Andrew is a former CBBC presenter. He’s currently an announcer on ITV.
Fleming, Arlene
Arlene Fleming was born around 1965 in Paisley, in the west of Scotland.
…Vance, Simon
Simon served an attachment as a BBC TV network announcer (1984 – 1985). He worked as a freelance presenter for BBC Radio Brighton (1976 – TBC), joining the staff there in 1980, until he moved to BBC Radio 4 (1983). He was there until early 1992 when he emigrated to San Francisco.
…Badawi, Zeinab
Zeinab’s broadcasting career began as an ITN newscaster, working on Channel 4 News (1989 – 1998). She also presented on the ITV Morning News in the 1990s and on the 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’s news programme, The World. The programme – also broadcast on BBC World News – was rebranded as World News Today in May 2007. She continued to present the programme until 2013.
…Brydon, Rob
Rob was a continuity director/announcer with BBC Wales TV (late-1980s). He also presented The Chart Show and Rave on BBC Radio Wales into the early 1990s. Rob also voiced network BBC TV programme trails (late-1980s/early 1990s). These days, Rob is better known for his stand-up, presenting and acting roles: Human Remains (BBC); Marion and Geoff (BBC); Gavin and Stacey (BBC); presenter, Would I Lie to You? (BBC); Live from the Apollo (BBC).
Evans, Russell
Russell is an announcer on network BBC One and BBC Two.
Stirrup, Michael
Michael was a former actor and BBC TV network announcer/director.
…Bale, Jenni
Jenni worked as a continuity announcer for BBC TV Presentation (1978 – 1980).
…Lydiate, Dean
Dean is a BBC TV network announcer (1999 – present). In addition to domestic presentation, he was also the voice of the BBC’s international channel, BBC Prime (dates TBC) broadcasting to Europe, Russia, Africa, Israel and the United Arab Emirates. He has also appeared on two other BBC Worldwide channels (2004 – TBC): BBC Prime (Asia) and BBC Japan.
Woods, Peter
Peter was born in Romford, Essex. He began in print journalism writing for the Yorkshire Post, Daily Mail and Daily Mirror, with only a break for military service as a commissioned officer in the Royal Horse Guards.
…Weston, Colin
Colin was born in London. He left school and joined the press and PR department of ABC Studios in Teddington and stayed for four years. After they lost their ITV franchise, he applied for various announcer jobs across the ITV network.
…Lithgoe, Lynette
Lynette started her television career as an in-vision announcer at Granada Television. She then moved to the BBC in the East Midlands as a presenter (1989) and later became a national BBC TV newsreader (February 1990 – October 1991), mostly on weekend bulletins and for BBC Two’s News View. She also presented the charity appeal programme Lifeline in the late-1980s. She left to join BBC World as a newsreader in 1991.
…Glover, John
John was a BBC TV network announcer for 21 years (1964 – 1985), including a period as a senior network announcer (February 1982 to 1985).
…Ford, Anna
Born in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, into a household steeped in the performing arts – both her parents were West End actors – Anna Ford forged an intellectual identity far removed from the stage.
…Edwards, Ben
Ben was a BBC TV network announcer (1994 – 1996). He then moved to an announcing role at Channel 4 (1996 – c. 1998).
O’Grady, Yvonne
Yvonne was a BBC TV network announcer (1990).
Westrop, Jane
Jane was a BBC TV announcer (1991 – c. 1996) and a BBC World Service TV announcer (1992).
Robinson, Liz
Liz was a network BBC announcer (late-1990s – c. 2000).
Stuart, Vivien
Vivien was born in 1957. Following university, she accepted a place on the Broadcast Journalist Training Scheme in 1975, which led to several years working as a studio manager.
…Lyne, Francis
Francis was a BBC Radio External Services announcer (1986 – 1987, 1988 – TBC) and served an attachment as a BBC TV network announcer (1987 – 1988).
Austin, Mark
Mark was a BBC TV sports reporter (1985 – 1986) before joining ITN in October 1986 as a sports correspondent. His first assignments for ITN were to cover England’s successful Ashes tour of Australia, as well as the America’s Cup.
He stayed for four months in Australia and unexpectedly found himself reporting on the extraordinary Spycatcher trial.
He has covered all the major sporting events for ITN, including the Olympics, Wimbledon, the British Open and Rugby internationals.
In 1995 he was seconded to ITV to report from South Africa on the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Since joining ITN he has specialised in covering foreign events, travelling all around the globe. Based in Hong Kong in 1993 as Asia correspondent, he returned in 1996 (until 1998), reporting on major events in the region, including the handover of the island to the Chinese in July 1997.
From 1994 until 1996 he was based in Johannesburg as Africa correspondent. He returned to London in mid-1998 and from 1999 he was a special/senior correspondent. He was an occasional newscaster of weekend news bulletins on ITV and the ITN News Channel in August 1998 and again from October 1999.
In May 2001 he presented ITV’s reality game show Survivor.
In 2004, Mark became a regular face in the newscaster’s chair. He took over from Sir Trevor McDonald as the main anchor of the late-night weekday news programme on ITV in December 2005.
Guha, Isa
Isa is a cricket commentator/presenter for the BBC and Sky Sports.
…Braban, John
John was an announcer with ABC Television and ATV London. He also worked as a network announcer with BBC TV (1969 – 1974) and voiced BBC TV presentation trails (1972 – 1990).
Chapman, Mark
Mark was born in Rochdale and grew up in Altrincham.
…Phillips, Ian
Ian served an attachment as a BBC TV network announcer (1987). He returned to BBC Radio Devon as a general producer.
Wheal, David
David was born in December 1955. He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
…Brand, John
John was a BBC TV network announcer in the early 1970s.
Escolme, John
John obtained a BA (Hons) in communication, cultural studies and public media from the University of Leeds.
…Armstrong, Jack
Jack was a BBC TV national weather forecaster (1956 – 1965). He worked at the Met Office for 36 years (1947 – 1983). He died in 1984.
Shoesmith, Peter
Peter Shoesmith was born in 1936 and raised in the south coast town of Bexhill-on-Sea.
…James, Mark
Mark joined BBC Wales TV Presentation from Swansea Sound radio (1989). He left the continuity director/announcer role in the mid-1990s to direct news, and would later concentrate on motorsports and front world rallying programmes for BBC network.
Nichols, Tim
Tim was a BBC TV network announcer for 24 years (1965 – 1970 and 1972 – 1990). He was a relief newsreader on News Review for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Weekend News (April 1971 – October 1971).
…Blackmore, Guy
Australian-born former pirate radio disc jockey (known as Jim Gordon, or Jumbo Jimmy Gordon during his time on Radio Caroline North), who went on to become an in-vision continuity announcer for Thames Television, a relief announcer at Southern TV and also a voice-only announcer on the BBC.
Sadly, Guy died of lung cancer in 2000.
Mangold, Tom
Tom worked in BBC TV News and Current Affairs since 1964, working initially as a war reporter and later as an investigative journalist, on programmes such as Panorama. He is an international best-selling author and an award-winning travel writer.
…Gregg, Anne
Anne was born in Belfast. In October 1959, aged 19, she joined Ulster TV at its launch, as an announcer. She later presented the local news magazine programme Roundabout.
…Lynn, Heather
Heather was a freelance BBC TV network announcer (1983 – 1989). She was also a TVS announcer (late-1980s) and a BBC World Service TV announcer (1992).
Leeson, John
He was born John Ducker in Leicester. He is an actor who is best known as the much-loved voice of computer dog K9, trusty sidekick to Doctor Who (1977 – 1981, 1983, 2006 and 2008).
…Avery, Philip
Philip – born in 1959 – served with the Royal Navy as a forecaster (1984 – 1994). His broadcasting career began in 1996 with The Weather Network, based in Birmingham. Within months he moved to London to appear on The Weather Channel. He joined the BBC Weather Centre in April 1998 and became a BBC TV national weather forecaster in March 1999. He appeared on BBC TV’s Breakfast News and international TV channels, BBC Prime and BBC World.
Stubbing, Juliet
Juliet served an attachment as a BBC TV network announcer (1989).
Birley, Michael
BBC TV continuity announcer (1968 – 1969).
Elwes, Polly
Born Mary Freya Elwes and known as Polly. She attended the Central School of Speech and Drama, now part of the University of London.
…Whitting, Robin
After starting at the BBC in the Gramophone Library in 1966, Robin trained as a BBC studio manager working in network radio, local radio and the World Service.
…Bolger, Lucy
BBC TV network announcer in 1995.
Burn, Christine
Christine was born in Birmingham. She attended the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama (1961 – 1963) and the Lucie Clayton Modelling School (spring 1964).
…Clews, Maggie
Maggie was a BBC TV network announcer (1965 – 1968) and a presenter on the BBC Light Programme (1967).
Phoenix, Nicola
Originally from Northern Ireland, Nicola graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in art and design from Ulster University before pursuing a Master’s degree in creative writing at Goldsmith’s, University of London.
…Thomas, Linda
Olumide was born in London. Her name derives from the Yoruba tribe in West Africa and roughly translates as ‘child of God’.
…Wright, Beccy
Beccy graduated with a BA Hons in drama from the University of Bristol in 1981. She was a professional actress on stage, radio, television and film before joining the BBC in 1996.
…Moore, Ray
Ray was born in Liverpool. On leaving school his first job was at Liverpool docks.
…Bolgar, Peter
Peter was born in 1936. He attended the Royal College of Music, where he met his future wife, actress Angela Piper, who played Jennifer in BBC Radio 4’s The Archers (1963 – 2022).
…Edmunds, John
John was born in Aberystwyth. He attended the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth in the late-1940s and early 1950s, studying English and French.
…Barbour, Sharon
Sharon was brought up in New Zealand. She went to the Australian Film and TV School and worked as a reporter and presenter across Australia and New Zealand.
Her UK broadcasting career began at BBC Radio Humberside. She then joined BBC Radio 4’s File on 4, based in Manchester and the BBC’s Special Documentaries Unit where she worked on stories all around the world.
She later moved to Newcastle and read the Night Network News for BBC Radios Newcastle, Cumbria and Cleveland. Next stop was BBC News 24 where she performed a reporting role.
Sharon went on to present Look North for BBC North East/Cumbria. She’s currently a health correspondent with BBC network news.

