Ben was born in Ashford, Kent. He is the son of former ITN newscaster Antony Brown.
He was educated at Sutton Valance School and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, politics and economics from Keble College, Oxford (1981).
He later received a diploma with distinction from the Cardiff Centre for journalism studies (1993).
On leaving college, he joined Radio Clyde as a reporter.
In 1985, he took up a reporting job at Radio City Liverpool. A year later, he joined Independent Radio News, covering stories such as the superpower summits and the Hungerford massacre in August 1987.
In July 1988, Ben joined BBC TV News as a home reporter. During his career at the Corporation, he has held a number of key positions within the news division:
- Foreign affairs correspondent: reporting on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Gulf War (1988 – 1991 and 1995 – 1997);
- Moscow correspondent: covering the collapse of communism and the fall of Mikhail Gorbachev and when troops loyal to President Yeltsin stormed the Russian Parliament (1989 and 1991 – 1994);
- Special correspondent on Nine o’Clock News and Ten o’Clock News: covering domestic and international stories (January 1998 – 2006).
His coverage of the civil war in Chechnya in 1994 won him several international prizes, including a BAFTA, the Bayeux War Correspondent of the Year Award and the Golden Nymph Award at the Monte Carlo Television Festival.
In 2000, he won a Royal Television Society award for his reporting from Zimbabwe, where he was trapped inside a white farm whilst it was invaded by armed militants.
In 2001, he won the Bayeux-Calvados Award for war correspondents for the second time for his coverage of the Intifada in Israel.
In 1991, he wrote a book, with fellow BBC correspondent David Shukman, called All Necessary Means: Inside the Gulf War (1991).
In 2003, he was embedded with British troops in the Iraq War and wrote a book about his experience, called The Battle for Iraq: BBC News Correspondents on the War against Saddam and a New World Agenda.
He wrote a novel, based on his experiences of war reporting, called Sandstealers. It was published by HarperCollins in May 2009.
In early 2006, Ben began presenting on BBC News 24 and the BBC News channel. His final shift ahead of the merger of the BBC News channel and BBC World News, was on the 18th March 2023.
Ben first presented a BBC One news programme on Friday 4th May 2007 and appeared occasionally until October 2009.
Since August 2014, he has presented on all BBC One news programmes – BBC News at One (from 11th September 2014), BBC News at Six, BBC News at Ten and the weekend news.
In February 2024, he was appointed a chief presenter on the BBC News channel and would share his role with his presenting duties for the BBC News at One.
He presented his first edition of the extended, hour-long programme, from MediaCity UK, Salford, on Wednesday 12th June 2024.
Correspondence
Paul R. Jackson corresponded with Ben in September 2024.
What year did you join Radio Clyde and how long did you work there?
“I’m not very good with dates, so can’t really help too much on those, but after university I did the Cardiff Journalism course (1981 – 1982).
“I joined Radio Clyde for a year (1982 -1983), then went to City till 1985. I was only at Clyde about 10 months – as a trainee reporter.”
Do you know the date you started presenting on BBC News 24?
“In 2006, I was asked by the new controller of News 24 to become a presenter there: my first programme was alongside Emily Maitlis in the evening slot.”
Which news stories have had the greatest impact on you during your career?
“The stories that have had the most impact were:
- Bosnian war;
- Kosovo;
- Rwanda genocide;
- Invasion of Iraq when I was embedded with British troops (2003);
- Tsunami and civil war in Haiti and then the earthquakes there.
“Being trapped in a white-owned farmhouse when it was under siege in Zimbabwe and I thought I might be killed (I got an RTS award instead fortunately).
“Chechnya in 1994, when I also thought I could die because the Russian onslaught was so relentless.
“And watching the red flag coming down from the Kremlin when I was Moscow correspondent and communism ended.”
Are there any major differences presenting the news from Salford as opposed to London?
“Salford is much the same, but I have to travel up and stay there for two or three days at a time.
“It’s part of the BBC trying to spread itself across the UK and create jobs outside just London and the south east – which I do approve of!”
Personal information
Clips of Ben on The TV Room
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Online presence
Acknowledgements
PICTURED: Ben Brown. COPYRIGHT: BBC.
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