
'After 30 years on BBC Newsnight, the biggest mistake I always avoided'
Newsnight legend Kirsty Wark has looked back on her TV legacy after being announced as the next recipient of the Bafta fellowship award.
The presenter and journalist, 70, joins the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Dame Judi Dench and Martin Scorsese in receiving the accolade, which she will be presented with at the Bafta TV awards on May 11.
On the day that she was announced as the person receiving the academy's lifetime achievement accolade, she told Metro that it was a 'huge surprise' and a 'great honour'.
Wark –who presented BBC's Newsnight programme for 30 years until leaving last July – said that her career in live television has been 'exhilarating', having interviewed high-profile figures including Margaret Thatcher and Madonna.
Discussing her legendary interview style. the journalist –who was one of the first to arrive on the scene when Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up in the skies above Lockerbie in 1988 – shed light on a major mistake that she's always managed to avoid.
'My favourite interviews are when you allow people the dignity to say their points of view and you're not being intrusive,' she said.
'The thing I hate most about presenters is when they grandstand.
'In tricky situations I want to bring a compassion and a rigour. My role is to help people tell their stories.'
Wark explained how her job is 'all about doing your homework' with the producer, as figures like politicians will be reluctant to 'tell you about the cuts they've made to a certain sector'.
'You've really got to be prepared. The biggest disrespect you can ever do is to go into an interview and not be prepared,' she continued.
Discussing her prestigious Bafta Fellowship award, she said: 'I'd be surprised if this was an award you can get before you're 50. I'm way over that now.
'I'm still looking forward in my career, but I think this is one for looking back at the different things I've done and the way I've learned and the people I've worked with.'
Wark admitted that the honour was a 'huge surprise' to her and she feels that it's a 'great honour' to receive it, as it involves being judged by your peers.
'It's amazing. Something delivered by your own industry is very, very special,' she added.
When asked what she's enjoyed the most in her career, she stressed that it's the 'desire to help people tell their own stories and to find out for the public what makes things really tick'.
'You want to give the audience enough information to make their own minds up,' she shared.
'In a political interview when somebody gives you a lot of obfuscation, that tells you just as much that something's not quite right.'
Wark has conducted plenty of interesting interviews from her days on Newsnight, as she spotlighted speaking to Damian Hurst about his gold skull and Madonna when she adopted the first of her children from Malawi.
'Working in this industry, you've got to be able to turn on a sixpence,' she advised.
'I can remember when you're on air that's when the engine kicks in and you have to rely on everybody around you.
'It's both challenging and on live television it is exhilarating to get that story out in as accurate a way as possible and to depend on the people around you in different parts of the world that are your colleagues, coming in.
'There's been many nights like that and there's been a couple of nights when we've kept going on. I love how people can learn so much on the job.' More Trending
Looking ahead to the future, Wark revealed her wish for a woman to take over as director general of the BBC – but stressed that she's not saying that she thinks Tim Davie should leave the position now.
'I'm not saying, 'Tim, go now,' but I think it's time for a woman,' she affirmed.
'The BBC has so many other ways it's on the front foot – technology, iPlayer, BBC audio and other things – and I would really love to see a woman take hold of that.'
View More »
The Bafta Television Awards with P&O Cruises take place at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall on 11 May and broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer .
Got a story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: BBC soap stars protest at Parliament following show's axe after 23 years
MORE: Emma Willis makes strong comeback on red carpet weeks after heart surgery
MORE: Race Across the World fans convinced one team has already made huge mistake
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
5 minutes ago
- BBC News
Actor arrested by police on set of TV show Rivals
An actor has been arrested on a set while filming the TV show Rivals, the BBC Adams, 45, was arrested by Avon and Somerset Police at Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, where he was filming a scene for the TV Adams, of Locking in North Somerset, is accused of assaulting a woman at an address in Weston-super-Mare on 31 May and appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on 6 June. He was released on conditional bail and is due to attend Bristol Crown Court on 7 July.A spokesperson for Happy Prince, the production company for Rivals, said: "On 4 June, the police visited the set regarding an unrelated matter involving a supporting artist." Rivals is a Disney+ show, starring David Tennant, Danny Dyer and Emily Atack and based on the Jilly Cooper production company added: "Production co-operated with the police. We do not have any further information as it is not connected to Rivals or to our production."


Daily Mirror
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
King Charles heart-breaking last words to Prince Philip hours before his death
King Charles once revealed the poignant and emotional last conversation he had with his father Prince Philip just hours before he died. Philip, who was born on this day in 1921, passed away in 2021 at the age of 99, seeing out his final peaceful days surrounded by his family in Windsor Castle. In a BBC documentary film celebrating the life of the late royal, King Charles reminisced on the last conversation he had with his father the day before he died, highlighting his quick wit and cheeky sense of humour. During the intimate interview, Charles recalled how he gently broached the subject of Philip's upcoming 100th birthday and suggested a party, knowing it was something his dad was not that excited about. Knowing his elderly father was hard of hearing, he clarified what he was talking about as he spoke loudly to Prince Philip, emphasising: 'We're talking about your birthday! And whether there's going to be a reception!' To which Charles said Philip replied sharply, without missing a beat: "Well, I've got to be alive for it, haven't I?" Charles then said: "I told him 'I knew you'd say that!'" Despite Philip's morbid sense of humour and candid comments about his morality, King Charles said the conversation made for an unforgettable and happy memory with his dad. According to royal expert Katie Nicholl and her 2022 book, The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown, the father and son shared another touching moment before his death in April 2021. Nicholl said that it was during one of their last visits together that Philip made a special request of the heir, as she wrote: "Charles got time with his father as well and Philip told him, 'Whatever you do, promise me you will take care of your mother.' Charles was very emotional.'" Following Philip's death, then-Prince Charles paid a loving tribute to his father, telling reporters outside his Gloucestershire estate of Highgrove: "As you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously." He described his father as "a much-loved and appreciated figure and apart from anything else, I can imagine, he would be so deeply touched by the number of other people here and elsewhere around the world and the Commonwealth, who also, I think, share our loss and our sorrow". He said: "My dear papa was a very special person who I think above all else would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him and from that point of view we are, my family, deeply grateful for all that. It will sustain us in this particular loss and at this particularly sad time." In the days after his death, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, also spoke to parishioners outside a church service, making her own comments about the death of Prince Philip, while assuring the congregation that the royal passed away peacefully. She told the members of the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge in Windsor: 'It was right for him. It was so gentle. It was just like somebody took him by the hand and off he went. Very, very peaceful and that's all you want for somebody isn't it? So, I think it's so much easier for the person that goes than the people that are left behind.' Today marks what would've been Prince Philip's 104th birthday, with the royal born on June 10th 1921 in Corfu, Greece. In February 1947, Philip took his mother's maiden name of Mountbatten while renouncing his rights to the Greek and Danish throne. In November the same year, Prince Philip married Queen Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey, with the royal couple going on to have four children: King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward. Be first to get the biggest royal bombshells and exclusives to your phone by joining our . We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Or sign up to the to get all the biggest royal news and exclusive pictures, straight to your inbox.


BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Hell Jumper: Ukraine war documentary about Chris Parry wins award
A BBC film about a Truro man killed in Ukraine after helping rescue hundreds of people from the front line has won an award at a world media documentary Hell Jumper, depicting aid worker Chris Parry, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Rockie 28-year-old went to the country shortly after it was invaded by Russia and died from gunshot wounds alongside fellow volunteer Andrew Bagshaw in January organisation said the director Paddy Wivell brought a "tenderness and empathy to his interviewing" within the documentary. 'Breathless sequence' It said: "These interviews are the architecture of the whole film, giving it its tone and emotional heart. "Stylistically the master interviews were laced with social media posts, personal voice messages, and self-shot go-pro footage to create a first-person quality throughout."Most of Chris Parry's work was captured on 10 hours of bodycam footage, making up a large part of the added: "The team wanted the audience to be fully immersed in Chris' experiences, so chose to run much of their footage at length. "It's an extraordinary, breathless sequence that perfectly captures Chris' character."