Meet Anna Ford

Used with permission

Since 1999, Anna Ford has been best known as the main presenter of BBC ONE's One O'Clock News, but a varied career has helped make her one of the best known faces and voices in broadcasting.

The only girl amongst five children, following her Cumberland childhood Anna attended Manchester University. After graduating in Social Anthropology, she took a post-graduate diploma in Adult Education. Anna then worked for four years as a teacher in Belfast, after which she joined the Open University as a staff tutor in Social Science for the Northern Ireland region.

Anna's main break into television was in 1974 when she joined Granada Television as a researcher. During her time with Granada she worked on numerous local and educational programmes.

In 1976 she joined the BBC's Man Alive team and then moved on to Tomorrow's World for a short period. In February 1978, she joined ITN where she stayed until 1981, when she moved to TV-am. Since then, Anna has worked as a freelance TV presenter and broadcaster.

She returned to the BBC to present the Network in 1986 and joined The Six O'Clock News in 1989. Anna has regularly presented the Today programme and Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4, as well as standing in for Jimmy Young on BBC Radio 2.

Other TV appearances have included guesting on Have I Got News For You and a singing role in BBC Television's Stars Sing The Beatles.

Anna is a trustee of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, London; Chancellor of Manchester University; a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and an Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple.

Anna Ford's series for The Open University