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Trevor McDonald | |
|---|---|
| Born | George McDonald (1939-08-16)16 August 1939 (age 86) |
| Occupations | Newsreader, journalist |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Notable credits | |
| Title | Knight Bachelor,OBE |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
Sir Trevor Lawson McDonald (bornGeorge McDonald; 16 August 1939) is a Trinidadian-British newsreader and journalist, best known for his career as anews presenter withIndependent Television News (ITN).
McDonald began his career working as a print and broadcast journalist forNaparima College's Blue Circle Network. He began his professional career withRadio Trinidad as a reporter and worked as a news reader and sports journalist forTrinidad Television. McDonald was employed byBBC Radio in 1969 as a producer, based in London but still broadcasting to the Caribbean. In 1973, he began his long association with ITN as a general reporter and was also ITN's first black reporter. McDonald was promoted in 1992 as the sole presenter ofNews at Ten and became a well-known face on British television screens. He was the presenter of the current affairs programmeTonight with Trevor McDonald and a series of documentaries forITV.
McDonald wasknighted in 1999 for his services to journalism and was appointed adeputy lieutenant of Greater London in 2006. He is a recipient of theNational Television Award for Special Recognition and theBAFTA Fellowship. In 2006, the British public ranked McDonald number 31 in ITV's poll ofTV's 50 Greatest Stars.
McDonald was born as George McDonald to a working-class family on 16 August 1939, inSan Fernando,Trinidad, an island in theWest Indies that was a British colony at the time.[1][2][3] He is the son of Josephine and Lawson McDonald, a self-taught engineer fromGrenada who moved to Trinidad to work on an oil refinery.[4][5][6] McDonald is ofDougla heritage, his mother being ofAfrican descent and his father being ofIndian descent.[7] He grew up in a poor household in the fishing village of St. Margaret in the south of Trinidad,[3][8][9] and is the oldest of four children in his family.[4] McDonald did not receive much of an education at school,[4][10] going against his parents' wishes,[1] but they ensured his English was of high standard by learning the speech of the announcers working at theBBC World Service.[3][11] His father supplemented the small income by mending shoes and keeping pigs in his spare time to fund the family's education.[5][12]
Although his mother wanted him to become a lawyer,[8] he began working in broadcasting throughNaparima College's Blue Circle Network in San Fernando.[13] McDonald's professional work started when he was a radio reporter forRadio Trinidad,[14] news presenter and sports journalist forTrinidad Television as well as newspapers and radio in the early 1960s.[1][10][2] He became a producer for both the BBC World Service and the BBC Caribbean Service in 1962.[13] In 1969, McDonald moved to London and was employed by the BBC World Service as a producer atBush House, but still broadcast to the Caribbean.[15][16]
Finding he was slow-moving at progressing and eager to advance his career,[5] at the urging of his colleagues in 1973,[17] he was employed byIndependent Television News (ITN) editorNigel Ryan to work at the news organisation as a general reporter and was also ITN's first black reporter.[1][18] Aware of this fact, he requested that, as part of his employment with ITN, that he was not "to do token black stories" inBrixton.[6] McDonald had been approached byBBC Television after they claimed they heard of his work in television in Trinidad. He was told the corporation was under pressure from theRace Relations Board to employ more black reporters but declined because he wanted to be employed on merit and not because of his race.[19][20] McDonald worked as a Northern Ireland correspondent reporting onThe Troubles,[6][19] and later became a sports correspondent from 1978 to 1980,[2] reporting on events such as the1978 FIFA World Cup matches involvingScotland.[3][21]
He ultimately concentrated on international politics between January 1980 and 1982 as diplomatic correspondent and newsreader.[8][10] This came after Ryan suggested that McDonald "be likeSandy Gall" and travel the world as a reporter, combining that role with reading the news on occasion.[18] From 1982 to 1987 he was employed as a diplomatic correspondent and newsreader of the ITN-producedChannel 4 News evening bulletin,[1] but returned to ITV in early 1989, presenting theEarly Evening News and rotated that bulletin along with the weekend news duties withFiona Armstrong.[22][23] He conducted the first interview withNelson Mandela after his release from prison and interviewedSaddam Hussein just after theIraqi invasion of Kuwait.[3][6]
McDonald was promoted on 9 November 1992 as the main presenter ofNews at Ten when the bulletin was revamped from its two-presenter format to a one-newsreader format after market research determined that audiences preferred him over younger colleagues.[24] He became a well-known face on British television screens as a result.[1] McDonald remained with ITN whenNews at Ten was axed by ITV on 5 March 1999 in order to broadcast more films and drama.[6][25] He went on to present the newITV Evening News from 1999 to 2001.[22]News at Ten was briefly relaunched for three nights a week on 22 January 2001, to which McDonald returned as a presenter.[26] He presented theITV News at 10.30 followingNews at Ten's second axing in January 2004.[27]
From 1999 to 2007, McDonald hostedITV's flagship current affairs magazine programmeTonight with Trevor McDonald.[1][3][22] The show was revived in 2010 with presenterJulie Etchingham.[28]
McDonald presented what was set to be his lastITV News bulletin on 15 December 2005.[29] He stepped down from his role asanchor after more than 30 years atITN, but said he had no plans to retire completely from television.[30] McDonald told his ITN colleagues that he wanted a low-key departure after having observed the departures ofTom Brokaw andDan Rather in the United States.[31] At the end of the final programme, he signed off with the words:
That brings to an end my association with the news at 10.30. Thank you for watching and thank you for all your generous messages. Good night and goodbye.[29]
On 31 October 2007, ITV announced that, early in 2008, McDonald would come out of retirement to present the relaunchedNews at Ten together with Etchingham.[32][33]
It was announced on 30 October 2008 that McDonald would step down fromNews at Ten once the2008 United States presidential election was over, to be replaced byMark Austin.[34] His last bulletin was on 20 November 2008.[35] It was reported at the time that he would continue to present links forTonight.[36]
McDonald has presented a series of documentaries for ITV. In 2009, McDonald travelled to the Caribbean for the three-part seriesThe Secret Caribbean with Trevor McDonald.[33] Two years later, McDonald travelled around the Mediterranean for the four-part seriesThe Secret Mediterranean with Trevor McDonald.[37] and along the route of theMississippi River for the three-part seriesThe Mighty Mississippi with Trevor McDonald in 2012.[38]
In 2012, McDonald presentedQueen Elizabeth II: Her Remarkable Life Through The Decades. In 2013, he visited death row inmates inIndiana and hosted the two-part seriesInside Death Row.[39] McDonald presented the documentaryWomen Behind Bars: Life and Death in Indiana that same year.[40][41] He travelled toNew York City for the two-part seriesThe Mafia with Trevor McDonald in early 2015.[42] In late 2015, he presentedLas Vegas with Trevor McDonald, a two-part series.[43] In September 2016, McDonald presented a two-part series calledInside Scotland Yard With Trevor McDonald,[44] and the two-part documentaryMafia Women with Trevor McDonald in February 2017.[45]
In late 2017, McDonald presented a documentary calledAn Hour to Catch a Killer,[46] and bothDeath Row 2018 with Trevor McDonald,[47] andJames Bulger: A Mother's Story with Trevor McDonald in February 2018,[48]Martin Luther King by Trevor McDonald in March,[49] andTrevor McDonald: Return To South Africa that June.[50] In September 2018, he presentedTo Catch a Serial Killer with Trevor McDonald,[51]Trevor McDonald and the Killer Nurse the following month,[52]Fred & Rose West: The Real Story with Trevor McDonald in February 2019,[53] andBabes in the Wood in March 2019.[54]
In January 2021, McDonald presented a two-part documentary calledAnd Finally… with Trevor McDonald.[55] In May 2021, McDonald co-presented a one-hour documentary calledTrevor McDonald & Charlene White: Has George Floyd Changed Britain? withCharlene White.[56][57] McDonald presentedThe Killing of PC Harper: A Wife's Story on 17 March 2022,[58] andPride of Britain: A Windrush Special in October 2023.[59]
McDonald was the subject ofThis Is Your Life in January 1990,[60] and ofDesert Island Discs in April 1994.[61] In early 1996, McDonald presented the six-partBBC Radio 2 seriesKalso! Calypso about Caribbean music,[62] andAcross the White Line onBBC Radio 5 Live about Black British football players throughout history.[63] In December 1996, McDonald presented the "Hogmanay at the Palace" fromScone Palace.[64] He also presented the 1997 radio documentary seriesPaths of Inspiration on the world's influential black people,[65] and the 1998 five-part Radio 2 seriesThe Long Voyage Home on the influence of theWindrush immigrants on British society.[66] McDonald narrated the 2000 Radio 2 documentaryThe Forgotten Volunteers on the Asian and black soldiers who helped Britain in both world wars.[67]
McDonald was the presenter of theNational Television Awards from 1996 to 2008,[68] and hosted the television seriesUndercover Customs, which created reconstructions of majorHM Customs and Excise investigations in the United Kingdom.[69] On 21 April 2006, McDonald presented an episode of theBBC One satirical quizHave I Got News for You.[70] McDonald was formerlychancellor ofLondon South Bank University, serving in the role from November 1999 to 2012.[22][71] He also has intimate ties withKing's College School inWimbledon, a London day school, where he is now agovernor.[72] McDonald authored biographies of the cricketersViv Richards andClive Lloyd.[15] He has worked as an editor of poetry anthologies,[15] was the author of a weekly poetry anthology column inThe Daily Telegraph,[3][6] and writes a column forSaga Magazine.[73] His autobiographyFortunate Circumstances was published in 1993,[1] and his cricket-inspired memoirOn Cricket in 2024.[74]
Lenny Henry's comic character Trevor McDoughnut on the TV showTiswas is a parody of McDonald,[15] The real McDonald made a surprise appearance on an edition of the show and took Henry's place in the sketch, being soaked with the customary bucket of water at the climax.[75] McDonald was also parodied byRory Bremner, inblackface.[6] McDonald performed live inHyde Park in June 1996 withthe Who, as the newsreader in the group's staging of their rock opera,Quadrophenia.[76] In 1997, he was made chairman of the Better English Campaign steering group to encourage the improved use of English in both verbal and written communication in school,[21][77] and assisted in the launch of its campaign Better English, Better Job to help school leavers improve their communication skills, job applications and practising job interviews with employers.[11][78] McDonald was the presenter of theClassic Brit Awards in 2000.[79] Five years later, he was appointed an honorary vice president ofVision Aid Overseas.[80] McDonald has appeared in advertising campaigns forVision Express andMcVitie's.[81][82]
In June 2007, McDonald hosted the new ITV version ofThis Is Your Life,Simon Cowell being the programme's "victim".[83] From June to August 2007, McDonald presented the satirical panel showNews Knight with Sir Trevor McDonald on ITV1.[84] In August 2010, McDonald conducted a live on-stage interview withArchbishop Desmond Tutu atFairfield Halls inCroydon at an event entitledAn Audience with Desmond Tutu.[85] He was appointed deputy president ofSurrey County Cricket Club in 2012,[86] and served as the club's president from 2013 to 2014.[87] In 2014, McDonald presented a media training course entitled "Deal with the Media with Sir Trevor McDonald".[88]
He presented the four-part Sunday evening radio seriesSir Trevor McDonald's Headliners onClassic FM in mid-2020.[89] In 2021, McDonald narrated theWaterAid animated advertisement about a young girl fromMadagascar and drew attention to global water shortages.[90] He presented a special edition ofCountdown that September as part of Channel 4'sBlack To Front Day.[91] That same year, McDonald appeared as the titular character inE4's revival ofGamesMaster,[92] and presented a week ofThe Classic FM Concert in March 2022.[93] In November 2022, as part of the game show's 40th anniversary, McDonald was a guest presenter onCountdown.[94] In March 2024, McDonald was the walking partner in the second episode ofPerfect Pub Walks withBill Bailey.[95]
In June 2024,The Guardian reported that McDonald had been featured in an advertisement to promote the planned UK government sale of shares inNatWest to the public (which had been announced inthe March budget).[96] Because one of McDonald's conditions was that he did not want to directly tell people to buy shares, thestrapline for the advert was "Are you in?".[96] The campaign had to be suspended after the announcement of the2024 general election.[96]
McDonald holds honorary degrees of eitherdoctor of laws ordoctor of letters from theUniversity of Plymouth,[13][21] theOpen University,[1]Liverpool John Moores University, theSouthampton Institute, theUniversity of the West Indies,[21] andKingston University.[3] He was named Newscaster of the Year by theTelevision and Radio Industries Club on four occasions in 1993, 1997, 1999,[1] and 2009.[97] McDonald was awarded theRoyal Television Society (RTS) Gold Medal "for outstanding contribution to television news" in 1998,[98] and in the following year, received theRichard Dimbleby Award from theBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).[1] In 2004, McDonald was one of100 Great Black Britons in a poll taken after the BBC's100 Greatest Britons failed to include any Black Britons.[99][100] He was voted 31st inTV's 50 Greatest Stars poll by ITV in 2006.[17]
He was appointedKnight Bachelor in the1999 Birthday Honours for his services to broadcasting and journalism, having previously been appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the1992 New Year Honours.[101][102] McDonald was awarded with theNational Television Award for Special Recognition in2003, the RTS Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2005,[13] and was inducted into the CBU Caribbean Media Hall of Fame in the same year.[103] He was appointed adeputy lieutenant of Greater London in November 2006.[22][104] McDonald received aBAFTA Fellowship at the 2011British Academy Television Awards.[105]
McDonald was married to his first wife Beryl from 1964 to 1985, and in 1986 married his second wife Josephine McCann, an ITN production assistant, from whom he separated amicably in 2020. There were two children of the first marriage and one of the second.[17][106][107]
.| Academic offices | ||
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| Preceded by Christopher McLaren | Chancellor ofLondon South Bank University 1999–2012 | Succeeded by |
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