British and Irish TV talent BBC Midlands Presenters
If you're not included on these pages and feel that you should be, or if you'd like to make an amendment to an existing profile, click here to update us.  Many presenters contact us every month, updating us on their career to date.  Profile updates appear on the site within hours.  Please do keep the information coming and help us maintain the most comprehensive reference of its kind.

Kay Alexander
Kay is a presenter on BBC 'Midlands Today' and has been with the programme since 1974. She was one of the main presenters on the programme until the late-1990s. Kay now covers breakfast and lunchtime shifts mostly.

As a freelance, she also works on corporate videos and provides voice-overs.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

Sue Beardsmore
Sue has been a regular presenter on the BBC Midlands regional news programme 'Midlands Today' since 1983, presenting the breakfast bulletins initially and becoming one of the main presenters by 1987.

Sue joined the BBC on August 14 1977 as a secretary. She later became a studio floor assistant and then Station Assistant for regional television. She moved to London for a time to work on 'Blue Peter' before moving back to Birmingham to take up a presenting role on the breakfast slots for 'Midlands Today'.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

Ashley Blake
Ashley started out as an entertainment reporter on a local cable TV station in Birmingham. He was a reporter on Live TV in Liverpool before moving to its sister station in Birmingham.

Ashley then headed off to London where he was a reporter and presenter with 'London Today'/'London Tonight'.

He later moved across to the BBC, where he reported for 'Breakfast News'.

Ashley is now entertainment reporter with BBC 'Midlands Today'; he also occasionally presents the programme.

Other TV credits: 'Dream Ticket' (LWT); 'Inside Out' (BBC); 'Watchdog' (BBC).

Steve Clamp
Steve's first broadcasting gig was as a presenter on The Children's Channel. His desire to enter journalism took him to cable TV and a role as a news presenter. Presenting jobs at Chelsea and Manchester United football club TV channels followed.

His big break came when he got a position as a presenter on Sky News and Sky Sports News.

In January 2002, he became a sports presenter on BBC 'Midlands Today'. By 2004, he had moved to present the news on 'Central News' (East).

Michael Collie
Michael's broadcast career started in 1986 at BBC WM where he was the early morning news reader. National radio was next, presenting 'You & 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.
Website 

Tom Coyne
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.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

Rob Curling
Rob joined BBC 'London Plus' in 1988. He was a presenter and reporter with the programme, later concentrating on sport. He remained with the BBC South East news programme until the early-2000s.

By c. 2001, Rob was freelancing and appeared as a presenter on many outlets, such as the ITV News Channel, Sky and BBC 'Midlands Today'.

He currently presents with Sky Sport.

Other TV projects: 'Notice Board' (mid-1980s, BBC); Turnabout (quiz show, early-1990s, BBC).
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

David Davies
David joined the BBC in 1971. He was political correspondent in 1983 and in 1986, he became education correspondent.

David was a reporter/presenter with BBC 'Midlands Today' from 1988 until 1994. He was also a sports presenter and reporter for national BBC News programmes.

He left broadcasting in 1994 to become the spokesman for the Football Association. David is now the chief executive of the Football Association.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

Peter Dorling
Presenter, BBC Midlands 1959 - 1960. BBC Radio Home Service announcer, 1961 - 1963. BBC Two relief news reader on 'Newsroom', 'News Extra' from May 1972 until June 1976 and also in April/May 1979. Also appeared on 'Newsnight'. Most recently, Peter was a news reader on BBC World, in 1992.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

Julie Etchingham
Julie first dabbled in broadcasting whilst still at school. She produced interviews and reports for local radio; this continued throughout her time at university.

Julie graduated with a BA Hons Degree in English from Newnham College, Cambridge. Her degree under her belt, she joined the BBC's graduate journalist trainee scheme.

Her first TV job was at BBC Midlands where she presented on the evening edition of 'Midlands Today'. She gained valuable training as a journalist whilst there as well as experience in production, reporting and editing.

National fame came with her arrival on BBC 'Newsround' in 1994. Later, in 1997 she presented two BBC holiday programmes - 'Holidays Out' and 'Holiday '97'.

In the late-1990s, Julie was a reporter on the BBC Knowledge programme, 'Culture Fix'. She was presenting on 'Breakfast News' and BBC News 24 by the early-2000s.

Since February 2002, Julie has been a presenter with Sky News.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

Sarah Falkland
Sarah started out in newspapers at the Kenilworth Weekly News and then the Coventry Evening Telegraph. She then moved to radio, where she presented and read the news on BBC local radio in Hereford and Worcester, Coventry and Warwickshire and WM.

Sarah is currently a breakfast presenter with BBC 'Midlands Today'.

Bernadette Kearney
Bernadette trained as a BBC reporter in 1988 and worked subsequently at BBC Radio Derby, BBC Radio York, BBC Radio Cornall and BBC Radio Ulster.

In 1990, she joined BBC 'Midlands Today' as a presenter.

She currently presents on BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester in addition to occasional appearances on 'Midlands Today'.

Simon Keeling
Simon's working life began with five years in a bank. In 1992, he became a full time forcaster at the Weather Department in Birmingham. Whilst there, he joined The Weather Network.

His next TV role was with GMTV as their weatherman (1997 - 1999). He gave up TV briefly to concentrate on developing his private weather companies which specialise in providing forecasts to Midlands based companies.

However, in 2001 he returned to TV and became a regular weather presenter on BBC 'Midlands Today'.

Diane Kemp
Reporter and presenter with BBC 'Midlands Today' from 1987 until 1992.

Andy Knowles
Andy has been a reporter and occasional presenter with BBC 'Midlands Today' since 1987.

Barry Lankester
Joined BBC staff in October 1955, providing sound effects for 'The Archers'. Radio announcer, 1959. Presenter, BBC Midlands 1959 - 1960 and 1964. BBC TV relief news reader, 1959 until June 1963. Later he was a commentator/producer for BBC Radio Birmingham and Radio WM.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

Steve Lee
Steve was a reporter and presenter with BBC 'Midlands Today' from 1986 until 1999.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

Nick Owen
ATV sports presenter who was the first anchor for 'Central News' in the East Midlands. He joined TV-am's sports department in 1983, but was soon promoted to the main presenter of 'Good Morning Britain' when the 'famous five' presenter owners of the station were culled, or jumped ship, in a bitter boardroom battle early in the station's tumultuous history. Nick was soon joined on the couch by former Midlands colleague Anne Diamond, and together the two gelled, helping to transform the fortunes of the troubled breakfast contractor.

The pair later went on to their own daytime BBC show, 'Good Morning With Anne And Nick' but the programme was axed after a couple of seasons because it failed to dent the ratings of ITV's 'This Morning'. After a short spell fronting LWT's '6 O'Clock Live', Nick is now back in the Midlands, anchoring 'Midlands Today'.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

Miriam O'Reilly
Miriam was a presenter with BBC 'Midlands Today' from 1990 until Autumn 1994.

She later became a presenter on BBC Radio 4's 'Farming Today' and was a regular contributor on BBC One's 'Countryfile'.

Daniel Pallett
Daniel is a sports presenter/reporter with BBC 'Midlands Today'.

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.

Satnam Rana
Satnam's broadcast career began as a researcher on BBC Radio 5 Live in 1999. In 2002 she joined BBC 'Midlands Today' as a presenter. She also has a radio show - 'Midlands Masala' - on BBC WM.

Tony Raymont
BBC Midlands news reader, 1957; BBC Radio Light Programme/Home Service/Third Programme announcer, 1958 to 1962 and 1964/1965. He was also presenter of BBC regional TV's 'Town And Around' in 1960 and a BBC TV voice-only announcer in 1966.

Kathy Rochford
Kathy started off with BBC Midlands as a presenter on 'Midlands Today' in the early-1980s. She joined TV-am in the late-1980s.

By the early-1990s she was back with the BBC, presenting 'East Midlands Today'.

Sharuna Sagar
Sharuna's broadcast career began as a reporter with BBC radio in the North West of England. She later became a presenter and video journalist for Channel One television.

Next stop was Carlton Television, where she reported and presented for 'Central News' (West). After three years there, she moved back to the BBC, to become a presenter and reporter with 'Midlands Today'.

Sharuna made British TV broadcasting history by wearing a sari whilst presenting the late 'Midlands Today' bulletin.

Angelina Socci
Angelina has a degree in English and a post-graduate diploma in broadcast journalism. In the leadup to her diploma, Angelina had periods of work experience at the BBC's Pebble Mill studios in Birmingham. However, her broadcasting career started proper when she joined BBC WM radio as a journalist; she was a reporter and also read news bulletins.

In 2005, following a short stint with BBC 'Midlands Today', Angelina worked as a freelance journalist for various TV and radio outlets.

In December 2005, she started with BBC East Midlands. She is currently a presenter (breakfast bulletins mainly) and reporter on 'East Midlands Today'.

David Stevens
David was a news reader/presenter with BBC Midlands from 1961 until 1987.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

Alan Towers
Alan was a presenter with BBC 'Midlands Today' from 1972 until July 1997, when he resigned on air.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

Richard Uridge
Richard started off in farming but soon caught the journalism bug and moved into local newspapers; in the late-1970s he worked for the Reading Chronicle. Broadcasting was next on the agenda and he joined BBC Radio WM in Birmingham. In the early-1990s, he became a presenter on BBC 'Midlands Today'.

He later moved back to radio - but this time went national with 'Farming Today' on BBC Radio 4. In 1998, he moved to a presenting role on 'Open Country', again on BBC Radio 4. In 2002, he took a break from radio to concentrate on TV work but by February 2003, he was back with 'Open Country'.

Richard lives in the Shropshire countryside with his family. He runs an independent production company (ACP) with his partner.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

Suzanne Virdee
Suzanne's first job as a journalist was as a trainee reporter at the Solihull Times. She later worked for 'Central News'. It was then back to the newspaper industry and the Sunday Mercury and the Birmingham Mail. She then moved to BBC WM but, after 16 months, returned to 'Central News' as a producer, presenter and reporter.

Since 2001, Suzanne has worked as a presenter and reporter with BBC 'Midlands Today'. In 2002 she became one of the regular presenters on the main evening edition of the programme.

Suzanne's involvement with 'Midlands Today' was reduced somewhat between October 2005 and April 2006 when she took up a presenting role on the national 'Breakfast' programme.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.

Julian Worricker
Julian started with the BBC in 1985 as a staff reporter at BBC Radio Leicester. In 1988, he switched to television briefly and BBC 'Midlands Today' where he was a reporter and presenter. He returned to BBC Radio Leicester in 1989 where he became news editor.

In 1991, he began a long relationship with BBC Radio 5: 'Five Aside' (1991 - 2001, co-presenter); 'Weekend Breakfast Programme' (1994 - 1997, presenter); 'Nationwide' (1997 - 1998, presenter); 'Five Live Breakfast' (1998 - present, presenter); 'Drive' (2004 - present, presenter); 'Newshour' (2006 - present, presenter).

Julian has also presented editions of 'The World Tonight' on BBC Radio 4 in 2006.

As well as his radio presenting, Julian is also a relief presenter for BBC News 24 (2006 - present)

Alastair Yates
Alastair's broadcasting career began at BBC Radio Derby in 1973 where he presented the breakfast programme. He later moved to Radio Leicester (1975) where he presented 'The Midday Show' and then on to BBC WM (1978) to host 'The Alastair Yates Show'.

Television roles included news reporting/presenting at BBC Midlands (1978 - 1980), 'About Anglia' (1986 - 1989), Grampian TV (1980 - 1986). Alastair was the first presenter to appear on Sky News when it launched in 1989; he remained there until 1991.

In 1991 Alastair became a regular face to viewers of BBC World Service Television, fronting the 'Newsday' programme. He remained with the channel when it was relaunched as BBC World in 1995, presenting the news and programmes such as 'Reporters', 'This Week' and 'Asia Today'.

Since it launched in 1997, Alastair has also put in regular appearances on BBC News 24, mainly fronting news programmes that are broadcast overnight but which are also broadcast to an international audience on BBC World.

Copyright on all images of presenters displayed above rests with the respective broadcasting organisations and/or individuals featured.  Some images are clickable, allowing you to view more visuals of the selected presenter.

TV Presenters is a collaboration with Paul R Jackson and the now defunct The Continuity Booth website.

Presenters - update your online profile by clicking here.