About

Even though I was born in England, I grew up across the border in the North Wales hills and was educated entirely in Wales, to post-graduate level. It’s something I’m really proud of and even though I’ve now lived outside the country for longer than I lived there, it’s still home.

My local primary school was so small that by the time I turned 11, there were only two of us in the whole year. I then went to the nearby state comprehensive, the Alun School in Mold and, despite unimpressive results, managed to gain a place at Cardiff University where I gained a degree in Language & Communication.

Getting involved with the student radio station when I was 19 convinced me that broadcasting was what I would enjoy doing as a career, and journalism offered the most varied, interesting and consistent opportunity. Fortunately, and by coincidence, Cardiff was home to the best journalism school in the UK. Winning a place on its postgraduate course set me on the path to the fascinating work I’ve done ever since.

When I eventually left Wales I started at ITN in London, before progressing to the BBC where I really honed my skills at Radio 1 Newsbeat. BBC London News enabled me to get more involved in television, and a few goes at presenting Breakfast on BBC1 brought me to the attention of its editor - who promptly left. He went to Channel 5 News and luckily offered me a job. At the time, I didn’t realise I’d end up being one of the network’s longest-serving presenters across two stints. They were punctuated by nearly two years at ITV, co-presenting the ill-fated Daybreak, but even though it didn’t work out, it taught me a lot - like getting up at 0315 every morning is not to be recommended.

At the end of 2017, I ducked out of news for a new challenge, and became a partner at leading London PR agency Freuds. Under its legendary founder Matthew Freud, I learned so much, and travelled all over the world from Senegal to Stanford, Dubai to Davos, experiencing storytelling from different perspectives. Changing industries was a tough transition, but the insight it offered was priceless.

In 2024, the unexpected offer to return to the on-air life from Sky News proved too appealing to say no to, especially in a year of big elections. Anchoring for one of the world’s best news broadcasters is my day-to-day.

Home now is in Lewes in East Sussex, after spending more than twenty years in North London. I live with my wife who is a psychologist and my two teenage daughters. I used to be a strong road cyclist and runner, having done the London Marathon a couple of times, but I fear my peak performance is far behind me.

On the professional side, what excites me now is what has always excited me. Being in front of an audience forces you to live in the moment, and rely on your skills and experience. I still enjoy doing that, and helping others do it too. Hearing and telling people’s stories, learning more about them and the world around us, has been a lifelong vocation.