Fiona Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Fiona Armstrong, Lady MacGregor of MacGregor (born 28 November 1956) is a freelance Scottish
television journalist.
She started her career in local radio, before joining the BBC news team in Manchester in 1983. She then moved to Border Television
as a news reporter, before becoming a regular newsreader and presenter for the nightly regional news programme Lookaround. In March 1987, she switched to ITN as a reporter/newscaster on News at Ten, News at 5:45 (later News at 5:40) and other bulletins. On the reporting side, she covered the Lockerbie air disaster and produced a series on aids orphans in Africa. In 1993, she was one of the launch team on the ITV breakfast station GMTV
, but left after only a few months.
She presented the breakfast news programme on BBC World before rejoining ITV Border as a main presenter of Lookaround, as well as a presenter and producer on a number of regional programmes for the station, including River Journeys and Fiona on Fishing. She has fronted antiques, political, cooking and lifestyle programmes for the ITV regions and has made fishing programmes for Sky Television.
In February 2009, ITV Tyne Tees & Border
launched, replacing ITV Tyne Tees and ITV Border. Armstrong was announced to be a Features Correspondent for the service on a freelance
basis. Her work took her to Cambodia to report on the work of landmine charities. Armstrong returned to network television news on 15 February 2010 as a cover presenter for the BBC News Channel.
Armstrong specialises in Scottish Clan history. She has made more than 20 films on Scottish families, and in 2006, set up the first Border Reiver Trail in the south of Scotland. She writes for magazines and newspapers, including columns for Scottish Field magazine and the American-based Scotbanner newspaper. She has written two fishing books and two cook books.
She is an honorary fellow at the University of Central Lancashire
.
on 9 August, 2011 as part of BBC coverage of the 2011 London riots. Apparently flustered by Howe's reply that he was "not at all shocked" by the previous night's events, she interrupted him as he attempted to shed light on the causes of the rioting, asking "You say you're not shocked, does this mean you condone what happened in your community last night?" For the remainder of the interview she repeatedly interrupted Howe and failed to acknowledge the value of any of his remarks. She concluded by asking him, "You are not a stranger to riots yourself I understand, are you? You have taken part in them yourself." Howe replied, "I have never taken part in a single riot. I've been on demonstrations that have ended up in a conflict, and have some respect for an old West Indian Negro, and stop accusing me of being a rioter and because I, you wanted me to get abusive. You just sound idiotic - have some respect.". The BBC later apologised "for any offence the interview caused".
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
television journalist.
Early life and career
Armstrong was born in Preston, Lancashire. As a child she lived for ten years in Nigeria, where her father was in the colonial service. She became Lady MacGregor of MacGregor when she married clan chief Sir Malcolm in 2005. She has a daughter from her first marriage.She started her career in local radio, before joining the BBC news team in Manchester in 1983. She then moved to Border Television
Border Television
Border Television is the ITV franchise holder for the Border region, spanning the England/Scotland border and covering Dumfries & Galloway region, a small part of the south-west area of Ayrshire, the Scottish Borders, parts of north and west Northumberland and the majority of Cumbria...
as a news reporter, before becoming a regular newsreader and presenter for the nightly regional news programme Lookaround. In March 1987, she switched to ITN as a reporter/newscaster on News at Ten, News at 5:45 (later News at 5:40) and other bulletins. On the reporting side, she covered the Lockerbie air disaster and produced a series on aids orphans in Africa. In 1993, she was one of the launch team on the ITV breakfast station GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, but left after only a few months.
She presented the breakfast news programme on BBC World before rejoining ITV Border as a main presenter of Lookaround, as well as a presenter and producer on a number of regional programmes for the station, including River Journeys and Fiona on Fishing. She has fronted antiques, political, cooking and lifestyle programmes for the ITV regions and has made fishing programmes for Sky Television.
In February 2009, ITV Tyne Tees & Border
ITV Tyne Tees & Border
ITV Tyne Tees & Border is a non-franchise ITV regional news service covering the North of England/Southern Scotland and incorporating the former ITV Tyne Tees and ITV Border regions...
launched, replacing ITV Tyne Tees and ITV Border. Armstrong was announced to be a Features Correspondent for the service on a freelance
Freelancer
A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...
basis. Her work took her to Cambodia to report on the work of landmine charities. Armstrong returned to network television news on 15 February 2010 as a cover presenter for the BBC News Channel.
Armstrong specialises in Scottish Clan history. She has made more than 20 films on Scottish families, and in 2006, set up the first Border Reiver Trail in the south of Scotland. She writes for magazines and newspapers, including columns for Scottish Field magazine and the American-based Scotbanner newspaper. She has written two fishing books and two cook books.
She is an honorary fellow at the University of Central Lancashire
University of Central Lancashire
The University of Central Lancashire is a university based in Preston, Lancashire, England.The university has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge which was founded in 1828. In 1992 it was granted University status by the Privy Council...
.
Controversial 2011 BBC interview
Armstrong carried out a 4 minute interview of Darcus HoweDarcus Howe
Darcus Howe is a British broadcaster, writer, and civil liberties campaigner. Originally from Trinidad, he moved to America in the 1960s, then arrived in England intending to study law, where he joined the British Black Panthers, the first such branch of the organization outside the United States...
on 9 August, 2011 as part of BBC coverage of the 2011 London riots. Apparently flustered by Howe's reply that he was "not at all shocked" by the previous night's events, she interrupted him as he attempted to shed light on the causes of the rioting, asking "You say you're not shocked, does this mean you condone what happened in your community last night?" For the remainder of the interview she repeatedly interrupted Howe and failed to acknowledge the value of any of his remarks. She concluded by asking him, "You are not a stranger to riots yourself I understand, are you? You have taken part in them yourself." Howe replied, "I have never taken part in a single riot. I've been on demonstrations that have ended up in a conflict, and have some respect for an old West Indian Negro, and stop accusing me of being a rioter and because I, you wanted me to get abusive. You just sound idiotic - have some respect.". The BBC later apologised "for any offence the interview caused".