenter on LBC before joining BBC Radio 5 Live and the John Inverdale Nationwide programme.

During her time at Five Live she was nearly drowned by the station in a submerged helicopter. She also broadcast live from the M25 and managed to cause a traffic jam in the process, reported from Tanzania on Comic Relief day, and covered the American Motor Show in Detroit.

Bowles learnt to drive in a Land Rover and is fast becoming a mascot for the marque after competing in the 2004 run of the Macmillan 4x4 UK Challenge and co-presenting the Heritage Motor Centre Land Rover show every year since 2005.

In the November 2007 Children in Need week a "Money can't buy" experience was auctioned which included spending a day with Lynn at Land Rover and other automotive experiences under the banner of 'Petrolheads'. The item raised £22,000 for the charity.

Many listeners of BBC Radio 2's Wake Up to Wogan are familiar with Terry Wogan's banter with Bowles, who is known to the TOGs as 'Traffic Totty', which often involves reading short poems from listeners cut short after 1 or 2 lines as the risqué innuendo is telegraphed. Her frequently changing date of birth; usually wildly inaccurate; on her Wikipedia page has become a long running joke on Wogan's show. The various dates of birth have suggested that she is everything from around 80 to around 20. Wogan alleges and frequently alludes to the fact that Bowles' birthplace was the Splott district of Cardiff, resulting in frequent references to "The Totty from Splotty". She has also been punningly referred to as The Talk Wench. Bowles is well known on the programme for her affection for Clark's Pies.

Her Great Uncle Joe possessed the fastest donkey in Cardiff and she still keeps several of the famous Monmouthshire High-Stepping Speed Donkeys for her personal transport.

Bowles revealed in April 2008, in an interview with 'Min Dwr' magazine, that she is the owner of two Welsh poodle, named "Tafod Bach" and "Siani".

Lynn is an ambassador for Bobath Children's Therapy Centre Wales, a registered charity based in Cardiff which provides specialist Bobath therapy to children from all over Wales who have cerebral palsy.

References

1. General Register Office Birth Index Quarter 4 1963 Cardiff
2. BBC Biography
3. Land Rover Enthusiast Article
4. Heritage Land Rover Weekend
5. Children in Need auction of promises
6. BBC Biography