Born in Royston, Herts, Trish started out as a stage manager in the theatre and was the longest-serving female TV announcer in the UK. She announced live for LWT, ITV, Channel 5, BBC World, BSB Galaxy, Super Channel, TVS, Westcountry TV and The Family Channel.
…Brinton, Tim
Tim was educated at Summer Fields, Eton and went to the University of Geneva. After National Service, he trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama and in the early 1950s he joined the BBC as a radio announcer.
…Westwood, Stephen
Stephen was a Carlton TV (London) announcer (1997 – TBC). He also covered the ITV Nighttime service.
Hayden-Smith, Andrew
Andrew is a former CBBC presenter. He’s currently an announcer on ITV.
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.
…Bower, Colin
Colin Bower was born in Cheltenham Spa, and took his first steps in broadcasting as a disc jockey with radio stations in Africa before embarking on a television career that would span decades.
…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.
…Arnold, Andrea
Andrea was one of the presenters of children’s show No.73 (ITV).
…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.
…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.
Batey, Derek
Born in Brampton, Cumberland, Derek Batey won a scholarship and, aged 12, began appearing in clubs as a ventriloquist with a “cheeky boy” called Alfie.
…Jamieson, Paul
Paul worked as a continuity announcer/director for BBC Scotland (2000 – December 2002) before moving to London to become a member of the ITV 1 network announcing team. His voice was also heard occasionally on ITV 2. Paul has also worked for several radio stations, including The Eagle, Star and BBC Radio Scotland.
Marshall, Peter
Peter was a continuity announcer in various ITV regions: Ulster TV (1967 – 1969); Anglia TV (1970 – 1973); Southern (dates TBC); Thames Television (dates TBC); ATV (Midlands) (dates TBC); HTV West (dates TBC). He was also the national host of the TV Times Awards and Miss United Kingdom on the ITV network (1970s and 1980s). He also presented the BBC’s Come Dancing (1980 – 1983), and regularly reported for ITV’s Wish You Were Here? Marshall originally trained as a teacher, and then an actor with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, before joining a Bournemouth rep company.
Armstrong, Fiona
Fiona began her career as a reporter/presenter for Border Television in the early 1980s before becoming one of ITN’s main newscasters (March 1987 – 1992). She was the first co-anchor on GMTV in 1993, and later returned to Border TV as one of the anchors of the relaunched Lookaround news programme.
She also fronted a cookery series called Easy as Pie for Carlton Food Network where she demonstrated her skills in the kitchen. Fiona has also featured in a series of programmes for Granada TV on Health and Slimming. She also regularly chairs major conferences and award ceremonies.
Everett, Kenny
Kenny is a former radio and TV presenter..
…Fox, Andrea
Andrea graduated with BA in English Literature and Media Studies from the University of Sussex. In 2006, she completed work experience at Global Radio on the XFM breakfast show with Lauren Laverne and Shaun Keaveny.
…Kelly, Chris
Chris was an Anglia Television continuity announcer (1963) and programme presenter who went on to front popular children’s shows such as Clapperboard (ITV), holiday must-see show Wish You Were Here? (ITV, 1976 – 1987) and gastronaut’s bible, Food and Drink (BBC).
…LeFevre, Steve
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, he 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.
…Robbie, Sue
Sue was a Granada Television in-vision continuity announcer in the late-1970s and early 1980s. She went on to present a series of networked shows for the company, including Connections, First Post and TX.
Thompsett, Glen
Glen was a TVS announcer who later joined LWT just as in-vision announcing was being phased out in the early 1980s. Glen remained with LWT until October 2002. From 2002 to 2004, he was a freelance announcer at ITV 1. He has also presented for Meridian News in the south east, Sky Television, and on several satellite travel and shopping channels.
Glen has worked at a number of radio stations: he was a member of the launch team at Severn Sound in Gloucester in 1980; GWR in Wiltshire; Mercia Sound in Coventry; host of the breakfast show on Kent’s Invicta FM during the late-1980s and early 1990s, gaining some of the highest audience figures in the station’s history.
Glen runs his own audio production studio in Kent and produces work for a variety of independent companies and corporate clients.
Mulhern, Stephen
Stephen was a continuity presenter on CITV (1998 – 2002). He also presented a number of programmes for CITV, including The Quick Trick Show and SM:TV Live. He currently presents Big Star’s Little Star (ITV) and Catchphrase (ITV).
…Rogers, Graham
Graham was a staff ITV network announcer (October 2002 – TBC). He is a former Radio 210 disc jockey who fronted TVS’ overnight service, Late Night Late. He joined Meridian from TVS to present the overnight service Nightime. He went on to become one of Meridian’s four duty announcers, also providing continuity for Anglia and HTV West. Graham has also announced for Channel 4.
Additionally, Graham continues to freelance as a presenter and voiceover on programmes for Sky, Channel 5 and ITV 2. He also produced and presented the Exercise Helping Hand documentaries in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Kee, Robert
During a long career in TV news and current affairs, Robert was associated with a number of BBC and ITV programmes: reporter, BBC TV’s Panorama (1958 – 1962) and presenter in 1982; reporter, This Week (1965 – 1968); ITN newscaster on lunchtime programme First Report (October 1972 – January 1976). In 1980 he both wrote and presented Ireland – A Television History.
…Youens, Bernard
Bernard (Bunny) Youens, was a continuity announcer at Granada for four years in the early 1960s before joining Coronation Street in 1964 as the loveable layabout, Stan Ogden – one half of the famous double act with wife Hilda. Bernard stayed with his Coronation Street role in spite of serious health problems. Sadly, he died in August 1984.
Ward, Sarah
Born Sarah Corbett Ward around 1941 in Kenya, Ward attended boarding school in the UK while her stepfather, a major in the army, was stationed abroad.
…Holness, Bob
Bob was born in Vryheid, Natal in South Africa. The family moved to Kent when he was seven.
…Tompkins, Peter
Also known as Peter James for a brief spell. Peter was one of the main announcers for ITV’s Nighttime service from 1997. He was also a Carlton Television (London) announcer (January 2000 – October 2002). Peter left Carlton in 2002.
Bannerman, Graham
Graham has a wealth of live broadcast experience.
…Nesbitt, Mike
Mike’s journalistic career began within the BBC’s sports department in the mid-1980s. In 1986, he became one of the regular presenters on BBC Radio Ulster’s breakfast news and current affairs offering, Good Morning Ulster.
In 1990, he moved to PR company Anderson Kenny. By 1992 he had shifted back into regular TV presenting, becoming one of the main anchors on UTV’s regional news programme, Six Tonight. He quickly established himself as one of the key figures within the station’s news department.
However, in February 2006 came the shock announcement that Mike was not renewing his contract with UTV. Speaking at the time, he said: “I have decided to leave because I just feel very strongly that the time has come to move on.
“I believe it is time for a new challenge and I have several projects in the pipeline.
“I will be sorry to leave behind a very fine bunch of journalists, and above all, will miss working with my wife Lynda, who is a key factor in UTV’s success story.”
Other TV credits: Sunday Morning (ITV, 1999 2001), a religious affairs programme, co-presented with his wife Lynda Bryans; Counterpoint, and its successor Insight (UTV, 1992 – early 2000s), a current affairs programme; Home Sweet Home (UTV, 2004 – 2006), a home and garden series, co-presented with wife Lynda.
When he stepped away from on-screen roles, Nesbitt and his wife set up their own independent media services company.
In January 2008, Mike was confirmed as the Victims Commissioners for Northern Ireland – a role established by the Northern Ireland Assembly to highlight the interests of victims of The Troubles. He left that post in February 2010 to stand as a candidate for the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists in the Strangford constituency in the 2010 General Election. He lost out to the Democratic Unionist Party’s Jim Shannon. A year later, Nesbitt stood in the 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly election, again in Strangford. He was elected, along with 5 other MLAs in that constituency. On 31st March 2012, he was elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. He remained in that role until 2017.
Taylor, Alan
Eccentric, jovial, avuncular HTV West continuity announcer and programme presenter on both HTV West and HTV Wales who also found fame on the national ITV network, first as the presenter of one of the many incarnations of Mr and Mrs, and, secondly as Nancy Kominsky’s eager assistant in HTV West’s almost cult-status Paint Along with Nancy. Locally, he was well known for his Tinker and Taylor children’s slots. The Mr and Mrs programme went on to be produced by Tyne Tees Television, and, most famously, Border Television, when the host was Derek Batey.
Former colleague Guy Thomas told us: “Alan was the most popular and best-loved television personality in Wales and the west of England, establishing himself as a versatile, all round entertainer and he was admired as much by his colleagues as by the large audiences he won for the television programmes in which he appeared.
“After working in his family’s Cardiff electricity business and seeing active Navy service in the Mediterranean war zone he began entertaining in amateur variety bills, turning professional by appearing all over the country in pantomimes and music halls, including London’s West End. He joined TWW as an announcer in 1959. His popularity started to rise with an afternoon 10-minute slot for children which he shared with a glove puppet (a kind of not too distant relation of Sooty) for a birthday greetings show called Tinker and Taylor. TWW had a large audience for television quiz shows, most of them the idea of the Canadian TV personality Roy Ward Dickson. Alan became the ideal host for these shows, starting with Three Little Words, Try for Ten and the blockbuster of them all, Mr and Mrs, which ran year after year. It is probably true to say it was the most popular programme series TWW transmitted, rarely missing the number 1 spot in the ratings.
“For HTV, Alan began a series of programmes in which he learned to paint (his interest was already there) called ‘Painting With Nancy’ and the demand for the return of ‘Mr And Mrs’ was so great, the company, which had dismissed the idea of repeating their predecessor’s liking for the quiz show format, bowed to the inevitable. The success was repeated and HTV also brought back, again with Alan, ‘Try For Ten’. In 1982 Alan retired to open an antique shop in Bath and then went to live in Spain where he died in 1997.”
Seed, Paul
Paul was a staff ITV 1 announcer (October 2002 – TBC). Before that, Paul was stationed at Southampton providing continuity to Meridian, HTV West and Anglia Television. Paul used to host the breakfast show on Gloucestershire’s Severn Sound radio station.
Towers, Alan
Alan was born in Liverpool in 1934. His early broadcasting career included stints as a news presenter with Granada Television (1965) and ITN (1966). He was also a reporter on Westward Diary (c. 1966).
…Johnson, David
Northern Irish announcer, voiceover artist and presenter. David is currently an announcer on BBC One/Two. He has previously worked as an announcer on the main national ITV channel.
…Andrews, Eamonn
Born in Dublin, Eamonn Andrews began sports commentating for Radio Éireann in 1939 and subsequently worked on various programmes for BBC Radio, including Sports Report (1950 – 1962).
On television he hosted the BBC’s parlour game What’s My Line? (1951 – 1963), Crackerjack (1955 – 1964), ABC Television’s World of Sport (1965 – 1968) and This is Your Life until his death in 1987.
He joined Thames Television from ABC in 1968 and was the first anchor of its nightly news magazine programme Today until 1977. At the same time, he was active as a chat show host and children’s programmes presenter, as well as being a keen businessman.
Adams, Kaye
Kaye was a Central News reporter in the mid-1980s. She joined STV in the late-1980s as a reporter for Scotland Today. She was one of the first reporters on the scene at Lockerbie.
Kaye could also be seen presenting Scotland Today and also presented Scottish Women from the early to mid-1990s for STV.
Kaye was one of the regular faces of ITV daytime in the early 2000s – presenting Loose Women and Live Talk. She also stood in for Fern Britton on This Morning c. 2001.
Other TV/radio credits: The Home Show (STV); Choice Cuts (BBC Radio Scotland).
Green, Dominic
Dominic is a former ITV network announcer.
Kennedy, Sarah
Sarah was an LWT announcer in the 1970s. She also worked as a reporter and newsreader for Southern TV in the 1970s. Sarah went on to become one of the presenters of the BBC’s Sixty Minutes news magazine, and, famously, LWT’s Game for a Laugh. Since then she has presented many television and radio programmes.