John Sergeant's Biography

John Sergeant's Professional Career

Career

freelance writer and broadcaster; appeared with Alan Bennett in his comedy series On The Margin (BBC) 1966, trainee Liverpool Daily Post & Echo 1967-70; BBC TV and Radio: news reporter 1970-80, political corr 1980-88, chief political corr 1988-2000; political ed ITN 2000-02; assignments as reporter in 25 countries incl: Vietnam, Rhodesia, NI, Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Israeli invasion of Lebanon; also acting corr in Dublin, Paris and Washington; journalism incl travel pieces for Daily Mail; sometime presenter of Radio 4 current affrs programmes incl World at One, Today and PM, guest on light entertainment programmes incl Strictly Come Dancing 2008, QI, Parkinson, Room 101 as well as several appearances on Have I Got News For You, UK Theatre tour 'An Audience with John Sergeant' 2003-09, regular contrib to One Show (BBC), host Argumental (Dave) 2008-; presenter: John Sergeant's Tourist Trail (ITV) 2009, John Sergeant on Tracks of Empire (BBC) 2010, Britain's Flying Past: The Spitfire (BBC 2), Britain's First Photo Album (BBC 2), Sergeant on Spike (ITV), Royal Greenwich (ITV); appearances on Question Time (BBC TV) and Any Questions (BBC Radio); frequent after dinner speaker; winner Broadcasting Press Guild award for most memorable outside broadcast of 1990 (Mrs Thatcher interrupting live broadcast outside Paris Embassy to announce participation in second round of Cons Pty leadership ballot), winner Best Contribution to TV Award 2000 (Listener and Viewer Assoc); pres Johnson Soc 2003-04, memb Hansard Soc Cmmn on the Communication of Parliamentary Democracy; Hon DLitt Univ of Teesside

John Sergeant's Publications

Books and Publications

Give Me Ten Seconds (memoirs, 2001), Maggie: Her Fatal Legacy (2005); author of play and short story for Radio 4

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