Aldred, Ian

Ian was born in Manchester in 1949. He trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He was on an attachment to BBC Presentation as a continuity announcer for BBC One and BBC Two (1985 – 1987) and was senior presentation announcer, BBC Scotland (c. 1995). He made several appearances as a newsreader in Rab C. Nesbitt (BBC Two, 1994, 1996 and 1998). He also appeared on BBC Radio 4 narrating Seven Days in March (1979) and as a contributor to Naked Radio (1984) and Kailyard Blues (1998) – all produced by BBC Scotland.

The Herald Scotland in November 1999 commented on BBC Scotland’s Ian Aldred and changes to their schedule: “During the week he could be heard reading news bulletins as news bulletins ought to be read, but on Sundays he could enjoy the greater informality of his greetings programme, in which he has established a fine rapport with a large and loyal public. For Mr Aldred’s fan club, however, I’m afraid I have bad news. The powers-that-be at Queen Margaret Drive have decided it is time for him to go. Oh, he will still read the news, but as far as his own distinctive programme is concerned, his number is up. The BBC always do things in a civilised manner, I’m told, but when you peel away the diplomacy, the push is still the push. And that is what is happening to Ian Aldred. When given the shock news, he reacted with ‘total professionalism’, they say, which is just what you would expect from a man of such dignity. But why does he have to go at all? Well, the inner-circle at BBC Scotland who commissions these programmes apparently wants new voices for the new millennium. This seems to smack of change for change’s sake, largely ignoring that there is a familiarity factor with which older people in particular are comfortable.”

Correspondence

Paul R. Jackson corresponded with Ian in October 2017: “There is a clip available of one of my closedowns, surprisingly, because I was only on three short attachments to TV Centre. I was with BBC Radio in Scotland from 1978 until 2003, and my first attachment to TVC was merely for a change. The second and third came about as they were short-handed. I was offered a contract, but I was on staff in Scotland, so was happy to return north. I suppose the most unusual thing I did was read a news bulletin out-of-vision on the evening of the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster (6th March 1987). Possibly the only time news was read from Con. Since leaving the BBC I’ve been doing voiceovers for commercials and corporate clients and hosting events such as award ceremonies. I’ve also acted in or directed plays at the Edinburgh Festival.”

Personal information

Clips of Ian on The TV Room

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Acknowledgements