Rachel Riley was born on 11 January 1986 in Southend, Essex, England, UK. She has been married to Pasha Kovalev since 28 June 2019. They have two children. She was previously married to Jamie Gilbert.
She was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2023 King's New Years Honours List for her services to Holocaust education. She is a campaigner in London, England.