As the oldest commercial television network in the UK,ITV has employed many journalists and newsreaders to present its news programmes as well as to provide news reports and interviews during its history.
Since the ITV network began,Independent Television News Limited (ITN) has held the contract to produce national and international news for it. Meanwhile, the regional ITV stations have provided local news programmes tailored for regional audiences.
Kaye Adams – journalist on Central Television; later presenter on Scottish TV.
Jonathan Aitken – presenter onYorkshire Television'sCalendar from 1968 until 1970: he was the first person to be seen on screen when the station launched. He later participated in the relaunch ofTV-am in 1983, but he is best known as aConservative politician, originally forThanet from 1974 and later forSouth Thanet.
Antoine Allen – presenter for ITV News London late bulletins, Good Morning Britain London early bulletins, ITV News reporter
Toni Arthur – occasional presenter onTV-am during the 1980s. She is best known as a presenter on the BBC children's seriesPlayschool andPlay Away during the 1970s.
Mark Austin – former main presenter ofITV Evening News andITV News at Ten; since joining ITN (on ITV) in 1986, having previously worked onBBC news programmes; has specialised in a variety of roles including sports reporter, foreign correspondent, and then newscaster forChannel 4 News
Lisa Aziz – former co-presenter forITV Westcountry and news presenter on TV-am
Faye Barker – main newscaster forITV News London at 5:30, January 2009 – December 2012; continues to work with ITN acrossITV London andITV News output
Carol Barnes – worked for ITN, 1975–2004, as both reporter and newscaster; died in March 2008
Felicity Barr – first female sports correspondent forITV News in 2001
Martin Bashir – leftBBC in 1999 to join ITV, working on special documentary programmes and features forTonight. He rejoined the BBC in 2016 as their Religious Affairs Correspondent.
Seán Batty – meteorologist, currently working for STV
Andrea Benfield – journalist and presenter,ITV News: Wales at Six
Sally Biddulph – reporter and newsreader at ITV News Central and political correspondent forThames Valley Tonight in Westminster; joined ITN in 2009 as news correspondent, political correspondent and presenter onITV News at 5:30,ITV News at 1:30 andITV News Saturday prime-time bulletins; newsreader forITV News London since 2014.
Reginald Bosanquet – best known for presenting ITN bulletins in the 1970s; joined ITN at its start in 1955 as a sub-editor; later reported from many parts of the world and was the diplomatic correspondent for four years; held the 'head anchor' title at ITN between 1974 and 1976, in the absence ofAlastair Burnet; died in 1984; son of the cricketerBernard Bosanquet, who famously invented the 'googly'.
Tom Bradby –ITV News' political editor, July 2005 – October 2015; joined ITN as an editorial trainee in 1990 and subsequently became producer forMichael Brunson, ITN's political editor, in 1992; Ireland correspondent 1993–1996; Asia correspondent 1999–2001; then Royal correspondent for ITV News; subsequently became UK editor before taking up the post of political editor; gave up his position as political editor in October 2015 to become sole anchor ofITV News at Ten
Fern Britton – television presenter, former co-anchor of the Southampton edition ofTVS local news programmeCoast To Coast, best known as co-presenter for ITV magazine programmeThis Morning, 1999–2009
Antony Brown (born 1922) – newsreader in the 1950s and 1960s. Announced theassassination of President Kennedy. Co-author of historical fiction withNorman MacKenzie under the joint pseudonym 'Anthony Forrest'. He died in 2001. He was the father of the BBC News presenterBen Brown.[1][2]
Michael Brunson – Washington correspondent and diplomatic editor of ITN; best known for serving as the political editor between 1986 and 2000 and as an occasional ITN newscaster
Kay Burley – newsreader, reporter and occasional main presenter onTV-am from 1985 until 1988. She left to join the then-fledglingSky News.
Sir Alastair Burnet – main presenter ofNews at Ten and ITN election programmes from the early 1960s until his retirement in 1991; held the 'head anchor' title at ITN from 1967 (the yearNews at Ten was launched) until 1991, except between 1972 and 1976 when he presented for the BBC and became editor of theDaily Express;knighted as aKnight Bachelor in early 1984; died in July 2012.
Gordon Burns – joinedUlster Television in his native Belfast in 1967 as a sports presenter, later presenting the station's flagship programme UTV Reports. He then moved toGranada Television, where he presentedGranada Reports and also worked onWorld In Action in the 1970s, but he is best known as the long-serving host of Granada's prestigious quizThe Krypton Factor from 1977 until 1995. He joined BBC North West in 1997, becoming the main anchor onNorth West Tonight until his retirement in 2011.
Andrea Catherwood – former main presenter for ITV's weekend news bulletins; joined ITN in April 1998, starting as a newscaster and senior reporter; in these early years, she also presented theITN Morning News and filed special reports forNews at Ten; became medical correspondent; left ITN in September 2006 to front the short-lived political programmeThe Sunday Edition
David Chater – award-winning former ITN international correspondent; joinedSky News in 1993
Robin Day – worked for ITN from 1955, the first British journalist to interview Egypt'sPresident Nasser after the Suez Crisis. Later moved to the BBC. He died in 2000.
Fred Dinenage – television host and newsreader, based in the south of England; has appeared as presenter of many British television programmes, includingWorld of Sport, and quiz shows, such asTell The Truth,Gambit andPass The Buck, and the children's seriesHow. Most of these were produced bySouthern Television and its successorsTVS and Meridian Broadcasting; however, Dinenage has also worked for theBBC on occasions. He was a presenter onITV Meridian between 1983 and 2021.
Anna Ford – initially worked as a researcher, news reporter and later newsreader at Granada Television; became a newsreader with ITN, and later helped launch ITV's first breakfast television service,TV-am
David Frost – one of the original presenters ofTV-am on its launch in 1983. He then presented 'Frost on Sunday' until 1992, before moving to the BBC to presentBreakfast with Frost, which ran from 1993 until 2005. He died in 2013.
Sandy Gall – long-serving former ITN foreign correspondent and news presenter. He died in 2025.
Andrew Gardner – presented the firstNews at Ten with Alastair Burnet in 1967; following his retirement from ITN, he worked onThames Television during the 1980s; died in 1999
Martin Geissler – Africa correspondent for ITV News since May 2006; joined ITV News in April 2002 fromSTV Central's regional news programmeScotland Today, where he was a news reporter and presenter.
Shiulie Ghosh – senior correspondent, Home Affairs Editor and presenter forITV News, 1998–2006.
Elinor Goodman – long-serving reporter forChannel 4 News. She joined the programme as a political correspondent on its inception in 1982, later becoming the programme's Political Editor, a role she held from 1988 until 2005. She also occasionally reported for ITN.
Bob Greaves – long-serving presenter, reporter and producer forGranada Television. He originally joined the company in 1964 as a reporter on 'Scene', then as the main anchor for 'Newscene' andGranada Reports until his retirement in 1999. He died in 2011.
Eamonn Holmes – presenter onUlster Television'sGood Evening Ulster, 1982–1986; presentedGMTV, 1993–2005; hosted a number of quiz and game shows; currently a regular presenter onThis Morning
Gordon Honeycombe – newscaster at ITN, 1965–1977; twice voted the most popular newscaster in Britain, by readers of theDaily Mirror and ofThe Sun; returned to regular newsreading, 1984–1989, as chief newsreader atTV-am, becoming Britain's longest-serving ITV newscaster; died in 2015
John Irvine – ITN's Washington correspondent; before joining ITN in 1994 as a Northern Ireland correspondent, worked forUTV News.
Jayne Irving – worked onGood Morning Britain from 1983 until 1986, originally reading the news bulletins, then as a main anchor. She left to join theBBC, where she presentedOpen Air from 1986 until 1990.
Peter Jay – main presenter ofWeekend World from 1972–77, he then became the founding chairman ofTV AM in 1983. He later joined theBBC.
Sally Jones (journalist) – reporter forWestward Television, later becoming a main co-presenter onCentral News during the early 1980s – she also reported forITN during this period. She left to joinBBC Breakfast in 1986 and became a Real Tennis world champion in 1993 – she also won the British and US Open Championships
Robert Kee – anchor for ITN's first lunchtime bulletinFirst Report, 1972–1976. He was also one of the first presenters ofTV-am in 1983. He died in 2013.
Lorraine Kelly – started as a reporter for Scottish Television; came to national attention by reporting on thePiper Alpha oil rig disaster in 1988. She has since presentedGood Morning Britain,GMTV andDaybreak, and continues to host her own showLorraine to this day.
Kenneth Kendall – presenter onSouthern Television's flagship news programme 'Day By Day' from 1961 until 1969: he also occasionally worked for ITN during this period. He had originally worked for the BBC, having been their first-ever in-vision newsreader in 1955, and he returned there in 1969, continuing in the same role until his retirement in 1981. He later became the main presenter on the Channel 4 quizTreasure Hunt and he also presented the BBC'sSongs of Praise. He died in 2012.
Ludovic Kennedy – newscaster and reporter during ITN's early years. He was knighted for his services to journalism in 1994. He died in 2009. He was married to the actress and dancerMoira Shearer.
Richard Keys – presenter onTV-am from 1984 until 1990. He left to joinSky Sports as a presenter and commentator and has worked in sports broadcasting ever since.
Lucy Kite – news presenter and producer onCentral Tonight for ITV Central from 2002; entertainment correspondent from January 2006; from November 2008, appointed relief presenter on West Midlands edition of Central.
Redvers Kyle – long-serving continuity announcer, originally forAssociated-Rediffusion, from 1956 until 1968: he then worked as Chief Announcer forYorkshire Television from 1968 until 1993. He continued to work as a freelance announcer for YTV, as well asTyne Tees Television, until 1998. He died in 2015.
Jan Leeming – presenter and reporter forWestward Television during the 1960s and a presenter onHTV News West during the 1970s, before becoming a newsreader for theBBC
Martyn Lewis – news presenter forHTV and then ITN, where he was a regular presenter forNews at Ten; joined the BBC in 1986 to front the newOne O'Clock News.
Peter Lewis (announcer) – continuity announcer forLondon Weekend Television from its inception in 1968 until his departure in 1997: he became their chief announcer in 1977. He was also an announcer forYorkshire Television andHTV West, and he was a regular newsreader on 'London News Headlines' for LWT from 1982 until 1988.
James Mates – ITV News Europe Editor; relief newscaster forITV News at 1:30,ITV News at 6:30 andITV News at Ten; main newscaster forITV News on Sundays
Trevor McDonald – ITN newscaster, 1973–2008; first black news anchor in the UK; joined ITN as a reporter in 1973 and rose to become a newscaster by the late 1970s; in the mid-1980s was diplomatic editor forChannel 4 News; main newscaster forNews at Ten, 1992–1999 and 2001–2005; during this period he also hostedGranada Television's current affairs programmeTonight with Trevor McDonald; retired from newscasting in 2005, but returned to ITN to present the revivedNews at Ten for eleven months in 2008;knighted in 1999
Austin Mitchell – main presenter onYorkshire Television'sCalendar from 1969 until 1977. He then became best known as the Labour MP for Great Grimsby, a role he held from 1977 until 2015. He died in 2021.
Leslie Mitchell – senior announcer forAssociated-Rediffusion from 1955 until 1958. He had previously been the first-ever announcer on the then-fledgling BBC Television in 1936. He died in 1985.
Diana Moran – former newsreader and announcer forHTV News West. She is best known as 'The Green Goddess', the resident fitness expert onBBC Breakfast Time from 1983 until 1987.
Emma Murphy – correspondent. Served as Europe Correspondent forITV News and then Foreign Correspondent. In September 2020 it was announced that Murphy would take over as US Correspondent in early 2021.[4]
Bill Neely – joined ITN in 1989, was Washington Correspondent for 6 years, Europe Correspondent for 5, International Editor for 12; covered many events including the fall of theBerlin Wall, break-up of theSoviet Union, bothGulf Wars, andSeptember 11 attacks; left in 2014 to joinNBC News
Mike Neville – joined Tyne Tees Television in 1959 as a young reporter; later became presenter of regional news programme before leaving for the BBC; returned to ITV in 1996 with his own programme on Tyne Tees until 2005. He died in 2017.
Michael Nicholson – former ITN senior foreign correspondent and newscaster; original host ofITN News at 5:45 when it was introduced in 1976; died in December 2016
Mary Nightingale – main newscaster onITV Evening News; joined ITV News in January 2001 and has since presented both the 6:30 pm bulletin as well as special ITN programmes on ITV
Nicholas Owen – joined ITN in 1984 asChannel 4 News' business and economics correspondent; ITN's royal correspondent, 1994–2000; in 2003, he became the main presenter ofITV News at 1:30; left ITN in 2006 for the BBC, where he is currently a relief presenter for theBBC News at Six, as well as a main presenter on theBBC News Channel, and a radio presenter onClassic FM.
Leonard Parkin – reporter and newscaster with ITN from circa 1973 to 1987; between 1976 and 1987 he was one of the main presenters for ITN'sNews at One; often hosted theNews at 5:45 in the early 1980s; occasionally presentedNews at Ten; and retired in 1987; subsequently presented documentaries forYorkshire Television until his death in 1993.
Michael Parkinson – one of the original presenters ofTV-am on its inception in 1983. He is best known as a chat show host, having hosted his own BBC showParkinson from 1971 until 1982: he later presented a revival, from 1998 until 2007. Other shows he has presented have includedGive Us A Clue andDesert Island Discs. He was knighted in 2008. He died in 2023.
Gaby Rado – journalist who died in Iraq during the 2003 invasion; joined BBC News as a radio reporter, then ITN in 1985 as a writer for ITV bulletins, before transferring to ITN'sChannel 4 News in 1988.
Jeff Randall – produced television documentaries for ITV.
Phil Reay-Smith – general correspondent for ITV News until August 2010; now Consumer Editor onITV Breakfast showDaybreak since its launch in September 2010
Pam Rhodes – presenter of Anglia Television'sAbout Anglia during the 1970s and 1980s. She is now best known as a long-serving presenter of theBBC'sSongs of Praise.
Steve Rider – sports presenter and anchorman of ITV's football coverage, having previously been a long-serving main anchor on theBBC'sGrandstand
Peter Rowell – continuity announcer and daytime newsreader forHTV West from the late 1980s until he left in 2010 to joinBBC Radio Bristol. He was jailed in 2012 on historical sexual assault charges.
Angus Scott – regular sports presenter forHTV during the 1980s and 1990s: he frequently presented sports news onHTV News. He is the brother ofSteve Scott.
Mike Scott – reporter and presenter onWorld In Action and Granada's local news programmes: he was the company's programme controller from 1979 until 1987. He was probably best known for hostingThe Time, The Place from 1987 until 1993, in rotation withJohn Stapleton. Scott died in 2008.
Steve Scott – sports editor and newscaster forITV News from ITN; began his television career as Industrial Correspondent withWest Tonight on ITV West; joined ITN in 1993. He is married to the formerHTV News presenter Patricia Yorston, and is also the brother ofAngus Scott.
Chris Ship – Royal Editor for ITV News and occasional weekend news presenter
Peter Sissons – joined ITN in 1964 and became their Industrial Editor after being wounded covering theNigerian Civil War; became alternate presenter of theNews at One in 1976; presented the first edition ofChannel 4 News in 1982; left in 1989 to join BBC News. He died in 2019.
Jon Snow – journalist and presenter for ITN, best known for presenting Channel 4 News since 1989; cousin of fellow-journalistPeter Snow.
Peter Snow – joined ITN as a newscaster in 1962, later working as a foreign correspondent and Defence and Diplomatic Correspondent during the 1960s and 1970s. He was also a regular analyst and co-presenter on ITN's election programmes during this period. He joined the BBC in 1979 as the first main anchor ofNewsnight, which he presented from 1980 until 1997. During this time, he became especially famous for his use of theSwingometer during the BBC's election coverage. He later co-presentedTomorrow's World and also a number of history programmes, the latter normally with his historian son,Dan Snow. He is also the cousin of fellow-journalistJon Snow.
Julia Somerville – joinedITN in 1987 to co-present theLunchtime News; presenter ofITV News at Ten until it ended in 1999; remained at ITN until October 2001, presenting theITV News at 1:30 and was the launch newscaster for theITN News Channel
Edward Stourton (journalist) – joined ITN in 1979: he was a founder-member ofChannel 4 News and worked in various roles on the programme, including copywriter, producer, duty home news editor and chief sub-editor. He joined the BBC in 1988 as their Paris Correspondent, before returning to ITN as their Diplomatic Editor in 1990. He rejoined the BBC in 1993 to present the One O'Clock News and he later presented the 'Today' programme, to which he still contributes to this day.
Janet Street-Porter – joined LWT in 1975; reporter onThe London Weekend Show from 1975 until 1979
John Suchet – newsreader for ITN, 1972–2004; reporter, 1972–1982, when he became a weekend news presenter; main lunchtime presenter, 1987–1992; best known for his presenting theITV News at 6:30, 1992–1999; during these years he was also a relief presenter forNews at Ten; retired from ITN in 2004; brother of the actorDavid Suchet
Jonathan Swain – senior news correspondent, Good Morning Britain. Previously a correspondent for GMTV from 2001 and then Daybreak before it was relaunched as Good Morning Britain. From 1996 until 1998 reporter and presenter at Westcountry Television in SW England before joining Central Television.
Kathy Tayler – former pentathlete, who presentedGood Morning Britain from 1989 until 1992. She was also a regular presenter on the BBC'sHoliday for twelve years.
Alan Taylor (television presenter) – continuity announcer forTWW in his native Cardiff: he began in 1959 and continued in this role throughout the 1960s. He later presented a number of programmes forHTV Wales during the 1970s, as well as quiz shows such asThree Little Words andMr. & Mrs.. He died in 1997.
Shaw Taylor – continuity announcer onATV during its early years. He was best known for presenting the long-running series 'Police 5' and 'Junior Police 5', which appealed to members of the public to watch out for criminals at work, from 1962 until 1992. He died in 2015.
Matt Teale – currently presents ITV News Meridian and formerly presented ITV News London and ITV News Central.
Owen Thomas – worked for many years at ITN, presenting the now defunct ITV News Channel, the networked ITV Morning News and the regional ITV programme London Tonight.
Alex Thomson (journalist) – long-serving main presenter and reporter onChannel Four News. He joined the programme in 1988 and has worked in various roles, covering more than 20 wars and conflicts and many major news events. He currently works as the programme's Chief Correspondent and Newsreader.
Debbie Thrower – presented ITV Meridian's news programme Meridian Tonight (southern edition) from its inception in 1993 to 2009; also a BBC newsreader and a presenter onSongs of Praise
Geraint Vincent – political correspondent for HTV'sWales Tonight; joined ITN in April 2002 as a news correspondent forITV News; presentedITV News at 6:30 andITV News at Ten; Middle East Correspondent forITV News
Brian Walden – former Labour MP; presented many current affairs shows such asWeekend World,Walden andThe Walden Interview during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He died in 2019.
Neville Wanless – long-serving continuity announcer and newsreader forTyne Tees Television from 1971 until 1991. He had previously worked for the BBC'sHome Service and he was a stand-in announcer forBorder Television during the early 1970s. He died in 2020.
Mark Webster – former ITN Moscow Correspondent, Business Editor, Political Correspondent and Industrial Correspondent; joinedfive news in 2004 (when the programme was produced bySky News).
Romilly Weeks – employed by ITN to cover events worldwide forITV News.
Stewart White – continuity announcer and presenter onATV and its successor,Central Independent Television, during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He then became the main presenter on the BBC'sLook East in 1984, continuing in this role until his retirement in 2021.
Yao Chin – video journalist reporting on theITV Morning News, 2009–12; joined ITN as an Assistant News Editor and Westminster Producer, having won a scholarship from ITV News for his post-graduate journalism qualification.
Kirsty Young – joinedSTV in 1992 to present the main evening news programme,Scotland Today; moved to join ITV in 1999 and briefly became a co-presenter of theITV News at 6:30 withDermot Murnaghan in 2001, as well as the Channel 5 News; she later presentedDesert Island Discs onBBC Radio 4 from 2006 until 2018.
Muriel Young – announcer forAssociated-Rediffusion on the first-ever night of ITV, 22 September 1955. She also worked as a presenter and interviewer for regional programmes onGranada Television andSouthern Television, but she was probably best known for her work on ITV children's programmes. She was a presenter on 'Lucky Dip', 'Tuesday Rendezvous' and 'The Five O'Clock Club', among others, from 1959 until 1968, then she became a staff producer forGranada Television, producing pop shows such asLift Off with Ayshea,Get It Together andShang-a-Lang. She also devised the children's film seriesClapperboard. She died in 2001.
