British and Irish TV talent
ITV 1 - Yorkshire Presenters
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Bradford born Christa Ackroyd, one of the main presenters of 'Calendar' for more than 10 years recently left the station in 2001 to anchor the rival BBC 'Look North' from Leeds from Autumn that year.
She started her career in journalism with the Halifax Courier and then moved into radio, first with Pennine Radio, and then with Radio Aire, where she became the UK's first female radio news editor. While there she covered the Yorkshire Ripper case, and supplied reports to national network radio.
Christa joined Yorkshire Television in 1989.
Aitken brandished his 'sword of truth' as a news reporter and presenter on 'Calendar' in the early-1970s before he won the Thanet East parliamentary constituency for the Conservative Party in 1974, and turned to a career in politics.
He was later a board director of TV-am during its troubled early life.
YTV news reporter and 'Calendar' presenter who left the company in the late-1990s to work on French television.Faye's first broadcasting job was with EBN (now CNBC) in late-1996. She later presented for '5 News' (also carried out a reporting role there), ITV Yorkshire, the ITV News Channel. GMTV and ITV London.
Other TV projects: 'Package Holiday Undercover' (ITV 1); 'St Jimmy's' (ITV 1).
Long serving YTV reporter and 'Calendar'/news bulletin presenter who has also fronted the company's 'Tonight' programme and 'Live Lunch' show. Gaynor later anchored Calendar 'Lunchtime Live'.YTV reporter/presenter mainstay in the late-1980s and 1990s who is now a freelance television director and producer.
Tyne Tees TV and Yorkshire TV weather presenter since early-2001.
Penny started her journalistic career with the Western Mail in Cardiff before her long association with the BBC, starting as a reporter at Radio Brighton in 1979.
She was asked to join the team starting up the new station in Lincolnshire in 1980 as a producer, and read the station's first ever bulletin. In 1983, she landed a four month attachment with the new BBC 'Breakfast Time' as an assistant producer - but got that cliched 'lucky break' six weeks later - and became a reporter for five years. She also presented the local news bulletins (South East regional opt-out) and ocasionally, 'London Plus'.
In 1987, she joined Yorkshire TV's 'Calendar' as a reporter and also occasionally presented alongside the legendary Richard Whiteley. In 1988, she returned to London and combined presenting 'Newsroom South East' with the regional documentary series 'Friday Reports' and an events/entertainment programme 'Weekend'.
In 1989, she began a long stint as a presenter/reporter on 'Look East' in Norwich where she also reported/presented on regional documentaries and an environment series.
For two years from 1997, she headed the fundraising and PR team at a children's hospice in Cambridge. In 1999, she moved to Yorkshire and freelanced as a reporter/presenter for Tyne Tees, Yorkshire TV and BBC Look North. In 2002, after graduating with a first class honours degreee from York University, she worked as head of communications for an NHS Primary Care Trust.
She returned to BBC Look North in 2004, where she is currently health correspondent.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
News reporter and presenter for Yorkshire Television who became the company's political editor. In March 2002, Geoff became one of the main anchors of 'Calendar' with Christine Talbot.
John obtained a BA (Hons) in communication, cultural studies and public media from the University of Leeds. He also has a post-graduate diploma in broadcast journalism, from City University, London and a Masters degree in modern European studies, from London Metropolitan University.
John's broadcasting career began in 1991 with the BBC; he was a news reader and producer with BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey.
In 1992, he made the switch to television, presenting and reporting for Yorkshire TV's early morning (GMTV) and evening news programmes. John returned to radio in 1993, news reading and writing for Classic FM. He went back to the BBC in 1994, presenting and producing for the BBC World Service.
In 1997, he took up a position as a television continuity announcer with BBC TV; his voice was heard on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Choice. From 1999, he switched to the announcer's booths at UK Gold and BBC World TV.
It was back to radio again in 2001; John became an announcer for the BBC World Service (Education Network). In 2004, he switched to presenting: initially for the English programme for China; and then in 2005, he began presenting the live, daily 'BBC Xtra' English programme, heard on BBC Arabic.
John tells us that he is an enthusiastic pro-European...and Finland lover!
Steve was born in Larne, Northern Ireland. His broadcasting career began with BBC Northern Ireland in the early-1980s: he started off as a TV continuity announcer and also read the news on TV and on BBC Radio Ulster. He later fronted many sports programmes for BBC Northern Ireland, such as 'Grandstand' and 'Sportsnight'. He also produced and presented for BBC Radio Ulster.
In the late-1980s, Steve moved to Yorkshire to present a radio talk show on BBC Radio Leeds (for which he won a Sony Gold) Over the years, Steve has presented on various radio stations, including: BBC Radio Newcastle; BBC Radio Three Counties; BBC Radio WM. He also worked at BBC Radio 5 Live, where he wrote and hosted 'The Media Show' and presented on 'Late Night Live', and 'Breakfast'.
In the early-1990s, Steve started work with Yorkshire TV as a reporter and presenter. Among the programmes he presented: 'Calendar', 'Scoreline', 'Tonight' and 'Live Lunch'.
He also presented for BBC TV in the Midlands: 'The Midlands At Westminster' and read the news on 'Look North'
In 2001, he fronted the national ITV 1 quiz, 'The Biggest Game In Town', presenting ninety-six live editions of the show. He also presented the current affairs programme 'A Bitter Pill' on BBC One Network.
Steve is still based in Leeds, where he runs a media company alongside his broadcasting commitments.
Image courtesy of Mark Swinford Photography/Steve Le Fevre.
Website
Michelle is a news presenter with ITV Yorkshire.
Tina is a reporter for 'Calendar', the ITV 1 regional news programme in the Yorkshire region. She also presents the 'Gripevine' section on the programme, taking up the concerns of people in the region with consumer-related problems.Yorkshire Television's news editor who also fronted news bulletins for the station. Jim went on to work in public relations for South Yorkshire Police. He died in October 2003, and a memorial service took place on October 25 2003 at the Kingdom Hall, Eckington.Yorkshire Television reporter and presenter for many years, Alan has also fronted several other local topicality programmes for the station, and also manned the Lincolnshire patch for Calendar. Alan retired from YTV in 2002 but can now be heard presenting on BBC Radio Lincolnshire every weekday.YTV news reporter and bulletin presenter who became one of the anchors of 'Calendar' (South) from Sheffield.Yorkshire Television's long serving weather forecaster with fellow meteorologist Jon Mitchell. Debbie started her broadcasting career in radio at The Pulse in Bradford. She now also presents a show for Real Radio in Yorkshire.Tyne Tees TV news reporter and presenter, who moved to Yorkshire TV, where she is currently one of the regular reporter/presenters of the nightly news magazine 'Calendar'.Now the undisputed Emperor of Daytime Television (although he left 'This Morning' (ITV) to front an evening programme for Channel 4), Richard Madeley cut his television teeth at Border TV and then Yorkshire Television as a reporter and presenter for 'Calendar'. He left YTV to join Granada Television's local news programme, 'Granada Reports', as a news reader and reporter, where he met fellow reporter/presenter and his future wife, Judy Finnigan. The couple were soon catapaulted to national fame when Granada picked them to front its new morning magazine show, 'This Morning' in 1988, originally broadcast from Liverpool's Albert Dock, but from 1996, from London.News reader on 'Calendar' and YTV news bulletins throughout the day who has also presented on the digital Wellbeing channel.Yorkshire Television 'Calendar' reporter and presenter. Peter later anchored 'Calendar' (South) from Sheffield.
Long serving Yorkshire Television weatherman, with colleague Debbie Lindley. In fact the pair have been known to co-present weather bulletins, which is unusual in the world of television weather forecasts.
Tyne Tees Television in-vision continuity announcer and news reader in the 1990s who moved to the anchor's chair on Sky News.
Since c. 2005, Jonathan has been back at ITV Tyne Tees, fronting regional news programme, 'North East Tonight'.
Jonathan also worked on Yorkshire TV's 'Calendar' and the now defunct Wellbeing channel - dates unknown. He also presented on the ITV News Channel in 2003 and 2004.
One of the main presenters of TV-am after Nick Owen left the company in the mid-1980s until the station lost its franchise in the auction of 1991. Morris stayed until the bitter end and is famous for expressing his disgust at the station's 'unfair' loss by saying at the time he was 'gutted'.
Morris moved to Yorkshire Television in the mid-1990s as one of the main anchors of 'Calendar'. At the same time his former TV-am boss, Bruce Gyngell, moved north to head up Yorkshire-Tyne Tees Television, which was then taken over by Granada.
Mike Morris left 'Calendar' in March 2002.
Nick's broadcasting life began with Pennine News and Sport. After four years there he moved to Yorkshire TV as a news reporter and presenter.
In January 1996 he joined Sky as a news producer. However, since December 1996, he has been presenting on Sky Sports News.
He's currently also a regular face on 'Five News'.
YTV news reporter and presenter who switched to fronting and reporting sports programming on the station. In March 2002, John became one of the main anchors of 'Calendar' with Geoff Druett and Jonathan Morrell for a temporary period. John returned to his role as main sports presenter.Yorkshire Television reporter and presenter.Glamorous co-anchor of 'Calendar' who has reported and presented on a wide range of Yorkshire Television programmes over the years, including the 'Tonight' programme. Before joining YTV, she presented the BBC's 'North West Tonight'.Sheffield born Anna Walker co-presented Yorkshire Television's 'Calendar' regional news magazine programme until 1989 when she left to front sports output for British Satellite Broadcasting. When Sky took over the company, many BSB staff were made redundant and Anna undertook freelance sports reporting duties for BBC television nationally, working on several events including the winter and summer Olympics of 1992.
She soon moved to Sky Television as a sports presenter, and currently also presents on the digital Wellbeing channel. Anna also hosted 'Good Morning Britain' for TV-am for a short spell before joining YTV.
Anna has presented on a number of other television programmes: 'Garden Challenge'; 'Big Strong Boys'; 'Garden Invaders'; 'Tomorrow's World' (BBC); 'Wish You Were Here' (ITV).
Bob started his career as a reporter with ATV in the early-1970s, but left to join Yorkshire Television's news department where he became the first ever breakfast television presenter when the company experimented with 'Good Morning Calendar' in the mid-1970s.
Bob returned to ATV to anchor 'ATV Today' in the late-1970s, co-hosting the programme with Wendy Nelson and Anne Diamond. He moved over to Central TV in 1982 to present 'Central News' in the West Midlands with Wendy Nelson, and is still there today.
(Later Marylyn Mason). Marylyn joined YTV's nightly news programme ('Calendar') from print journalism in 1972, to spearhead a news unit based in Lincoln, when YTV took over the Belmont transmitter from Anglia TV. She moved to the Leeds television centre in 1975 as a reporter, news reader and presenter.
Throughtout the 1970s and 1980s, she covered most major stories in the region, from the Flixborough disaster to all five years of the 'Yorkshire Ripper' murders and the subsequent Old Bailey trial of Peter Sutcliffe.
From 1989 to 1999, she was involved with an independent production company which produced environmental and gardening programmes for YTV, Channel 4 and Anglia TV, with garden designer and presenter Alan Mason (husband). Marylyn and Alan now concentrate on Alan Mason Garden Design, established in 1987.
Awards: 1983/4 Radio and Television Industries (Yorkshire) Club Personality of the Year (a year in which she presented 'Calendar' and six other series).
Website
Yorkshire TV, Tyne Tees TV and then HTV Wales news presenter and reporter since 1988, who was found dead in January 2001 on a beach near his home. An inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death.
HTV Wales reported the sad news in this way:
"The death of popular HTV presenter Huw Weekes shocked and saddened people all across Wales. Hundreds of tributes poured in to the HTV newsroom from viewers, colleagues and politicians. Many people said that although they had never met him, they felt as though they had lost a good friend. It is clear from all the messages that Huw will be remembered with great respect and affection. For the last thirteen years he was one of the most popular faces on HTV. He loved his job and it was obvious to the viewers, as was his wonderful sense of humour.
HTV's controller, Elis Owen, described Huw as a cornerstone of HTV. 'He was an excellent journalist...one of the few journalists who could convey serious presentational style with a sense of humour.'
He was one of the most experienced television journalists in the country. He began his career on local newspapers but his talent was soon spotted and he became a regular face on Yorkshire Television, reporting on the miners' strike. In 1988 Huw made the move back home to Wales and joined HTV. It was here that he really showed the range of his talents, from being anchorman on the station's nightly news programme to compiling his famously off-the-wall reports on the funny side of life. He was a consummate professional to the end. His last broadcast was on the day he died.
First Secretary, Rhodri Morgan, was among the many who paid tribute to him, saying he was deeply sorry at the loss of a friend. The greatest passion of Huw's life was his family. On Saturday afternoons you could often find him with his children on the terraces at his beloved Cardiff City. His brother Gareth described him as a wonderful family man and a model father. He was, he said, a loving person and a marvellously entertaining companion. He will be terribly missed by all those who knew him.
Huw, who was 43, was was found dead on a beach near his home in Llantwit Major on January 17. He had recently returned to work after being ill with depression. He leaves a wife and three children. Our thoughts are with them."
Yorkshire Television's ambassador to the rest of the UK, Richard Whiteley presented and reported for 'Calendar' for almost three decades before giving up the job to concentrate on his national television career.
Although already familiar to national TV viewers because of the ferret-biting chatshow incident that has been shown countless times on programmes such as 'It'll Be All Right On The Night', Richard was of course best known for hosting 'Countdown', a YTV production for Channel 4, from 1982.
There, his badinage with Carol Vorderman, his taste in garish blazers and his armoury of poor quality jokes led to him becoming a bit of a national institution, to the extent that he was regularly teased by BBC Radio 2 breakfast DJ Terry Wogan, and often referred to as 'Twice Nightly Whiteley' (a reference to the time when he presented both 'Calendar' and 'Countdown' each weekday evening).
Richard sadly died on June 26 2005, at the age of 61, after falling ill a month earlier with pneumonia.
Sportscaster and sports reporter for Tyne Tees Television. Also used to present the regular sporting magazine programme, 'Hold The Back Page'.
Duncan later moved to GMTV where he took up a reporter/presenter role.
By the early-2000s, Duncan had joined Yorkshire Television where he became one of the regular co-anchors on the regional news programme, 'Calendar'.
Joined ITN in 1996 from Yorkshire Television where she worked as a senior reporter and as a presenter on Yorkshire's regional 'Calendar' news programme. Later health correspondent in 1998 and currently a news correspondent for ITV news. Also presents ITV summaries, weekend news. She also presented on the ITV News Channel. Regular correspondent for ITV's award winning current affairs programme 'Tonight With Trevor McDonald'.
