The ''BBC News at Five'' is an hour-long daily news programme broadcast at 5:00pm on
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
. The programme is fronted by
Huw Edwards
Huw Edwards (; born 18 August 1961) is a Welsh journalist, presenter, and newsreader. Edwards presents ''BBC News at Ten'', the corporation's flagship news broadcast.
Edwards also presents BBC coverage of state events, international events, th ...
, the BBC's lead presenter for major breaking news, and
Jane Hill
Jane Amanda Hill (born 10 June 1969 in Eastbourne, Sussex) is an English newsreader working for the BBC. She is one of the main presenters for BBC News, and is the main presenter on the '' BBC News at One'' and the '' BBC News at Five'', as w ...
on Friday. The show includes a detailed look at the news, as well as analysis with guests and sport and weather updates.
Unlike most other BBC News Channel bulletins, the ''BBC News at Five'' was presented from Studio C until March 2020, which is usually the main studio for BBC World News. From March 2020 weekday editions moved to Studio E.
The programme is currently on hiatus as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Although off air since 24 April 2021, the hour has been presented by the same presenter as the ''
BBC News at One
The ''BBC News at One'' is the afternoon/lunchtime news bulletin from the BBC. Produced by BBC News, the programme is broadcast on BBC One and the BBC News (TV channel), BBC News channel (via British Sign Language) from Monday to Sunday at 1:00p ...
''.
Weekends and Bank Holidays
During weekends and bank holidays, BBC News at Five resembles an unbranded BBC News channel bulletin, usually lasting for 30 minutes. As the main evening news on Saturday is normally at 17:30, when the main news isn't the back half hour is filled with a sports bulletin and ''The Film Review''. It presented from the News Channel's main studio, studio E.
History
The programme started on 3 April 2006 as part of the BBC's relaunch of BBC News presenters, which saw the introduction of the new flagship programme to compete against
Jeremy Thompson
Jeremy Gordon Thompson (born 23 September 1947) is an English journalist and former news presenter for Sky News, the 24-hour UK television news service operated by Sky UK. He was based at Sky News Centre in west London. He started out as a jou ...
's ''
Live at Five'' programme on rival channel
Sky News
Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel and organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of Comcast. John Ryley is the hea ...
, and to improve BBC News ratings for the hour.
As part of the 2008 revamp of the entire news output, the show moved studios within
BBC Television Centre
Television Centre (TVC) is a building complex in White City, London, White City, West London, that was the headquarters of BBC Television between 1960 and 2013. After a refurbishment, the complex reopened in 2017 with three studios in use for ...
along with
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
and the ''
BBC News at One
The ''BBC News at One'' is the afternoon/lunchtime news bulletin from the BBC. Produced by BBC News, the programme is broadcast on BBC One and the BBC News (TV channel), BBC News channel (via British Sign Language) from Monday to Sunday at 1:00p ...
'' and ''
BBC News at Ten
''BBC News at Ten'' formerly known as the ''BBC Ten O'Clock News'' or the ''Ten O'Clock News'' is the flagship evening news programme for the BBC News channel and British television channel BBC One on weekdays and Sundays at 10:00pm. Huw Edwa ...
'' bulletins. The show originally broadcast from Studio N8 but moved to Studio N6.
On 18 March 2013, the programme moved to
Broadcasting House
Broadcasting House is the headquarters of the BBC, in Portland Place and Langham Place, London. The first radio broadcast from the building was made on 15 March 1932, and the building was officially opened two months later, on 15 May. The main ...
along with BBC News and the BBC One bulletins.
On 4 November 2013, the ''BBC News at Five'' received new opening titles featuring the hour of broadcast.
On 13 March 2020, the last BBC News at Five was broadcast until further notice in light of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The UK governments daily press conference on the pandemic was broadcast in place of BBC News at Five on
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
and the
BBC News Channel
BBC News (also known as the BBC News Channel) is a British free-to-air public broadcast television news channel for BBC News. It was launched as BBC News 24 on 9 November 1997 at 5:30 pm as part of the BBC's foray into digital domestic telev ...
.
Outside broadcasts
As well as presenting from the studio, the main presenters are called upon to present on location when major stories break. For example,
Huw Edwards
Huw Edwards (; born 18 August 1961) is a Welsh journalist, presenter, and newsreader. Edwards presents ''BBC News at Ten'', the corporation's flagship news broadcast.
Edwards also presents BBC coverage of state events, international events, th ...
presented live from the BBC's Washington Studio for the 2008, 2012 and 2016 US Presidential Elections and has presented live from Basra from the withdrawal ceremony.
George Alagiah
George Maxwell Alagiah ( born 22 November 1955) is a British newsreader, journalist and television news presenter.
Since 3 December 2007, he has been the presenter of the ''BBC News at Six'' and was previously the main presenter of ''GMT'' on ...
presented from L'Aquila in April 2009 and Haiti in January 2010 when earthquakes struck the countries. During the 2015 Election campaign Edwards presented from across the UK, while
Gavin Esler
Gavin William James Esler (born 27 February 1953) is a Scottish journalist, television presenter and author. He was a main presenter on BBC Two's flagship political analysis programme, ''Newsnight'', from January 2003 until January 2014, and pr ...
was based in Edinburgh and
Clive Myrie
Clive Myrie (born 25 August 1964) is a British journalist, newsreader and presenter who works for the BBC. Since August 2021 he has been the host of the long-running BBC quiz shows ''Mastermind'' and '' Celebrity Mastermind''.
Early life
Myrie ...
served as the London presenter.
Presenters
On ''
Saturday 24th April 2021'', a new presenting rota was introduced, lasting for 4 weeks before repeating again. Until July 2021, Mondays and Wednesdays on "Week 1" were presented by
Reeta Chakrabarti
Reeta Chakrabarti (born 12 December 1964) is a British journalist, newsreader and correspondent for BBC News. She is known for presenting ''BBC News at One'', ''BBC News at Six'', ''BBC News at Ten'' and ''BBC Weekend News'', and presenting regul ...
, and Tuesdays and Thursdays were presented by
Clive Myrie
Clive Myrie (born 25 August 1964) is a British journalist, newsreader and presenter who works for the BBC. Since August 2021 he has been the host of the long-running BBC quiz shows ''Mastermind'' and '' Celebrity Mastermind''.
Early life
Myrie ...
.
Ben, Jane and Reeta also appear as relief presenters. Victoria,
Clive Myrie
Clive Myrie (born 25 August 1964) is a British journalist, newsreader and presenter who works for the BBC. Since August 2021 he has been the host of the long-running BBC quiz shows ''Mastermind'' and '' Celebrity Mastermind''.
Early life
Myrie ...
and
Martine Croxall
Martine Sarah Croxall (born 23 February 1969) is a British television journalist. She is one of the main news presenters on BBC News.
Education
Martine Sarah Croxall was born on 23 February 1969 and grew up in Stoke Golding, a village in the ...
appear as backup relief presenters. On weekends it is presented by the duty news channel presenter.
In addition,
Huw Edwards
Huw Edwards (; born 18 August 1961) is a Welsh journalist, presenter, and newsreader. Edwards presents ''BBC News at Ten'', the corporation's flagship news broadcast.
Edwards also presents BBC coverage of state events, international events, th ...
or
Sophie Raworth
Sophie Jane Raworth () (born 15 May 1968) is an English journalist, newsreader and broadcaster working for the BBC. She is a senior newsreader and is one of the main presenters of BBC News (mainly ''BBC News at Six'' and ''BBC News at Ten''). S ...
occasionally present in the event of a major news story
2006–2020 Presenters
Former presenters
If there is no position before the years of being a presenter, then this newsreader was either a relief presenter or occasional guest stand-in presenter.
*
Gavin Esler
Gavin William James Esler (born 27 February 1953) is a Scottish journalist, television presenter and author. He was a main presenter on BBC Two's flagship political analysis programme, ''Newsnight'', from January 2003 until January 2014, and pr ...
(Deputy presenter, 2006–2017)
*
Peter Sissons
Peter George Sissons (17 July 1942 – 1 October 2019) was an English journalist and broadcaster. He was a newscaster for ITN, providing bulletins on ITV and Channel 4, before becoming the presenter of the BBC's ''Question Time'' between 1989 ...
(2006–2009)
*
Emily Maitlis
Emily Maitlis (born 6 September 1970) is a British journalist, documentary filmmaker, and former newsreader for the BBC. She was the lead anchor until the end of 2021 of ''Newsnight'', the BBC Two news and current affairs programme.
Early life ...
(2007–2016)
*
Louise Minchin
Louise Mary Minchin (born September 1968) is a British television presenter, journalist and former news presenter who currently works freelance within the BBC.
Beginning in 2012, Minchin was a regular anchor on the BBC One programme ''Breakfas ...
(2007–2011)
*
Nicholas Owen (2008–2017)
*
Tim Willcox
Timothy Melton Willcox (born 28 May 1963 in Wellington, Somerset) is a British journalist for BBC News. He presents news programmes on BBC World News and the BBC News Channel. He is probably most recognisable for presenting the BBC's live cover ...
(2008–2015)
*
Joanna Gosling
Joanna Marie Mussett Gosling (born 5 January 1971) is an English television news presenter, broadcast journalist and author. She presents on the United Kingdom rolling news channel BBC News, including on BBC2 from 11am until 1pm. She also often ...
(2009–2010)
*
Jon Sopel
Jonathan B. Sopel (born 22 May 1959) is a British journalist, television presenter and a former correspondent for BBC News. He was formerly the BBC's North America editor; chief political correspondent for the domestic news channel BBC News; a ...
(2009–2012)
*
Zeinab Badawi
Zeinab Badawi ( ar, زينب بدوي; born October 1959) is a Sudanese-British television and radio journalist. She was the first presenter of the ''ITV Morning News'' (later known as '' ITV News at 5:30''), and co-presented ''Channel 4 News'' ...
(2011)
*
Sophie Long
Sophie Rebecca Long (born 7 December 1976) is an English journalist who works for BBC News, mainly appearing as a presenter on the BBC News Channel.
On 18 March 2013, Long and co-presenter Simon McCoy read the final BBC News bulletin from BBC T ...
(2011–2012)
* Annita McVeigh (2013–2017)
*
Matthew Price
Matthew William Price (born 5 June 1972 in Hampstead, London) is a British journalist who currently works as Chief Correspondent for the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
Education
Matthew Price was educated at The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School ...
(2015)
*
Maxine Mawhinney
Maxine Mawhinney (born 18 September 1957) is a former newsreader on BBC News, the BBC's 24-hour rolling news channel.
Biography
Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Mawhinney was educated at Regent House School, Newtownards. She trained as a n ...
(2015–2016)
*
Simon McCoy
Simon McCoy (born 7 October 1961) is a British journalist and former newsreader on BBC News and Sky News and presenter at GB News.
Early life
McCoy was born on 7 October 1961 in Hammersmith. He was educated at the independent Sherborne School ...
(2015–2019)
*
Carole Walker
Carole Walker is a British political news correspondent. She worked at the BBC until the end of March 2017, before returning as a freelance presenter on the news channel.
Biography
Walker attended North Walsham Girls' High School in Norfolk, att ...
(2018–2019)
*
Carrie Gracie
Carrie Gracie (born 1962)Ben Dowel"Carrie Gracie profile: Award-winning journalist with years at World Service" theguardian.com, 12 May 2009 is a Scottish journalist and newsreader best known as having been China Editor for BBC News.
She resig ...
(2018–2020)
Format
Generally the program follows a standard format as follows –
* 5:00pm – Headlines
* 5:00pm to 5:15pm – Stories
* 5:15pm – Headlines
* 5:15pm to 5:25pm – Interview, in-depth analysis
* 5:25pm to 5:30pm – Weather
* 5:30pm – Headlines
* 5:30pm to 5:45pm – Stories with sports round-up (except on Friday)
* 5:45pm – Headlines (except on Friday for a look ahead to
Sportsday
''Sports Today'' is a long-running radio show on Melbourne, Australia radio station 3AW.
It currently airs on Monday to Thursday from 6 pm to 8 pm and is hosted by Gerard Healy and Sam McClure. Previously, it was hosted by David Hookes and Gerar ...
)
* 5:45pm to 5:55pm – Interview, in-depth analysis (except on Friday for
The Film Review
''The Film Review'' (formerly ''Film 24'') is a 10-minute film-related programme that was usually shown on BBC News each Friday evening at 5:45pm. It reviewed three new films each week and was repeated several times during weekends.
Jane Hill s ...
)
* 5:55pm to 6:00pm – Weather
The weather updates are generally presented from the screen away from the main desk. Sports updates are presented from the BBC Sport Centre at
MediaCityUK
MediaCityUK is a mixed-use property development on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. The project was developed by Peel Media; its principal tenants are media organisations and the Quayside MediaCi ...
,
Salford
Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...
. ''
The Film Review
''The Film Review'' (formerly ''Film 24'') is a 10-minute film-related programme that was usually shown on BBC News each Friday evening at 5:45pm. It reviewed three new films each week and was repeated several times during weekends.
Jane Hill s ...
'' appears during the program on Fridays between 5:45pm and 6:00pm, and is presented by the anchor and a film critic, usually
Mark Kermode
Mark James Patrick Kermode (, ; ; born 2 July 1963) is an English film critic, musician, radio presenter, television presenter and podcaster. He is the chief film critic for ''The Observer'', contributes to the magazine ''Sight & Sound'', prese ...
, from the main desk, however the background and lighting changes to resemble a cinema effect. It features reviews of all the week's main releases.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bbc News at Five
2006 British television series debuts
2010s British television series
BBC television news shows
BBC New Media