Latest news with #MattChorley
The Sun
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
BBC in huge presenter shake-up as two new hosts join flagship show – and they're very familiar faces
A HUGE BBC show has undergone a presenter shake-up as two new faces join the flagship programme. Victoria Derbyshire, 56, is known for her role as the lead presenter of the BBC Two current affairs show, Newsnight. 5 5 Now, the publicly funded corporation has announced a massive change to the presenting lineup. Victoria will continue to front the show every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. However, Radio 4 presenter Paddy O'Connell will present the programme on a Thursday. Former Times Radio presenter Matt Chorley will take to the airwaves on Friday after he joined Radio 5 Live earlier this year. He will continue with his duties at the radio station and will remain part of the team of the popular podcast, Americast. Both of the pair completely gushed over the programme as its terrestrial TV ratings continue to rise following a change in format last year. Paddy said: 'Newsnight is the programme I've watched since I was eighteen and I'm awed to be joining the team growing the audience with the cracking work of Victoria Derbyshire. "Ten thirty pm is now the breaking news hour for the new world order, and I'll be there every Thursday in a frenzied news cycle turning to the best guests as we're all looking for answers." Meanwhile, Matt Chorley exclaimed: "I'm so excited to be joining Newsnight, a programme with such an incredible history which has been reinvented by Victoria and the brilliant team in the last year. "If you've ever shouted at the news 'well what does that mean?' the moment you hear that electric guitar of the Newsnight theme, you know you're going to get answers." He added: "After spending the week skulking about in Westminster, what better way to spend Friday night than passing on all the gossip and intrigue I've picked up, joined by smart, funny and surprising guests?" Since Beeb veteran Kirsty Wark departed the programme last July, both stars have fronted the current affairs show on an ad hoc basis. They will also officially start their regular duties this month as Victoria continues in her Lead Presenter role. Newsnight's Political Editor, Nick Watt, Faisal Islam, and Katie Razzall will still continue to appear on-screen regularly. 5 5 5
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
New hosts of BBC's Newsnight FINALLY revealed nine months after Kirsty Wark stood down as presenter of the iconic late night politics show
Kirsty Wark stood down as presenter of Newsnight after 30 years back in July last year, and now after nine months the BBC have finally confirmed her replacements. The BBC stalwart, who presented on Thursdays and Fridays, has been replaced by two men. On Thursdays, BBC Radio 4 presenter Paddy O'Connell will host, while BBC 5 Live broadcaster Matt Chorley will step in on Fridays. They will join Victoria Derbyshire, 56, who is the lead presenter of the late night politics programme hosting Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The pair join an illustrious list of prominent journalists who have presented Newsnight including Jeremy Paxman, Emily Maitlis and Evan Davis. Chorley, 42, who was the political editor of MailOnline from 2012 to 2015, is a stand-up comedian who joined BBC 5Live last year, after he was poached from rival Times Radio. He said: 'I'm so excited to be joining Newsnight, a programme with such an incredible history which has been reinvented by Victoria and the brilliant team in the last year.' 'If you've ever shouted at the news 'well what does that mean?' the moment you hear that electric guitar of the Newsnight theme, you know you're going to get answers.' 'After spending the week skulking about in Westminster, what better way to spend Friday night than passing on all the gossip and intrigue I've picked up, joined by smart, funny and surprising guests?' O'Connell, 59, will already be familiar to listeners of BBC Radio 4 where he presents the live Sunday morning show Broadcasting House. He also presents Newscast on BBC Sounds at the weekend with Laura Kuenssberg. Newsnight marks his return to BBC Two where he previously anchored Working Lunch and Battle Of The Brains. He also provided commentary for the VE Day parade. He said: 'Newsnight is the programme I've watched since I was eighteen and I'm awed to be joining the team growing the audience with the cracking work of Victoria Derbyshire.' 'Ten thirty pm is now the breaking news hour for the new world order, and I'll be there every Thursday in a frenzied news cycle turning to the best guests as we're all looking for answers.' Jonathan Aspinwall, Executive Editor of Newsnight, said: 'I'm thrilled to welcome Paddy and Matt to the Newsnight presenter team alongside Victoria Derbyshire.' 'With their sharp insights, expertise, and unique personalities, they'll add depth and flair to the biggest stories of the day.' 'They join the programme at an exciting time, with our TV audience growing by over thirty percent. Newsnight's smart analysis and forensic interviews continue to reach more people across all our platforms.' 'I'm excited to see Paddy and Matt join Victoria as we celebrate 45 years of Newsnight.' Both presenters have been presenting on the show on an ad hoc basis since the departure of Kirsty Wark in July, but have now been confirmed as her permanent replacements. The pair join an illustrious list of prominent journalists who have presented Newsnight including Jeremy Paxman , Emily Maitlis and Evan Davis Victoria will continue to present Monday to Wednesday with insights from Newsnight's Political Editor, Nick Watt. Faisal Islam and Katie Razzall will also continue to present regularly. Last May the political show changed its format to focus more on live insights and interviews, and less on expensive investigations and pre-recorded VTs. It comes as Wark spoke out last month against the rise of opinionated presenters at the BBC, insisting it is not the role of broadcasters to share personal views. The 70-year-old TV presenter, who stepped down from Newsnight last year after three decades on the programme, said: 'We are not the story,' and called for the BBC to remain 'a trusted friend' amid ongoing debate over impartiality. Her remarks, made on The Spectator's Women With Balls podcast, come in the wake of controversy surrounding Gary Lineker's political commentary on social media, and wider concerns about personality-led journalism on Radio 4's Today programme. The Match of the Day host faced disciplinary action in 2023 after describing the Conservative government's immigration policy as 'immeasurably cruel' and likening the language used to that of 1930s Germany. The row prompted a review of the BBC's social media guidelines, with new rules requiring all presenters - not only those in news and current affairs - to observe impartiality.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who can vote in the May local elections?
Anyone who wants to vote in May's local elections must register before midnight on Friday. Voters in some parts of England will elect councillors and mayors on Thursday 1 May. These are the first local elections since the general election was held in July 2024. Elections are taking place in 23 councils across England. All seats will be contested in: 14 county councils: Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire 8 unitary authorities: Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, County Durham, North Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Shropshire, West Northamptonshire and Wiltshire 1 metropolitan district: Doncaster Six mayoral elections are also happening: in the West of England, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, North Tyneside, Doncaster and – for the first time – in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire. In addition, council elections are taking place in the Isles of Scilly. On 5 February, the government announced that some local elections would not take place as planned. Elections in East Sussex, West Sussex, Essex, Thurrock, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Suffolk and Surrey will be delayed until 2026 as part of a wider shake-up of local government. Voters in the Runcorn and Helsby constituency will also elect their new MP on 1 May. The former Labour MP Mike Amesbury announced he was standing down after his conviction for assaulting a constituent. No routine elections are taking place in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Click here to see the BBC interactive There are three ways to vote: in person at your local polling station on election day between 0700 BST and 2200 BST by postal vote by nominating a proxy - someone to vote on your behalf To vote in local elections you must be: aged 18 or over registered at an address in the area where you want to vote a British or Irish citizen an eligible Commonwealth citizen a qualifying EU citizen - the rules vary according to which country you are from Voters in some areas may have several ballot papers for the different elections taking place. In council elections, voters generally have one vote for each available seat in an election area - known as a ward or division. However, some large wards have several seats. As in general elections, whoever receives the most votes wins. If, for example, there are three seats available, then the top three candidates win. Mayors are also elected under this system, known as first-past-the-post. EU citizens cannot vote in the Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary by-election. Matt Chorley: Local elections might lack glamour - but they matter To vote in person in England and Wales, you must be on the electoral register by 23:59 BST on Friday 11 April 2025. You can register online with your National Insurance number, or by writing to your council's electoral registration office. If you are already registered, the deadline to request a postal vote is 17:00 BST on Monday 14 April. If you are already registered, the deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 17:00 BST on Wednesday 23 April. The rules about postal voting have changed, and you now need to reapply every three years. Any postal vote which was set up before 31 October 2023 will expire on 31 January 2026. The proxy rules have also changed. Proxy votes in place before 31 October 2023 have already expired, and you must apply for a new one. Electoral Commission: Register to vote Find your polling station You must show photo ID in order to vote in person. You do not need your polling card. There are more than 20 acceptable forms of ID, including passports, driving licences and - from 1 May - Armed Forces Veteran Cards. You can use out-of-date ID as long as you are still recognisable. Anyone who is already registered to vote but doesn't have the correct ID - or who no longer looks like their photo - can apply for a free document known as a Voter Authority Certificate. The deadline to apply for a certificate to use in the May elections is 17:00 BST on Wednesday 23 April. What photo ID will be accepted at the local elections? You must not take selfies or any other photographs inside a polling station. With the exception of assistance dogs, animals are not usually allowed in polling stations, but can be admitted at the discretion of the local authority. You are welcome to bring your children but they must not mark your vote on the ballot paper. Writing implements are provided but you can bring your own pen or pencil. You can wear political clothing but you must not discuss any of the candidates inside the polling station. What are the rules about polling stations? In the May 2024 local elections, when different councils were up for election, Labour won more than 1,000 of the 2,660 seats being contested. The Conservatives lost almost as many councillors as they held and ended up in third place behind the Liberal Democrats. In total, 20 councils changed hands, with Labour gaining 10 and losing two. Labour also won nine out of the 10 mayoral contests, with the Conservatives winning the other. May 2024 local election results in maps and charts Different types of councils are responsible for a variety of local services. These include: care for the elderly and disabled fixing potholes on some roads collecting rubbish and recycling housing education Many councils are facing a funding crisis, and have cut services. Voters in the May elections will have seen their council tax increase in April. What is council tax and how much is it going up? Six mayors will be elected on 1 May: two single authority mayors in Doncaster and North Tyneside four metro mayors in the West of England, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Lincolnshire, and Hull and East Yorkshire A single authority mayor is the political leader of the council. They are responsible for delivering local council services. Metro mayors are regional leaders who chair combined authorities, which are groups of several local councils. They set out plans to boost their local economy, and have some powers over housing and transport. Institute for Government: What is a metro mayor? How mayors became the fashionable new thing in England Some local election results will be announced overnight into Friday 2 May, including three of the mayoral results. Most of the council seats will be counted on Friday, and no results are expected over the weekend. It is not clear when the result of the Runcorn and Helsby by-election will be announced. At the general election in July 2024, the outcome was known fairly early - at around 02:25. Detailed BBC election guidelines are written and published for each election, setting out the approach it has to take on polling day. The BBC, like other broadcasters, is not allowed to report details of campaigning or local election issues on TV, radio or online on polling day between 06:00 and 22:00, when voting closes. While polls are open, it is a criminal offence to report any exit polls, which aim to predict election results on the basis of surveys of how people say they have voted. References to the local elections on the day are normally restricted to uncontroversial factual accounts, such as the appearance of politicians at polling stations, the weather, or practical information about how to vote. Once the polls have closed at 22:00, the election guidelines no longer apply. However, the BBC must still report the results with the impartiality required both by Ofcom and the BBC's own Editorial Guidelines. GET IN TOUCH: Tell us the election issues that matter to you FULL COVERAGE: Catch up on all our election stories
