Simon was a Central TV continuity announcer (dates TBC). He moved to BBC Newcastle’s Look North (1983). By the early 2000s, Simon was a correspondent for BBC Scotland’s Newsnight Scotland.
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.
Matheson, Rob
Rob was a continuity director/announcer with BBC Scotland (1995 – July 2008), covering TV and radio. He was also involved in managing the transition from analogue to digital transmission systems. Currently, Rob is a news presenter and reporter for BBC Scotland TV and radio.
He has also worked as a freelance reporter at Westsound FM and presented for QFM. Other posts include: reporter for Stirling Sports Agency, Glasgow; reporter for Slough, Windsor and Eton Observer; reporter/financial editor for Drapers Record business-to-business magazine.
Barbet, Matt
Matt trained at Cardiff’s journalism school. His first broadcasting experience was as a freelance at Red Dragon FM in Cardiff.
In 1999, he joined ITN where he spent two years working for Independent Radio News. In June 2001, Matt moved to the BBC, starting as a reporter on BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat and later moving to a newsreading role on the Sara Cox Breakfast Show. He was also a reporter for the BBC’s Liquid News.
Matt joined BBC London in 2003. He became a high-profile presenter there, fronting coverage of the July 2007 bombings from King’s Cross. In summer 2007, he made his presenting debut on the BBC Breakfast programme.
On 20th August 2007, it was announced that Matt would be joining Five News as a presenter and correspondent. His first Five News was in November 2007. In February 2011, he was announced as the new presenter of the main 5pm programme, following Natasha Kaplinsky’s departure. On 11th June 2012 came the news that Matt was to leave 5 News to join ITV’s Daybreak. His last day with 5 News was 26th July 2012. He made his debut with Daybreak on 3rd September 2012. On 3rd March 2014, ITV announced that Daybreak would be axed later in the year and replaced by a new programme, Good Morning Britain. Matt finished up with Daybreak on 4th April 2014.
Matt returned as host of 5 News on 28th April 2014. He presented the 6.30pm edition. He also presented The Cycle Show on ITV 4 (2014 – 2015) and The Saturday Show on Channel 5 (2015 – 2016).
In late-2017, Matt departed from 5 News. He presented his final edition on 15th December 2017.
Ballantine, Pamela
Pamela’s broadcasting career started off in radio: she read the news on Downtown Radio in the early 1980s. She also presented on BBC Radio Ulster. Pamela’s first appearance on Ulster Television – as a continuity announcer – was in 1984. As part of the announcer’s role, she also read the news.
She left the announcing team around the start of the new franchise period in 1993 and went on to co-anchor the station’s main news programme. She presented the lifestyle and leisure programme UTV Life (1999 – 2009). In May 2009, Pamela returned to UTV’s continuity department, after seventeen years. As well as the announcing role, she was also a relief weather presenter. A year later, her staff contract with the station was not renewed. Press reports claimed UTV had told Ballantine that her role was no longer available and had offered her freelance work which she later accepted.
Pamela continues to freelance at the station and act in an ambassador role. Since 2016, she has presented the new incarnation of UTV Life.
Rafferty, Sean
A familiar face on BBC Northern Ireland in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Sean was one of the main presenter on the local news programmes Scene Around Six and later, Inside Ulster.
Other TV work for BBC Northern Ireland in the 1980s/90s included arts magazines Prospect and 29 Bedford Street. He co-presented thirty editions of The DIY Show with Denise Waterman. In 1995, Sean left BBC Northern Ireland to become the presenter of BBC Radio 3’s In Tune programme, where he remains today.
Backshall, Tim
Tim was one of the main anchors of Border TV’s Lookaround news programme, from 1997. In February 2009 he was redeployed as a correspondent, based in Carlisle, as part of the newly formed ITV Tyne Tees and Border news service.
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.
Lewis, Bruce
Bruce was a presenter and news reporter for TWW.
McKee, Seamus
Seamus has presented current affairs programming on BBC Radio Ulster since c. the mid-1980s, with occasional stints on television on the Spotlight programme. In 1992 he took on a more regular TV role when he became one of the lead presenters on the local news programme Inside Ulster. He continued with presenting on BBC Radio Ulster. Seamus departed Inside Ulster ahead of the relaunch of the programme in spring 1996.
Seamus continued as a regular presenter on BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster and Evening Extra. He still makes occasional appearances on television; he presented a local schools quiz series in 2001 – School Challenge. Seamus has also presented the BBC Radio 2 Arts Programme.
Rhodes, Pam
Pam is perhaps best known as one of the presenters of the BBC’s Songs of Praise. She was a regular in-vision continuity announcer for London Weekend Television (1981 – TBC). Before that she was an announcer, reporter and presenter for Norwich-based Anglia Television; she co-presented on About Anglia (1976 – 1981).
Before embarking on a career as a presenter, Rhodes was a Black and White Minstrels Show girl, where, she says, she danced up to six miles a night! Fellow Anglia presenter Christine Webber was also a ‘minstrels’ show girl.
Rippon, Angela
Angela was born in Plymouth. On leaving school at 17, she began her journalistic career in newspapers in Devon.
…