KIRSTY YOUNG

'Kirsty Jackson Young' (born 23 November, 1968 in East Kilbride) is a Scottish television journalist, presenter, actress and radio presenter. She has recently left her position as head newsreader on Five News, the news programme on British television channel Five, and had been there since its launch in 1997.

Contents

Career

Personal life

External links

Career

Kirsty's journalistic career began in 1989 when she worked as a continuity announcer for BBC Radio Scotland. In 1992 she moved to STV where she presented the main evening news programme, ''Scotland Today'' and also hosted her own chat show, ''Kirsty''. She left STV and Scotland itself in 1996.
In 1996 she guest presented ''The Time, The Place'' and also featured on the ''Holiday'' programme. She hosted her own consumer show ''The Street'' on BBC Two.
In 1997, she joined the news team of the new terrestrial channel, Channel 5. She left Channel 5 to join ITV in 1999 and hosted a quiz show called ''The People Versus'' in 2000. In 2001, after giving birth to her first child, she decided to return to Channel 5.
In 2002, she returned, with a new look and hosted both the 5.30pm and 7pm editions until her maternity leave began in January 2006, when she was replaced by John Suchet and Helen Fospero.
In September 11, 2001, she was on air to an American reporter with live action footage of a burning tower when the second plane struck which indicated that this was not an accident.
In November 2003, she guest-presented an edition of ''Have I Got News For You'' to critical acclaim, despite not being a comedian. She has, in total, guest-presented five times. She appeared on ''Room 101'' in 2004 during which she nominated cowboy boots, Britney Spears and 'baby on board' stickers among her pet hates. She also had a cameo role in ''Trauma'', a 2004 film starring Colin Firth and Mena Suvari.
In June 2006, it was announced that Young was to be the new presenter of the long-running BBC Radio Four programme ''Desert Island Discs'', replacing Sue Lawley. She began presenting ''DID'' on October 1st and returned to Five News on September 28th.
In May 2007, Kirsty announced that she would be leaving Five News in the autumn, after ten years as its head anchor. On Wednesday, 29th August, Kirsty presented her last show for Five News and, incidentally, blew a kiss for the viewers!

Personal life

She married businessman Nick Jones (owner of Soho House) in September 1999. She has two daughters, Freya (born February 2001) and Iona Jones (born April 2006).

★ She is 5' 7" (~170 cm) tall and was only the fourth woman to guest-present ''Have I Got News For You'' (and up to now, the only woman to have hosted the show more than once).

★ She has admitted to suffering from bulimia as a teenager on the first episode of her first TV show.

External links

★ Kirsty Young's agents website

★ Kirsty's profile at Sky.com

★ Kirsty Young's last broadcast