Stewart_White_(journalist)

Stewart White (journalist)

Stewart White (journalist)

British journalist and broadcaster

Stewart White (born 18 April 1947)[1] is a British journalist and broadcaster, best known for presenting the East Anglian regional BBC News programme Look East for 37 years.

Quick Facts Born, Occupation(s) ...

Beginning his career at several local BBC Radio stations, he later became a presenter and continuity announcer for ATV and Central.

In 1984, he became the lead presenter on Look East, where he remained until his sudden departure in September 2021. He became the longest-serving BBC regional news presenter in the UK following Chris Vacher's retirement in 2011.[citation needed]

Early life

He was born and educated in the cathedral city of Salisbury. His first job was at a grocers.[2]

Career

Radio

White's first job for the BBC was a live introduction to a Vietnamese television programme on the BBC World Service.[2] From this he began a career working for BBC Radio, first at Radio Brighton, and later, Radio Derby, where he produced and presented several different programmes.

He left to present the daily mid-morning show on the Birmingham radio station BRMB.[2] There, he interviewed such people as former Prime Minister Edward Heath, actress Joan Collins and singer Michael Jackson. He was also the last journalist in Britain to conduct a live interview with Jackson.[2] Stewart also presented a weekly country music show on the local commercial radio station Mercia Sound in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Television

White made the transition from radio to television by joining ATV as a continuity announcer, and worked on a number of programmes including Star Soccer, Something Different as well as presenting several documentaries.

After ATV became Central Independent Television in 1982, White stayed at the channel, becoming the first human to appear on the satirical puppet show Spitting Image, in back-to-back episodes.[2] For several years, he provided football updates for BBC Radio 5 Live from East Anglia, and presented a weekly programme on BBC Radio Norfolk.[2]

Look East

In 1984, White moved back to the BBC to become a main presenter for Look East.[2] Whilst at Look East, White has been involved in two minor controversies relating to swearing live on air. In July 2002, when White was interviewing a member of the Cambridgeshire County Council, a feed from one of the show's video editors in the production gantry was accidentally broadcast; the editor was shouting multiple expletives at the time.[3] The following month a prerecorded rehearsal of the Look East headlines (which featured White exclaiming "bugger" after making a mistake) was broadcast by mistake.[4][5]

As presenter of Look East, White has hosted a number regional events, including the east's coverage of Children in Need,[6] and other charitable evenings.[7][8][9]

His journalism has won him several awards. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the BBC Nations and Regions Ruby Television Awards in 2006, and has also won a Creative Industries' Media Personality of the Year Award.[10] He won the Royal Television Society Television Personality of the Year in 2003[11] and Television News Presenter of the Year in 2000.[10] He was nominated for the Royal Television Society Award for Presenter of the Year in 2007, but lost out to Jeremy Paxman.[12][13] He won the RTS award for Regional Television Presenter of the Year in 2013, and again in 2014.[14]

On 30 September 2021, White suddenly announced his departure from Look East at the end of the 6.30pm programme, after 37 years with BBC East.[15]

In a November 2021 interview with Iain Dale for an LBC podcast, White revealed the only other person who knew about his departure in advance was the editor of Look East, and he left the Norwich studios immediately after that night's programme.[16]

Personal life

White is married with two daughters and a son, and lives in Norfolk and is an avid golf player.[2] He previously lived in Thelveton in South Norfolk from September 1984 when he was 37, off the main A140. He played cricket for Tivetshall. He is 6ft 3.

Both himself and his wife are vegetarians. His wife Jane was the secretary of Brian Clough, and met when in Derby.[17]

References

  1. [1]
    Stewart WHITE Companies House
  2. [2]
    "Presenter Profile – Stewart White". BBC Look East. Retrieved 13 April 2008.
  3. [3]
    Dan Milmo (18 July 2002). "BBC launches inquiry into four-letter outburst". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 17 April 2008.
  4. [4]
    John Plunkett (6 August 2002). "BBC's White turns air blue". theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 17 April 2008.
  5. [5]
    "Swearing on air". The Birmingham Post. 6 August 2002.
  6. [6]
    "BBC Look East's Stewart White gets cooking for Children in Need". BBC Press Office. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  7. [7]
    "Golfers raise cash for church". Halstead Gazette. 29 June 2007.
  8. [8]
    "Summit on sport's changing face". BBC News. 15 January 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2008.
  9. [9]
    "Addenbrooke's Wins Health Enterprise East 2007 Innovation Award". Addenbrooke's Hospital. Retrieved 17 April 2008.
  10. [10]
    "Stewart White". BBC Look East. 5 January 2007. Retrieved 13 April 2008.
  11. [11]
    "BBC East takes television prizes". BBC News. 28 November 2003. Retrieved 16 April 2008.
  12. [12]
    "Television Journalism Awards 2006/2007: Winners". Royal Television Society. Archived from the original on 4 May 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2008.
  13. [13]
    Leigh Holmwood (30 January 2008). "Channel 4's Undercover Mosque up for award". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 15 April 2008.
  14. [14]
    "Stewart White: Royal Television Society honour for Look East presenter". BBC News. 21 February 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  15. [15]
    Stewart White leaves BBC Look East after 37 years, bbc.co.uk, 30 September 2021
  16. [16]
    https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/stewart-white/id1475913485?i=1000542157946 Stewart White - Iain Dale All Talk], Apple Podcasts, 17 November 2021
  17. [17]
    Cambridge Daily News Friday 28 August 1987 page 52
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