Sue was born in Dudley in the West Midlands. She graduated with a BA Hons in modern languages from the University of Bristol.
Because of peer pressure, Sue changed her Dudley accent to one closer to received pronunciation.
In 1967, she began her career as a trainee journalist with the Western Mail and the South Wales Echo in Cardiff, where she shared a house with Michael Buerk.
In 1970, Sue joined BBC Plymouth. She worked as a sub-editor and freelance reporter, then as a presenter on BBC TV’s regional news programme Spotlight (1970 – 1972).
In 1972, she gained national exposure when she joined Nationwide as one of its reporters.
In 1975, Sue was offered the main presenter role on the new nightly news programme Tonight (transmitted from 19th September on BBC One).
In 1976, she went on maternity leave and did not return to the programme, but did re-join Nationwide, as one of its two main presenters (1977 – 1983).
In July 1983, it was announced that Sue would leave Nationwide to join BBC TV News to present the Nine o’Clock News (from 8th September 1983) as well as the BBC One news headlines and weekend news bulletins.
She presented the Nine o’Clock News for the final time on 11th July 1984.
She was lead news presenter on BBC One’s Six o’Clock News from its launch on 3rd September 1984.
Sue was praised by both management and viewers, when the Six o’Clock News studio was invaded by protesters opposed to Section 28 on 23rd May 1988.
Sue kept her cool and showed great professionalism continuing to read the news headlines, whilst co-presenter Nicholas Witchell restrained one of the protestors by sitting on them.
She closed the programme by saying “Nick and I will be back tomorrow – just the two of us.”
She presented her final BBC TV news programme on Friday 29th July 1988, alongside Nicholas Witchell.
She ended with the following: “That’s it from the Six o’Clock News for this week. So it’s goodnight from Nick and goodbye from me. Goodbye.”
She was a stand-in presenter on Question Time (BBC One, 1984 and 1987) and on 47 editions of the thrice-weekly chat show Wogan (BBC One, 1986 – 1990).
She co-hosted The Laurence Olivier Awards with Anthony Hopkins (BBC Two, 29th January 1989).
She presented Saturday Matters with Sue Lawley (BBC One, 1989). Her first guest was HRH The Duchess of York. The series was panned by critics and was cancelled after one series.
She presented a special series of news programmes that mixed archive film and reports, using modern news correspondents:
- News 39 (August 1989 – September 1989) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of World War II;
- News 44 (June 1994) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of D-Day;
- News 45: VE-Day (May 1995) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of VE-Day;
- VJ-50: News 45: VJ-Day (BBC One, August 1995) to celebrate the end of World War II.
She presented See for Yourself (BBC One, 1990), in which she interviewed both the chairman (Marmaduke Hussey) and director-general of the BBC (Michael Checkland).
She left the BBC to work for ITV, and only presented occasional series and some high-profile interviews, including one with the British Prime Minister John Major.
In 1993, she returned to BBC TV and presented:
- Biteback (BBC One, 1993 – 1995);
- Hospital Watch (BBC One, 1995);
- Here and Now (BBC One, 1995 – 1997);
- Seven Wonders of the World (BBC Two, 1995 and 1997);
- Water Week: On Tap (BBC One, 1998);
- Pile-Up (BBC One, 1998);
- Review of the Year (BBC One, 1998);
- Track Record – with Peter Snow, as part of BBC Rail Week (BBC One, 1999);
- Giving Life – part of National Transplant Week (BBC One, 13th June 1999);
- The Crime Squad (BBC One, 1999 – 2000).
- The 100th Birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: A Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving from St Paul’s Cathedral (BBC One, 11th July 2000).
She narrated an edition of Q.E.D. (BBC One, April 1994).
She was part of ITN’s presenting team for its ITV Election 97 coverage.
Sue was interviewed for Let’s Go Nationwide (BBC Two, 26th August 1991) and appeared on It’s Time to Go Nationwide (BBC Four/BBC Two, February 2009), a documentary about the popular programme.
Sue also made several guest appearances as herself on:
- Yes Minister – The Quality of Life (BBC Two, 1981);
- The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow (BBC One, 1988);
- Newman and Baddiel in Pieces (BBC Two, 1993);
- Norman Oraml: A Very Political Turtle (BBC One, 1998);
- My Dad’s the Prime Minister (BBC One, 2004).
In 1988, Sue took over as host of BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. She presented her final edition on 26th August 2006.
In 1990, her book Sue Lawley’s Desert Island Discussions was published.
She presented Desert Island Discs: A 60th Birthday Celebration at the Royal Festival Hall (31st March 2002, BBC Four).
In 2017, Sue stood down after 17 years, as both chair and presenter of the BBC Radio 4 Reith Lectures (named after the BBC’s first director-general John Reith).
On 5th May 2019, Sue joined fellow news presenters Jan Leeming, Angela Rippon and Julia Somerville on BBC Radio 4’s The Reunion to discuss pioneering women newsreaders, with presenter Sue MacGregor.
In 2023, she briefly came out of broadcasting retirement, to present on BBC London.
Sue is a board member of the English Tourism Council and the English National Opera.
In 2001, she was awarded the OBE.
She married solicitor David Ashby in 1975. Her second husband in 1987 was former BBC TV News executive Hugh Williams.
Personal information
Clips of Sue on The TV Room
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Online presence
Acknowledgements
PICTURED: Sue Lawley. COPYRIGHT: Unknown.
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