British and Irish TV talent
Current Affairs Presenters
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ITN newscaster who worked on 'Channel 4 News', 1989 - 1998 and also the ITV 'Morning News', 1990s. Zeinab was also a presenter on 'Channel 4 Daily' in 1990.
In 1998, she joined the BBC, and spent five years working on live political programmes based at Westminster. She then moved to radio, where she presented 'The World Tonight' on BBC Radio 4 and 'Newshour' on the BBC World Service.
In April 2005, Zeinab was announced as the new presenter of 'BBC Four News'.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
Adam Boulton is a Sky News reporter/presenter.
We have no further information on this presenter at present. Presenters are encouraged to update their online profile by providing details via our Profile Submission mechanism.
(Sir). One of ITN's most famous newscasters, Alastair Burnet joined ITN as political editor in 1963 for a year. He went on to report for 'Dateline', 1963 - 1964, and 'Dateline Westminster' at the same time.
He became a relief ITN newscaster from February 1963 until 1964 and became permanent as an original member of 'News At Ten' team in July 1967 until 1972.
He left to join BBC TV's 'Panorama' as a presenter from 1972 until 1974.
Burnet returned to the ITN newscasting team from June 1976 until August 1991. He has also presented Thames TV's 'TV Eye' and 'This Week'. During his career, he also had spells in print journalism as editor, The Economist, 1965 - 1974, and Daily Express, 1974 - 1976. He was knighted in 1984.
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Andrea's broadcasting career began in 1985 at the age of 16 when she joined BBC Northern Ireland as a presenter on a youth current affairs programme.
Andrea joined Ulster Television in 1990 where she spent three years as a news and features reporter. In 1993, she moved to NBC Asia (NBC's business news network for the Asia Pacific region) in Hong Kong as a news reporter. Subsequently she became one of their main news presenters, anchoring coverage of special events including the handover of Hong Kong to China
She joined ITN in April 1998 as a relief newscaster and senior reporter. Later she was the company's medical correspondent in 1999 and then international correspondent for ITV News.
During 2000 she anchored the main evening news programme on Channel 5.
She rejoined the ITV newsroom in January 2001. She remains a regular news presenter on ITV news programmes.
(Sir). Former athlete who represented Great Britain in the 1952 and 1956 Olympic Games. He became ITN's first newscaster on 22 September 1955 and stayed until May 1956.
Chataway left to join the reporting team on BBC TV's 'Panorama' until 1959. He was a narrator on BBC Two's 'Horizon' from 1966 to 1968.
He left broadcasting for politics and was a Conservative MP from 1959 until 1966 and 1969 until 1974. He served as a Government Minister from 1970 until 1974. Left for business management, and was knighted in 1995.
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Michael's broadcast career started in 1986 at BBC WM where he was the early morning news reader. National radio was next, presenting 'You And Yours' on BBC Radio 4 as well as reporting for BFBS Forces Radio and the BBC World Service.
He was also a regular reporter on 'Countryfile' (BBC) from 1989 until 1998. He also presented 'Top Gear' (BBC) and canoeing series 'Paddles Up' (BBC).
In regional television, Michael hosted 'The Midlands At Westminster' (BBC) from 1993 to 1994, and was an anchor at Channel One news in London, from 1994 to 1995.
Michael has been a presenter with BBC 'Midlands Today' since 1995, and presenter of 'The Politics Show' (BBC) from Birmingham since 2006. He has also been heard many times as a news reader on BBC Radio 2.
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1960s continuity announcer and presenter of 'North East Roundabout', the first TTTV local news magazine. He also presented a more in-depth news programme for Tyne Tees - 'Spotlight' - which probed controversial issues of the day.
He left the company in 1964 to become the main anchor for the BBC regional news programme in the Midlands; he remained as a presenter there until 1980.
Tom later became a director of a Midlands based corporate video company.
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Main presenter of 'Coast To Coast' (South edition) with Fred Dinenage from the late-1980s until the end of 1992. She moved to Meridian to front the Thames Valley edition of 'Meridian Tonight'. Mai, who started out on HTV Wales, has returned to the company to present the political series 'The Sharp End', and is also one of the mainstays of the 'Wales This Week' team.
(Sir). Former barrister famous for his political interviewing, including nine election nights from 1964 until 1992. After a period as a BBC radio producer, he joined ITN in 1955 at its launch as a newscaster and parliamentary correspondent from 23 September 1955. He also presented 'Roving Report' in 1957.
He left ITN in 1959 to join the reporting team on BBC TV's 'Panorama' and later presented the programme from 1967 to 1972.
He presented BBC TV's 'Newsday' from 1974 until 1976, 'Tonight' from 1978 until 1979, and BBC Radio 4's 'The World At One' from 1979 until 1987. He chaired BBC TV's political discussion programme 'Question Time' from 1979 until 1989 and presented Channel 4's 'The Parliament Programme' in 1992. He was knighted in 1981 and died on 6 August 2000.
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Sean Duignan became one of the regular co-anchors of the relaunched RTÉ TV 'Six-One' news programme in Autumn 1990. C. 1994 he worked on secondment from RTÉ as the Government's press secretary. He subsequently returned to RTÉ and resumed a news presenting role for a period. He later became the regular presenter of 'The Week In Politics' (c. late-1990s - 2003).
(OBE). Sir David first appeared on Anglia TV in the early-1960s and was chosen to host the pioneering BBC TV satirical programme, 'That Was The Week That Was' (1962 - 1963). He later presented 'The Frost Report' (1966 - 1967) and 'The Frost Programme' at LWT. He was also a member of the team that won the London weekend franchise for LWT.
His career took on a transatlantic dimension in the late-1960s and 1970s, when he presented programmes in both America and London.
One of the more memorable moments from his career was his 1977 interview with the disgraced American President Richard Nixon.
In 1982 he successfully helped win the first ITV breakfast franchise for TV-am which he helped launch in February 1983. He presented 'Frost On Sunday' at the station from 1984 - 1992.
Sir David returned to BBC TV to present a Sunday morning interview programme 'Breakfast With Frost' from 1993 - 2005.
He is the only person to have interviewed all of the past six British Prime Ministers and the past seven US Presidents.
For many years he also hosted the panel game 'Through The Keyhole', first for ITV then BBC TV.
He owns his own production company, Paradine Productions and in 2005 received the BAFTA Fellowship. In October 2005, he announced that he would join Al-Jazeera International as a presenter from its launch.
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Current main anchor of ITV 1 Wales news programme 'Wales Tonight'. Jonathan has been a key news presenter for the channel for the last few years after joining the company as a news reporter in 1993. He has also reported and presented for 'Wales This Week' and his investigation into a notorious Welsh murder case won a BAFTA Award.Joan started in broadcasting at Radio Tay in 1982. She moved to Grampian in 1983 where she presented 'North Tonight' and various news documentaries. She moved into presenting politics and current affairs, hosting 'Crossfire' which she combined with establishing her own media company, The Fifth Business.
Joan left television shortly after the SMG takeover. She was the runner-up in Scottish Businesswoman of the Year 2000. Joan obtained an MA (Hons) in politics and jurisprudence from Dundee University and an MBA from Aberdeen University.
David began his broadcasting life in radio. His first job was with BBC Radio 4 on 'The World At One'. He was the first voice on LBC.
David then moved into television and was involved with various current affairs programmes and programmes specialising in miscarriages of justice: 'Rough Justice' (BBC); 'Trial And Error' (Channel 4).
In 2000, he left broadcasting temporarily to become Commissioner on the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
In 1998, he was awarded the RTS Special Award for his career in investigating miscarriages of justice.
David currently presents news programmes for BBC World as well as writing documentaries.
(Sir). ITN newscaster from April 1956 until 1958. Reporter, BBC TV's 'Panorama', 1960 - 1963, '24 Hours', 1969 - 1972, 'Tonight', 1976 - 1978 and ITV's 'This Week', 1958 - 1960.
He was also presenter of BBC Radio 4's 'The World At One', 1965 - 1966, BBC TV's 'Midweek', 1972 - 1975, 'Newsday', 1975 - 1976 and 'Did You See...?', 1980 - 1988.
He was also relief chairman of BBC TV's 'Question Time'.
Ludovic was knighted in 1994.
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Eamonn was born in Delvin, Co Westmeath and was educated at Rockwell College, Cashel and University College Dublin. He was European correspondent with RTÉ News from the late-1970s until the late-1980s. In 1989 he became the main anchor on RTÉ TV's new weekday 'One O'Clock News' programme.
In Autumn 1990 he moved to anchor the 'Nine O'Clock News'. He later became one of the co-anchors on the main evening news programme, 'Six-One' and also presented the current affairs programme 'Prime Time'.
In 1999, Eamonn left the newsroom to take up a presenting job on RTÉ''s new classical music radio station Lyric FM.
Mark Little joined RTÉ in 1991 as a reporter. In 1995, he was appointed as RTÉ's first Washington correspondent. Whilst in that role he covered two presidential elections, the Monica Lewinsky scandal, President Clinton's involvement in the Irish Peace Process and his state visits to Ireland.
In 2001, Mark returned to Ireland to become RTE's foreign affairs correspondent. He reported on the impact of September 11th attacks from the United States, Israel, Egypt, and Iran. In 2003 he spent seven weeks in Northern Iraq reporting on the war.
In Autumn 2003, Mark became one of the regular anchors on the 'Prime Time' current affairs programme.
BBC Scotland (1995 - present) and Grampian (1981 - 1995). Anne is the longest serving news and current affairs presenter in Scottish television. She started on 'North Tonight' with John Duncanson, moving to the opposition on 'Reporting Scotland' in 1995. She then went on to 'Westminster Live', 'Despatch Box' and Radio 4 in London. She is now a regular presenter on 'Newsnight Scotland' on BBC Two Scotland.Sally's journalistic career began in newspapers with The Scotsman and Sunday Standard.
She joined BBC Scotland as a current affairs presenter. London then beckoned, where she became one of the main presenters on 'Nationwide' successor, 'Sixty Minutes'.
In October 1986, she became one of the regular presenters on BBC One's 'Breakfast Time', later 'Breakfast News'. In the mid-1990s, she moved back to BBC Scotland where she became a regular presenter on 'Reporting Scotland'.
Since then, she has been associated with many TV productions - for BBC Network and BBC Scotland. Among them: 'Dunblane: A Community Remembers' (1996; she won a Scottish Bafta for her commentary on this programme); 'Diana: My Sister the Princess' (1998; awarded an RTS award for her interview with Earl Spencer); General Elections (1997, 2001, 2005); the funeral of Princess Diana; 'Songs Of Praise'.
Since late-2005, Sally has been the Friday presenter on BBC Two's 'Daily Politics'.
Andrew was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He was educated at Dundee High School, Craigflower School in Fife, and Loretto School, Musselburgh, East Lothian. He gained a BA in English from Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
Andrew spent a considerable portion of his journalistic career in the newspaper industry. He joined The Scotsman as a trainee and junior business reporter in 1981. By 1984, he was their parliamentary correspondent. He then switched to The Independent for two years before returning to The Scotsman as political editor. He was political editor at The Economist from 1988 until 1992. In 1992, he returned to The Independent as chief political commentator; in 1996 he became editor.
1998 and Andrew was on the move again - this time to The Express and The Observer where he became a columnist.
In May 2000, Andrew was appointed to one of the highest profile positions in British TV news - BBC political editor. He remained in the role until after the 2005 General Election. In September that year he became the presenter of a new Sunday morning news show, 'Sunday AM' (the replacement for 'Breakfast With Frost').
Andrew also presents BBC Radio 4's 'Start The Week'.
He has won many awards throughout his career: Columnist Of The Year, What The Papers Say Awards, 1995; Columnist Of The Year, British Press Awards, 1995; Journalist Of The Year, Creative Freedom Awards 2000; Journalist Award, Channel 4 Political Awards, 2001; Royal Television Society Television Journalism Award, 2001, for specialist journalism on the 'BBC Ten O'Clock News'; the Richard Dimbleby Award at the Bafta Television Awards, 2004.
Patricia is a graduate of Durham and Reading universities (Middle East studies, Law and Politics). She is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Patricia joined the BBC's 'Inside Out' programme in 2002, specialising in sustained investigation and undercover reporting. Landmark legal action was taken on the basis of the findings in two of her investigations.
Patricia specialises in religion and ethics, gypsies and travellers. She is an active campaigner for the rights of gypsies and travellers.
Daisy is ITV News' chief political correspondent. Previously, she co-presented BBC Two's 'The Daily Politics'.
We have no further information on this presenter at present. Presenters are encouraged to update their online profile by providing details via our Profile Submission mechanism.
One of the main anchors of STV's 'Scotland Today' in the 1980s who went on to front 'Channel 4 News' and other current affairs programmes for Channel 4.
(Sir). Trevor McDonald began his TV career in 1962 in his native Trinidad and joined the BBC World Service in 1969. He moved to ITN in 1971 as a reporter. Later he was sports correspondent (1978), diplomatic correspondent (1980 - 1987) and diplomatic editor in 1987.
He was a relief ITN newscaster from January 1973 until September 1977 and between 1989 and 1990. He presented ITN's flagship programme 'News At Ten' from 1990 until 1999, first as co-presenter and from November 1992 as the sole presenter.
Was co-presenter with Sandy Gall on the last 'News At Ten' broadcast from ITN's old Wells Street studios in December 1990.
In February 1990, after several earlier visits to Southern Africa, visited Johannesburg to report Nelson Mandela's release from prison and carried out the first British TV interview with him. In November 1990, just prior to the Gulf War, he interviewed Saddam Hussein in Baghdad. The interview was broadcast around the world and is to date the only British TV interview with the Iraqi President.
Co-presenter on ITV's 1995 World Cup Rugby coverage. Presenter 'Tonight With Trevor McDonald', since its launch in April 1999. Since 1996 he has presented the annual National Television Awards, from the Royal Albert Hall. He has appeared on three election nights, 1979 - 1992, and he was knighted in 1999.
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Cliff Michelmore became a household name as the main presenter of BBC Television's ground breaking 'Tonight' programme (1957 - 1965) and had around him such luminaries as Geoffrey Johnson-Smith (later to become a Conservative MP), Derek Hart, Kenneth Allsop, Fyfe Robertson and Alan Whicker.
In 1965 Cliff went on - with many of the same colleagues (and others) - to be one of the main presenters of the late night '24 Hours' news and current affairs programme on BBC One until 1968 (the programme continued every weeknight until 1972).
Cliff continued in his freelance role as a BBC presenter of various programmes, including the 'Holiday' programme, from 1969 until 1986. He returned to celebrate the show's 25th anniversary in 1994, with the then presenter Jill Dando, and visited the resort featured in the first programme. In February 1980, he replaced Barry Westwood as the chief presenter of Southern Television's 'Day By Day' programme, working Monday to Thursday each week. There was an irony here because 'Day By Day' - like many other regional early evening magazine programmes - was launched because of the huge success of the old BBC 'Tonight' programme. Tonight was a pioneering programme that set the tone for a generation of imitators.
Cliff's 22 month stint with Southern Television ended on December 31 1981 - the day Southern's franchise expired. His spell with Southern Television merited one line in his autobiography.
His wife was 'forces favourite' broadcaster Jean Metcalf, who also was a well known broadcaster on BBC radio, who died in February 2000.
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Andrew presents political programming on BBC TV, including 'This Week' and 'The Daily Politics'. Other BBC TV presenting roles include: 'Newsnight' and late-night political programmes 'The Midnight Hour' and 'Despatch Box'.
He is a former editor of 'The Sunday Times'.
We have no further information on this presenter at present. Presenters are encouraged to update their online profile by providing details via our Profile Submission mechanism.
Rhodri began his presenting career with S4C, working on all sorts of programmes: weekly magazine show 'Uned 5'; children's TV presentation; special events programmes. After six years with S4C, he moved to CBBC in London, where he presented the children's consumer show 'Short Change'. He also went on to front the BBC Wales consumer programme 'X-Ray'.
Rhodri has also presented a number of other BBC programmes: '4x4'; 'Liquid Assets'; 'Holiday'; 'Hard Cash'; 'Britain's Dream Homes'. He also worked on ITV's 'Wish You Were Here' for three years.
Rhodri is married to fellow TV presenter, Lucy Owen.
Miriam's first broadcasting job was as a researcher on 'This Is Your Life' in the days when Eamon Andrews was still at the helm. She later moved to the BBC, initially as a producer and then as a reporter on 'Newsnight'.
In 1993, Miriam returned to Ireland. She became one of the main presenters on RTÉ's business affairs programme 'Marketplace'.
In 1996, Miriam was appointed as one of the regular anchors on a new current affairs programme, 'Prime Time'.
Southern Television (1976 - 1981) and TVS political reporter/editor, who went on to present the TVS weekly politics programme, 'Agenda'. After TVS lost its contract, Brian remained in the press gallery of the House of Commons, where he is still based today, covering politics. He now reports for the Capital Radio Network, covering radio stations mainly in the South and South East of England. They include Invicta Radio, Southern FM, and Ocean FM, among others.
Before joining Southern, Brian worked for Tyne Tees TV, where he first presented a weekly studio discussion called 'Youth Puts The Question'. He then moved on to front a half hour weekly children's programme, 'Three Rivers Club', with Australian presenter Don Spencer, who wrote and recorded the opening title music for the popular Fireball XL5 children's programme.
During the late-1960s, Brian covered politics for, and often presented, the nightly news magazine programme 'North East Roundabout' with co-hosts Roddy Griffiths and Charlotte Allan. He also chaired the weekly political programme, 'Front Page Debate' for TTTV.
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Valerie is a former actress, who began her television career as a BBC TV in-vision announcer in early-1962. She auditioned for 'Blue Peter' in April 1962 and became one of the best known and longest serving presenters from September 1962 until May 1973, although she continued to appear occasionally in the studio until December 1974 and on film until May 1976.
She still pops up for special anniversaries proudly wearing her gold badge! She has also presented: 'Blue Peter Royal Safari', 1971; 'Blue Peter Special Assignment', 1973 - 1976 and in 1981; 'Val Meets The VIPs',1973; 'All Star Record Breakers', 1974/1975.
She moved to adult TV as presenter on 'Nationwide' in 1977 and 1978. She presented 'Consumer Desk' from 1973 until 1975; 'Tonight', 1978 - 1979; 'The Money Programme', 1980 - 1988. She was a BBC Radio 4 presenter, 'PM', 1981 - 1992.
Valerie is now a travel writer.
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Presenter of BBC TV's 'Late Night Line-Up', 1964 until 1967, 'Midweek', 1974, and 'Tonight', 1975 until 1979. Reporter, BBC TV's '24 Hours', 1967 until 1972 and 'Man Alive' between 1971 and 1974. ITN newscaster on the 'Morning News' and 'Weekend News' from April 1994 until c. the late-1990s. He now presents on RTÉ Radio in Ireland.Malcolm began his TV career with BBC Scotland and Scottish TV, where he worked as a journalist and presenter in the heavyweight end of news and current affairs output. He later became involved in networked programming for various channels.
Malcolm's career to date:
1972 - 1974: reporter (Scottish TV).
1974 - 1983: reporter (BBC Scotland).
1975 - 1983: presenter, 'Reporting Scotland' (BBC TV Scotland); presenter, 'Good Morning Scotland' (BBC Radio Scotland).
1981: presenter on one of the first breakast TV services in the UK.
1983 - 1987: BBC Network current affairs reporter for various programmes including: 'Watchdog'; 'Nationwide'; '60 Minutes'; 'Newsnight'; 'The Money Programme'; 'Panorama'.
1987 - 1989: Scottish TV - presenter, 'Scotland Today', 'Scottish Assembly' and 'Scottish Questions'.
1989 - 1997: independent producer/reporter: 'World In Action' (Granada); 'Dispatches' (Channel 4); 'Scottish Reporters' (Scottish TV).
Present: Jocksters.tv.
Malcolm was educated at Ayr Academy and studied law at Edinburgh University. His hobbies include reading, web TV, public transparency and accountability and music.
Preston Witts began working as a reporter for Southern Television - having been a political correspondent in Parliament for various newspapers - at the end of November 1976. His work involved studio interviews - live and recorded - making films for the magazine programme 'Day By Day', co-presenting a local politics programme called 'People Rule' with - among others - Veronica Charlwood and Alastair Stewart, and reporting on documentaries for the 'Southern Report' series of regional half hour films.
When Southern lost the franchise and TVS began broadcasting on January 1 1982, he (with most of the other Southern people) joined the new TV station. He continued working as a reporter and interviewer for the new daily magazine programme, 'Coast To Coast', until July 1984, when he became part of TVS's new weekly political programme, 'Agenda'. The lead presenter was Llew Gardner, with Preston Witts and Brian Shallcross doing studio reports and films.
Preston Witts stayed with TVS until returning to London as a freelance from the beginning of 1990. He is now the press and public relations manager of the Institute Of Management in London.
