Anna Maria Ashe
Encyclopedia
Anna Maria Ashe is a former British television presenter, best known as a newsreader for the local news programme, London Tonight
, originally produced by the now defunct London News Network
.
in 1983 as a continuity announcer and newsreader for the station's short local news bulletins, North News (lunchtime) and North Headlines (late night). By 1986, Anna joined BBC Scotland
as an announcer and transmission director. During this time, she was also a presenter of Reporting Scotland
lunchtime news bulletins.
in Southampton
, again as a continuity announcer. When in-vision continuity was phased out at TVS, she joined the regional news programme Coast to Coast
, initially as a newsreader for the South edition of the programme. Before long, she moved to Maidstone
, Kent
and joined the South East edition of Coast to Coast as a main presenter, alongside Mike Debens.
In 1989, Anna left TVS (she was replaced by Liz Wickham on Coast To Coast South East) and joined London Weekend Television
to present LWT News
bulletins as part of an attempt by the company to boost their local news service at weekends. She also presented news round-ups during LWT's magazine programme Six O' Clock Live, presented by Frank Bough
.
subsidiary of Carlton
and LWT as a presenter of London Tonight
. Anna also presented various regional programmes from the company including Summer Dream Ticket and Caring at Christmas. She stayed with LNN
until the company was disbanded on Sunday 29 February 2004, after which, ITN took over production of the London news service. Anna presented the last LNN-produced bulletin.
.
She has also appeared in cameo roles as a newsreader in The Bill
, Bad Girls
, Prime Suspect and Footballers' Wives
.
London Tonight
London Tonight is a regional news programme broadcast on ITV London . Produced by ITN, the programme is broadcast at 6pm every weeknight, also including local sports news and local features of interest.Like all regional news programmes on ITV in England and Wales and Channel Television, it uses...
, originally produced by the now defunct London News Network
London News Network
London News Network was a television news and facilities organisation in London. It was created in 1992 as a joint operation between London's two ITV contractors, Carlton Television and London Weekend Television, with each company holding a 50% stake...
.
Announcing and newsreading in Scotland
Anna began her career at Grampian TelevisionGrampian Television
Grampian Television is the ITV franchisee for the North and North East of Scotland. Its coverage area includes the Scottish Highlands , Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and parts of north Fife...
in 1983 as a continuity announcer and newsreader for the station's short local news bulletins, North News (lunchtime) and North Headlines (late night). By 1986, Anna joined BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
as an announcer and transmission director. During this time, she was also a presenter of Reporting Scotland
Reporting Scotland
Reporting Scotland is BBC Scotland's national television news programme. The programme first aired on 1 April 1968, with three main presenters - the most famous being Mary Marquis...
lunchtime news bulletins.
From TVS announcing to LWT newsreading
Shortly afterwards, Anna joined Television SouthTelevision South
Television South was the ITV franchise holder in the south and south east of England between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1992. The company operated under various names, initially as Television South plc and then following reorganisation in 1989 as TVS Entertainment plc, with its UK...
in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, again as a continuity announcer. When in-vision continuity was phased out at TVS, she joined the regional news programme Coast to Coast
Coast to Coast (UK TV series)
Coast to Coast was the flagship regional news programme produced by Television South, covering the south and southeast of England with separate news services for both parts of the dual-region between January 1982 and December 1992.-Beginnings:...
, initially as a newsreader for the South edition of the programme. Before long, she moved to Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and joined the South East edition of Coast to Coast as a main presenter, alongside Mike Debens.
In 1989, Anna left TVS (she was replaced by Liz Wickham on Coast To Coast South East) and joined London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
to present LWT News
LWT News
LWT News was a regional news service provided by London Weekend Television, serving the Greater London area in various formats between January 1982 and 3 January 1993.-London News Headlines:...
bulletins as part of an attempt by the company to boost their local news service at weekends. She also presented news round-ups during LWT's magazine programme Six O' Clock Live, presented by Frank Bough
Frank Bough
Frank Bough is a retired British television presenter who is best known as the former host of BBC sports and current affairs shows including Grandstand, Nationwide and Breakfast Time, which he fronted alongside Selina Scott.-Early life:...
.
London Tonight
After LWT News ended in December 1992, Anna joined the newly-formed London News NetworkLondon News Network
London News Network was a television news and facilities organisation in London. It was created in 1992 as a joint operation between London's two ITV contractors, Carlton Television and London Weekend Television, with each company holding a 50% stake...
subsidiary of Carlton
Carlton Television
Carlton Television was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties including the cities of Solihull and Coventry of the West Midlands, south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire,...
and LWT as a presenter of London Tonight
London Tonight
London Tonight is a regional news programme broadcast on ITV London . Produced by ITN, the programme is broadcast at 6pm every weeknight, also including local sports news and local features of interest.Like all regional news programmes on ITV in England and Wales and Channel Television, it uses...
. Anna also presented various regional programmes from the company including Summer Dream Ticket and Caring at Christmas. She stayed with LNN
London News Network
London News Network was a television news and facilities organisation in London. It was created in 1992 as a joint operation between London's two ITV contractors, Carlton Television and London Weekend Television, with each company holding a 50% stake...
until the company was disbanded on Sunday 29 February 2004, after which, ITN took over production of the London news service. Anna presented the last LNN-produced bulletin.
After LNN
Anna now specialises in corporate & charity work and is an ambassador for The Prince's TrustThe Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by Charles, Prince of Wales to help young people. They run a range of training programmes, provide mentoring support and offer financial grants to build the confidence and motivation of disadvantaged young people...
.
She has also appeared in cameo roles as a newsreader in The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
, Bad Girls
Bad Girls (TV series)
Bad Girls is an award-winning British television drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 1999 to 2006. It is produced by Shed Productions, the company which later produced Footballers' Wives and Waterloo Road...
, Prime Suspect and Footballers' Wives
Footballers' Wives
Footballers' Wives is a British television drama surrounding the fictional Premier League Association football club Earls Park F.C., its players, and their wives. It was broadcast on the ITV network from 8 January 2002 to 14 April 2006...
.