Luxmy graduated with a BA Hons in history and English literature from the University of Durham. She was a journalism student at the London College of Communication (2010 – 2011) and began her career as an investigative journalist for Exaro News (August – December 2011).
…Jones, Kathy
Kathy was born in Crewe. She is an actress/singer, who is best remembered for her role as Tricia Hopkins in 123 episodes of Coronation Street (ITV, 24th – 26th September 1973; 8th July 1974 – 28th April 1975 and 23rd June 1975 – 9th June 1976).
…Rizzini, Elizabeth
Elizabeth Austen was born on 19th November (year unknown), in Bexley. She lived and studied in both France and Spain and is fluent in both languages.
…Crisell, Ellie
Ellie was born in County Durham. She graduated from the University of Birmingham and worked for the Mail on Sunday for a year.
…Stableford, Howard
Howard was born in Poynton, Cheshire and grew up in Preston. He graduated from Durham University in 1980 with a degree in geography.
…Ian White bids farewell to Look North viewers
Ian White – a familiar face for many years on BBC Look North – has completed his final shift with the BBC after 29 years at the corporation.
…Harris, Fred
Fred is a former schoolteacher. He is an actor, who became a popular Play School presenter, making his debut on 16th July 1973 (earning £45 a programme). This began a 15-year association with the programme, which would see Fred appear in 382 editions.
…Dutton, Liam
Liam was born in Cardiff. He graduated in 2002 with a BSc (Hons) Geography degree from the University of Wales in Swansea.
…Frais, Carrie
Carrie was born in Welwyn Garden City. She began her broadcasting career spending a year as a newsreader/producer on Heart FM (from June 1995). She then joined LBC’s News Direct, London’s first 24-hour news station, as a news and showbusiness presenter/reporter/producer (June 1996 – June 1998).
…Roberts, John
John was born in Wellington, New Zealand. He moved to London and joined the BBC on a short-term contract as a relief BBC TV newsreader (June – November 1963).
…Parker, Bruce
Bruce was brought up in Guernsey. He was educated at Elizabeth College, followed by the University of Wales. He has a postgraduate degree from Reading University.
…Lear, Louise
Born Louise Barden in Sheffield. In 1988, she graduated with a BA Hons in Music and Drama from the University of Middlesex. Her first job was as a researcher for Children’s BBC. She then joined an independent radio production company as a sports presenter, introducing events such as Wimbledon and the 1992 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer.
…Fish, Michael
Michael was born in Eastbourne. He was employed by the Met Office for over forty years (1962 – 2004). His first posting was Gatwick Airport and in 1965 he transferred to the Bracknell HQ to work on research projects.
…Bob Warman announces retirement date
Long-standing ITV regional news presenter Bob Warman has announced that he plans to retire in July, after almost half a century on our screens.
…Haycocks, Paddy
Paddy was born in Portsmouth. He worked at BFBS radio (British Forces Broadcasting Service) in Cyprus (1966 – 1968). He performed various roles including tape editing, reporting, presenting and studio management (1966 – 1968).
…O’Keeffe, Meryl
Meryl was born in Nairobi, Kenya and educated in South Africa. In 1950, she began her radio career in the South African Broadcasting Corporation, based in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
…Woodall, Corbet
Corbet was born in Hampshire. He was a scholar at Eton College.
…Tomlinson, Peter
Peter was born in Bristol. He began his broadcasting career in 1965, whilst still a student at Oxford University, covering home matches played by Swindon Town FC for the BBC’s Home Service South West. He broadcast live a short report from the linen cupboard of the Goddard Arms Hotel in Swindon!
…Donna Traynor resigns from BBC Northern Ireland with immediate effect
One of BBC Northern Ireland’s longest-serving TV presenters, Donna Traynor, has announced on social media that she has resigned from the corporation, with immediate effect.
…Stewart White leaves the BBC after 37 years
Longstanding Look East presenter Stewart White took colleagues and viewers by surprise tonight by announcing live on air that he was leaving the BBC after 37 years.
…Frank Mitchell and Ken Reid depart UTV
Long-standing UTV presenters, Frank Mitchell and Ken Reid today retired from their respective roles with the station.
…Gaynor Barnes and John Shires exit ITV News Calendar
Gaynor Barnes and John Shires have presented their final edition of ITV News Calendar.
…Simon McCoy leaves the BBC after 17-and-a-half years
Simon McCoy has made his final appearance as a BBC News presenter.
…Twining, Sasha
Sasha was born in Yorkshire. She is a presenter, journalist, conference host and facilitator. She began her career in radio and worked as a DJ for several years at various local and regional radio stations, including BBC Radio Solent.
…Jarvis, Chris
Chris was born in Romford. He began his entertainment career as a presenter on Radio Orwell in Ipswich hosting a Saturday morning children’s show. He also performed in cabaret and at Butlins.
…Best, Keith
Keith joined the Met Office in 1947, initially working at RAF stations around Britain.
…Walker, Peter
Peter worked as a meteorological observer in charge at Whitworth Observatory, Manchester. He was a research assistant at Keele University and a Royal Navy met officer before joining the Met Office in 1963. He was a forecaster based at Uxbridge.
…Carter, Jilly
Jilly was born in Widnes. She graduated from London University with a degree in English, French and history of art.
…Bance, Greg
By passing the 11-Plus, Greg gained entry to his local grammar school in north London, but education seemed to gain little purchase on his mind, which was focussed on tuning around the short wave, discovering the existence of offshore radio and determination to escape as soon as possible.
…Arthur, Toni
Toni was born Antoinette Alice Priscilla, in Oxford. She won a music scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at the age of nine and gave a concert at the Wigmore Hall in the same year. She trained as a nurse at University College Hospital. She was a folk music singer and was married to fellow musician Dave Arthur (1963 – 1977). They released several folk music albums (1964 – 1975).
…Kettley, John
John was born in Halifax. He was employed by the Met Office from 1970 until 2000. He had a spell working at the Nottingham Weather Centre (1980 – 1985), where he made appearances on BBC Birmingham’s Midlands Today (1980 – 1983) and on Central TV (1984 – 1985).
…Lang, Isobel
Isobel was born in Lincoln. She graduated in 1991 from Exeter University with a BSc (Hons) degree in mathematics. She joined the Met Office in September 1991 and was initially based at the London Weather Centre, where she prepared forecasts for the press; she also presented the weather on local radio. Isobel appeared briefly as a holiday relief forecaster for Meridian TV before joining the BBC Weather Centre in May 1995. She was a regular BBC network television forecaster (December 1995 – August 2006). She had a baby boy (Benjamin Bryon) in October 2002 and after a second child was born, returned from maternity leave in summer 2004.
…Scott-Joynt, Hannah
Hannah’s love of radio began in her teenage years. She gained a degree in radio, film and TV at Canterbury Christ Church University. Her first broadcasting job was with BBC Radio in Herts, Beds and Bucks. She moved into television as a network announcer on BBC One and BBC Two (1997 – 2000). She was the launch announcer on BBC Choice. In 2000, she appeared on BBC One’s daytime show Talking TV and showed presenter Vanessa Feltz behind-the-scenes of network control – and Vanessa even did two short daytime BBC One links.
…Bligh, Jasmine
Jasmine was born in London. She was the niece of Esme Ivo Bligh, the 9th Earl of Darnley and a descendant of Captain William Bligh, the commander famously usurped in the Mutiny on the Bounty.
…Ellis, Norman
Norman worked at the Met Office (1947 – 1984). He was a BBC TV forecaster (March 1959 – March 1964); during the same period he was also heard on BBC Radio.
…Waddington, Mark
Mark was born in Bradford. He began broadcasting, aged 17, at BBC Radio Leeds, where he presented a series of features about community life called Down Your Street, mentored by producer Peter Byrne.
…Macintosh, Alex
Alex was born in Fulham. He was a former actor. His voice was heard on the very first advert for Gibbs SR Toothpaste shown at 8.12pm on the opening night of ITV on 22nd September 1955.
…Oxley, Mel
Mel was born in South Africa. He was a former DJ with Radio Luxembourg in the 1950s. He later moved into TV and worked as an ITV announcer for Southern TV (1959 – 1961), ATV, ABC Television and Associated Rediffusion. He moved to BBC Television as a network out-of-vision announcer, who also appeared in-vision conducting interviews on BBC Two (1965 – 1972). He presented BBC Two’s Line-Up (1969) and narrated The Curious Character of Britain (1970) and Sights and Sounds of Britain (1971) for BBC One.
…Raymont, Tony
Tony was a BBC Midlands newsreader (1957) and a BBC Radio Light Programme/Home Service/Third Programme announcer (1958 – 1962, 1964 – 1965). He presented BBC regional TV’s Town and Around (1960). He was also a BBC TV out-of-vision network announcer (1966).
…Edwards, Tom
Tom was born in Norwich. He began his career as a newspaper journalist on the Eastern Evening News and when Anglia TV opened, he worked on in-house commercials and even had a small role in one of their dramas. He compered a weekly live pop show, Beat on the Border, from Border TV in Carlisle and returned years later to the ITV regional company as an announcer/newsreader.
…Buchan, Josephine
Josephine was born in London in 1955. She presented various programmes for the BBC, including: Take Two (BBC One, 1984 – 1985); Pebble Mill at One (BBC One, 1984 – 1986); Rock Around the Clock (BBC Two, 25th August 1984); A Song for Christmas (BBC One, 1985). She was a reporter for Did You See…? (BBC Two, 1985) and Off the Record (BBC Two, 1985), and guest-supported on Best of Brass (BBC Two, 1986). She also appeared on Canned Carrot (BBC One, 1990).
…Hulland, Louise
Louise was born in Burnley and graduated from Durham University. She is a Sony Award-winning presenter, journalist and documentary maker specialising in presenting programmes on crime and social issues. Since 2014, Louise has travelled round the country presenting for various BBC local radio stations (from Lancashire to London, Devon to Berkshire). She’s also been a news presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music, a reporter for Newsbeat (BBC Radio 1) and The Arts Show (BBC Radio 2), and has spent years behind-the-scenes at BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2, including working with Sir Terry Wogan, Steve Wright, Chris Moyles, Jo Whiley, Sara Cox and The Sunday Surgery.
…McQueen, Barry
Barry was born in Sydney, Australia in 1932. He originally studied medicine but moved into radio as a commercial announcer (1950 – 1953). For the next six years, he worked in both television and radio for ABC as a newsreader; he also presented Thursday at One (1957), Night Out at Scott’s (1958) and Happy New Year (1959). He worked on commercial TV in Melbourne (1959 – 1960) and presented Today (1960).
…Whitfield, Ashleigh
Ashleigh was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1980. She graduated from the University of Sunderland. In 2001, she won a radio competition to be the traffic and travel reporter at Century FM.
…Cowan, Barry
Barry Cowan was one of the leading faces of BBC Northern Ireland news and current affairs during the worst of The Troubles in the 1970s and 1980s.
…Gray, Gavin
Gavin was a senior news editor for BBC News. He also made brief on-screen appearances reading the news. In March 1957, Donald Baverstock, editor of the current affairs TV programme Tonight, introduced a short news summary within the programme, transmitted from Egton House (where BBC Radio 1 was housed for many years) and read by a senior duty news editor. Gray read the first news summary on 22nd March 1957. It turned out to be a short-lived experiment and Gray read the final (in-programme) news summary on 21st August 1957.
…Coverdale, Frances
Frances was born in London. She is a former newspaper journalist.
…Courtie, Simeon
Simeon was born in Swindon and grew up in Liverpool. His father was a vicar. He left school in 1986, aged 16, and became a City & Guilds-qualified mechanical and electrical engineer, completing a four-year apprenticeship at Timsons, a printing press manufacturer in Kettering. During this time, he joined the local hospital radio station KHBA and started volunteering at BBC Radio Northampton. In 1990, he began a full-time broadcasting career as a radio car reporter and presenter at BBC Radio Northampton.
…McGavin, John
Also known as John McGavin Gordon. John was an ABC and ATV London announcer in the 1950s, but had an ambition to become an actor and went to drama school.
…Everard, Martin
Martin’s first on-air role was as a relief announcer with BBC Northern Ireland in the 1960s. From there he moved to London and gradually moved up through the ranks of TV presentation, before moving into programme production. He took some time out from his BBC job to participate in the British America’s Cup Challenge (Lionheart) (1979 – 1980).
…Empringham, Brian
Brian was briefly a BBC TV network announcer (1971 – 1972). He was also an announcer on BBC Radio 4 (1971 – 1974) and BBC External Services/World Service (1978 – 1998).
…Priestland, Gerald
Gerald was educated at Charterhouse and New College, Oxford. He joined the BBC in 1949 as a news sub-editor. He spent his first six months on a contract, writing obituaries.
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