Lukwesa Burak
Encyclopedia
Lukwesa Burak lʊˈkwɛsə ˈbʊræk is a news anchor who presents Sky News
and Sky World News
from 0000 to 0600 on weekday mornings.
in 1974, and named after her royal tribal family. She enjoyed animals, had a spider
collection, and after capsizing on a fishing
trip on the Zambezi river with her father, was hospitalised for four weeks having caught malaria
.
Her family moved to England
when she was aged eight. She had an interest in flying
, so joined the Royal Air Force
Air Training Corps
, but had to leave after injuring her leg during a game of football. She then studied, gaining a Bachelors degree in Geography and European Studies at the University of Sussex
, where she spent a year in Switzerland
and resultantly speaks French. She was then awarded a European Union
scholarship
to complete a Master of Science degree at the University of Leicester
.
career, she started her media career as a broadcast assistant for BBC
weather
, and trained as a broadcast meteorologist during this time. She began broadcasting as a relief forecaster for BBC regions and nations, eventually joining BBC East Midlands
as one of their permanent forecast team, before becoming the lunchtime news anchor.
Burak moved to Sky News
in 2006. Her main role involves presenting Sky News
overnight, with her typical shift starting at 0000 and ending at 0600. During this time she presents Sky News
at 0000, Sky News On The Hour
from 0100-03:00 and then Sky World News
from 0300 – 0600, which caters for audiences within Europe
, Asia
and Africa
.
, Burak enjoys reading, gardening, and would like to take-up fencing
again.
Burak featured on the cover of Issue 2 of UK Zambians Lifestyle Magazine in summer of 2008. She was also appointed patron of the charity All Star Kids (1079911) at the start of December 2008. She is an ambassador for No More Malaria UK, as a result of her own personal experiences as a child.
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
and Sky World News
Sky World News
Sky World News is a weekday programme which airs between 3am - 6 am GMT on Sky News and is generally presented by Lukwesa Burak broadcasting around the world. The programme is produced by a specific team of foreign news specialists...
from 0000 to 0600 on weekday mornings.
Biography
Burak was born in ZambiaZambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
in 1974, and named after her royal tribal family. She enjoyed animals, had a spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
collection, and after capsizing on a fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
trip on the Zambezi river with her father, was hospitalised for four weeks having caught malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
.
Her family moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
when she was aged eight. She had an interest in flying
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
, so joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Air Training Corps
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
, but had to leave after injuring her leg during a game of football. She then studied, gaining a Bachelors degree in Geography and European Studies at the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
, where she spent a year in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and resultantly speaks French. She was then awarded a European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to complete a Master of Science degree at the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
.
Career
After three years in an information technologyInformation technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
career, she started her media career as a broadcast assistant for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
, and trained as a broadcast meteorologist during this time. She began broadcasting as a relief forecaster for BBC regions and nations, eventually joining BBC East Midlands
BBC East Midlands
BBC East Midlands is the BBC English Region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire, south Nottinghamshire, South Kesteven and Rutland.-Television:...
as one of their permanent forecast team, before becoming the lunchtime news anchor.
Burak moved to Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
in 2006. Her main role involves presenting Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
overnight, with her typical shift starting at 0000 and ending at 0600. During this time she presents Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
at 0000, Sky News On The Hour
Sky News on The Hour
Sky News on the Hour is a British television programme on Sky News aired during the early morning. It includes mainly national and international news, with sport updates, newspaper reviews and weather summaries.- Broadcasts & Presenters :...
from 0100-03:00 and then Sky World News
Sky World News
Sky World News is a weekday programme which airs between 3am - 6 am GMT on Sky News and is generally presented by Lukwesa Burak broadcasting around the world. The programme is produced by a specific team of foreign news specialists...
from 0300 – 0600, which caters for audiences within Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Personal life
Having returned to live in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Burak enjoys reading, gardening, and would like to take-up fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
again.
Burak featured on the cover of Issue 2 of UK Zambians Lifestyle Magazine in summer of 2008. She was also appointed patron of the charity All Star Kids (1079911) at the start of December 2008. She is an ambassador for No More Malaria UK, as a result of her own personal experiences as a child.
External links
- Lukwesa Burak at Sky NewsSky NewsSky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
- Q&A with tvnewsroom.co.uk