Katie_Razzall

Katie Razzall

Katie Razzall

British journalist and broadcaster

Katherine Mary Razzall (born 31 October 1970) is an English journalist and television newsreader.[1] She currently works for BBC News as its media editor, having previously been a Newsnight reporter.

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Early life and education

Razzall was born in Wandsworth, London, daughter of the British Liberal Democrat politician and parliamentarian Lord Razzall and his first wife, Elizabeth Christina (née Wilkinson); they separated when she was about three years old.[2] She has a younger brother, James.[3] She was educated at the University of Oxford where she studied philosophy and modern languages at Pembroke College.[4]

Career

Razzall started her career on an ITN traineeship[4] before working for Channel 4 News as a reporter in 2000.[5][6] After 14 years at Channel 4,[4] Newsnight hired Razzall as a special correspondent in January 2014.[7] In May 2019, Newsnight promoted Razzall to UK editor.[8] She presented Newsnight while standing in for the programme's former main host Emily Maitlis in May 2020 during the scandal over Dominic Cummings.[9] She continues to occasionally act as stand-in presenter on Newsnight.[10]

On 29 July 2021, it was announced that in November of the same year, Razzall would take the place of BBC News' arts editor Will Gompertz in the new role of its culture editor.[11] In January 2023, she succeeded Amol Rajan as the BBC's media editor, whilst retaining her role as the culture editor.

Controversies

In 2016, Razzall interviewed Omar Badreddin as part of BBC Newsnight's To hell and back: the story of a Syrian family given refuge in the UK[12] which documented the family's 11-month journey from Syria to Newcastle as part of the Syrian refugee resettlement program. During the production, Badreddin--then aged 18--was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year old girl. Razzall interviewed the Badreddin family about the trial and commented that "The Syrian men in many ways appeared less sexually experienced than the girls they were supposed to have attacked." Viewers of the programme were unhappy with this editorialization and equated the comment to victim blaming. [13] In the aftermath, Omar Badreddin and his brother Mohamed, along with two others, were handed a combined 38.5-year sentence for the rape of a 13-year-old girl abused between August 2018 and April 2019. [14]

Personal life

Razzall has been married to the actor Oliver Milburn since 18 December 2004.[15] The couple were honeymooning in Sri Lanka when the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami struck.[15] They have a daughter.[16] Previously, Razzall dated Milburn's friend, the actor Damian Lewis.[17]

Razzall featured on the song "The 2nd Law: Unsustainable" by English rock band Muse, reading out words written by the lead singer, guitarist and lyricist Matt Bellamy.[18]

References

  1. [1]
    Katie Razzall on Twitter Edit this at Wikidata
  2. [2]
    Charles Mosley, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage. Vol. 3 (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage Ltd. p. 3296.
  3. [3]
    "Relative Values: Tim Razzall and his daughter Katie". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  4. [4]
    Anon (2019). "40 Years Of Women: Katie Razzall". pmb.ox.ac.uk. Pembroke College, Oxford.
  5. [5]
    Sweney, Mark (20 January 2014). "Newsnight hires Channel 4 reporter Katie Razzall". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  6. [6]
    Razzall, Katie (2014). "News articles by Katie Razzall". channel4.com. Channel 4.
  7. [7]
    Sweney, Mark (20 January 2014). "Newsnight hires Channel 4 reporter Katie Razzall". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  8. [8]
    Wren, Esme (17 May 2019). "Very pleased to announce that @katierazz is @BBCNewsnight new UK Editor". @esmewren. Retrieved 17 May 2019 – via Twitter.
  9. [9]
    Waterson, Jim (28 May 2020). "Emily Maitlis replaced for Newsnight episode after Cummings remarks". The Guardian.
  10. [10]
    Newsnight - Who is winning in Ukraine?, retrieved 24 August 2023
  11. [11]
    "Katie Razzall appointed new Culture Editor for BBC News". Media Centre. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  12. [12]
    "To hell and back: The story of one Syrian family given refuge in UK - BBC Newsnight".
  13. [13]
    Coburn, Poppy (9 March 2024). "Syrian refugee in 'fawning' BBC documentary raped child seven times". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  14. [14]
    "Newcastle grooming gang jailed for raping 13-year-old girl". BBC News. 1 March 2024.
  15. [15]
    Anon (15 January 2005). "Newlyweds' hell on Paradise Beach". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  16. [16]
    "Oliver Milburn | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  17. [17]
    "Red hot: The irresistible rise of Damian Lewis". The Independent. 9 September 2006.
  18. [18]
    Razzall, Katie (27 October 2012). "@shebahronay muse required a voice for a track called unsustainable. I did it. They opened their O2 gig with it. Starts with me. Clear...?!". @katierazz. Retrieved 20 February 2020 – via Twitter.
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