Martine was born in Stoke Golding, Leicestershire. She has a BA in geography from the University of Leeds (1990).
University was followed by a seven-month expedition across Africa.
In October 1991, she joined the BBC for work experience at BBC Radio Leicester. Television followed some years later, beginning with the BBC regional news programme East Midlands Today (1996 – 1997).
This was followed by a presenter/reporter role with Newsroom South East (1997 – 2000). She also presented UK Today (c. 2000) – an England-wide news programme, broadcast on digital satellite prior to the establishment of English regional variants of BBC One on that platform.
Since 2000, Martine has been a presenter on BBC News 24/BBC News channel. Over the years, she’s presented in many different timeslots.
From June 2001, she also presented on the international channel BBC World News. And until January 2011, was one of the main presenters of the overnight news service, which went out in the UK and internationally.
On 21st April 2008, she presented the final programme on BBC News 24, before it was rebranded the BBC News channel.
Martine was a regular presenter of the nightly newspaper review The Papers (2013 – 2023).
At various points in 2012 and 2014, Martine presented the BBC One weekend lunchtime news and the BBC One weekday 8pm news update (27th/28th February 2012 and 16th March 2014).
She spent a few years on the rota of presenters for the BBC One weekend news (1st June 2019 – 26th March 2023).
She first presented the BBC News at One on 3rd September 2021.
Martine presented Extreme Weather (Green TV, 2011 – 2012) and hosted Outside Source on the BBC World Service (2015).
On the evening of 13th November 2015, Martine was the main presenter on the BBC News channel, covering the terrorist attacks in Paris. Emmy award winning former CBS network news correspondent David Henderson commended her handling of the news coverage.
Martine was on duty on the BBC News channel on Friday 9th April 2021, and announced the death of HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, at 12.05pm.
The announcement was repeated at 12.09pm, when BBC One interrupted programming to simulcast the BBC News channel. BBC World News viewers also joined at this point.
Having been presenting for some minutes out-of-vision, when Martine reappeared in-vision at 12.09pm, her necklace had been removed and she was now wearing a black jacket.
On 23rd October 2022, Martine was presenting The Papers on the BBC News channel. A little earlier in the evening, Boris Johnson announced his withdrawal from the Conservative leadership contest.
During her introduction to the paper review programme, she said: “Well this is all very exciting, isn’t it?”. Adding: “Am I allowed to be this gleeful? Well I am.”
She went on to point out that front pages were hastily being rewritten due to the news about Johnson pulling out of the leadership contest.
A subsequent investigation by the BBC – during which Martine was not on air – concluded that her remarks and reaction risked being interpreted as an opinion on the Conservative leadership contest.
She returned to her on-air role on Friday 4th November 2022, at 11am.
On 2nd February 2023, an online article confirmed that Martine and nine other presenters had lost out in the process to appoint five new chief presenter roles on a combined UK/international BBC News channel.
Martine was off air for almost fourteen months (1st April 2023 – 25th May 2024). She returned to the BBC News channel as a presenter on the morning of 26th May 2024.
In April 2024, it was announced that she was taking legal action for discrimination and victimisation on grounds of sex and age, victimisation of a union rep, and harassment against the BBC.
She appeared at an employment tribunal preliminary hearing in London in May 2024, alongside fellow presenters Karin Giannone, Kasia Madera and Annita McVeigh. The full hearing is scheduled for March 2025.
Other programmes Martine has presented:
- Afternoon Live (BBC News channel, 2017 – March 2023);
- Guest presenter on Victoria Derbyshire (BBC Two, 2017 and 2018);
- Guest presenter on The Film Review (BBC News channel, 2018 – 2019 and 2021 – 2022);
- The Oscars Nominations and Results (BBC News channel, 2019);
- The BAFTAs (BBC News channel, 2019);
- Guest presenter on Dateline London (BBC News channel, 21st May 2021 – September 2022);
- Coronavirus: World in Lockdown (BBC News channel, 21st April 2020).
She appeared on Celebrity Eggheads (BBC Two, 2017).
Martine won an edition of Celebrity Mastermind (BBC One, 5th March 2022). Her specialist subject was the American investigative journalist, Nellie Bly.
From 2010 to February 2023, Martine coached Masters students at the School of Oriental and African Studies.
From 2014 until the UK left the EU, she moderated panel debates at the European Parliament.
She’s a TV presentation trainer for BBC TV Language Services and the BBC Academy.
She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and hosts events and panel discussions for the Society.
She was an interviewer on Discovering People (Royal Geographical Society, 2011).
Correspondence
Paul R. Jackson corresponded with Martine in August 2024 about her career.
When did you join the BBC staff?
“May 1993, having freelanced or been on contract since October 1991.”
How did you move from local radio to local television – was it an attachment?
“Yes a training attachment to East Midlands Today, before joining Newsroom South East at BBC Elstree.”
What was your role on East Midlands Today?
“I was a broadcast journalist so I did planning, production and reporting.”
Can you tell us more about UK Today?
“It was a half-hour news programme for the UK on DSAT at 6.30pm weekdays, before the regions had their own digital satellite space. We broadcast reports from all the nations’ and regions’ newsrooms.”
Do you know the date you started presenting the news on BBC News 24 in 2000?
“It would have been mid-June 2000. I often used to present afternoons 2 – 5pm. before presenting UK Today at 6.30pm.”
What stories have impacted you most during your career? I saw you announce Prince Philip’s death and was so impressed how well you conveyed the sad news
“Thank you. I found reporting the Paris and London Bridge attacks very affecting. And the period when ISIS were carrying out beheadings were immensely upsetting stories to report on.”
What would you say are the most memorable news events that you have reported on?
“As above, along with anything where there are far-reaching ramifications such as 9/11 and most recently the withdrawal of Joe Biden from the US Presidential race.”
Personal information
Clips of Martine on The TV Room
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Online presence
Acknowledgements
PICTURED: Martine Croxall. COPYRIGHT: Stephanie Belton.
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