Victoria Derbyshire
Encyclopedia
Victoria Derbyshire is an award-winning journalist
and broadcaster who currently presents the mid-morning news/current affairs & interview programme on BBC
Radio 5 Live between 10am and 12noon each weekday. She is also an interviewer on the BBC News Channel.
before going on to study English at the University of Liverpool
. There she decided to take up journalism and attended a post-graduate diploma course in radio and TV journalism at the then Preston Polytechnic
, now the department of Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Central Lancashire
.
She then worked in local radio and joined BBC Radio 5 Live
in 1998 as a co-presenter of the breakfast show with Julian Worricker
. The programme won a Gold Sony Award in 1998 and 2002.
In January 2003, Worricker left the breakfast show and Derbyshire was partnered with Nicky Campbell
. After maternity leave, she took over the morning news programme in August 2004. Derbyshire also works on a number of television programmes including: an interview series on the BBC News Channel "Victoria Derbyshire Interviews..", Watchdog
, The One Show
, Lorraine Kelly, The Club, Central Weekend, Faking It
and The Apprentice - You're Fired. She also hosted a sports chat show on Channel 4 on Saturday mornings called SportsTalk. Derbyshire has been sent to cover some of the biggest global stories since joining 5 Live: 9/11, the Paris Concorde crash, general elections, World Cups and Olympic Games.
Derbyshire's occasionally outspoken approach to broadcasting has not always endeared her to some of her guests She was criticised for interviewing the convicted sex offender Jonathan King
after his release from prison. In 2006, Jamie Oliver
strongly rebuked Derbyshire, after she questioned his commitment to helping young people in the Cornwall area. In 2007 outraged 5Live listeners forced a phone-in poll about sympathy for Madeleine McCann's parents off the air. The McCanns have recently been on Derbyshire's programme to mark the 4th anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance.
In 2009, Derbyshire won the Nick Clarke Award
for her sensitive handling of an interview with a man accused and then cleared of date rape
.
On 30 July 2009, Derbyshire visited a drug and prostitution rehabilitation centre in Walsall. The Manor Women's Project
In September 2010 she interviewed her own 5 Live boss about why he wasn't moving to MediaCityUK in Salford when the station moves in Autumn '11. Describing the interview, The Guardian said, "Derbyshire's grilling of the station's controller Adrian Van Klaveren made Jeremy Paxman
's infamous interview with Mark Thompson look like a vicar's tea party".
At the Sony Awards, May 2011, Derbyshire won the Gold award for Best News & Current Affairs Programme, The judges said Derbyshire was "an outstanding & versatile presenter with an appealing determination to get to the heart of a matter". She also won silvers in the Speech Broadcaster of the Year category & in the Speech Programme category.
Her interview with the Justice Secretary Ken Clarke in the summer of 2011 about his plans to give a 50% sentence discount to defendants who pleaded guilty early caused a media storm. Mr Clarke seemed to imply that some rapes were more serious than others. He was forced to clarify his comments in subsequent interviews. The public reaction to the plans led to the government dropping them.
In October 2011 Derbyshire made her debut on Have I Got News For You.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and broadcaster who currently presents the mid-morning news/current affairs & interview programme on 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...
Radio 5 Live between 10am and 12noon each weekday. She is also an interviewer on the BBC News Channel.
Career
Derbyshire attended Bury Grammar SchoolBury Grammar School
Bury Grammar School is an independent grammar school in Bury, Greater Manchester, England, that has existed since Kev Cryer was born, c.1570. The current headmaster is the Reverend Steven Harvey MA. The previous headmaster, Keith Richards MA, retired after sixteen years of headmastership on 7...
before going on to study English at the University of Liverpool
University of Liverpool
The University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
. There she decided to take up journalism and attended a post-graduate diploma course in radio and TV journalism at the then Preston Polytechnic
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...
, now the department of Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Central Lancashire
Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Central Lancashire
The School of Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Central Lancashire is one of the UK's longest established centres of journalism teaching, growing out of the Harris College, Preston.-Education:...
.
She then worked in local radio and joined BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
in 1998 as a co-presenter of the breakfast show with Julian Worricker
Julian Worricker
Julian Worricker is a British journalist, currently working as a presenter of You and Yours on BBC Radio 4 and a relief presenter on BBC News, the corporation's 24 hour rolling news channel...
. The programme won a Gold Sony Award in 1998 and 2002.
In January 2003, Worricker left the breakfast show and Derbyshire was partnered with Nicky Campbell
Nicky Campbell
Nicholas Andrew Argyll "Nicky" Campbell is a Scottish radio and television presenter and journalist. He is known for his time presenting on programmes such as the consumer affairs programme Watchdog...
. After maternity leave, she took over the morning news programme in August 2004. Derbyshire also works on a number of television programmes including: an interview series on the BBC News Channel "Victoria Derbyshire Interviews..", Watchdog
Watchdog (TV series)
Watchdog is a BBC television series that investigates viewers' reports of problematic experiences with traders, retailers, and other companies around the UK...
, The One Show
The One Show
The One Show is a topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One and BBC One HD, hosted by Alex Jones and Matt Baker. Chris Evans joins Jones to present the programme on Friday...
, Lorraine Kelly, The Club, Central Weekend, Faking It
Faking It
Faking It was a television programme originating on Channel 4 which has spawned various international remakes, including a US version which began in 2003 on the TLC network...
and The Apprentice - You're Fired. She also hosted a sports chat show on Channel 4 on Saturday mornings called SportsTalk. Derbyshire has been sent to cover some of the biggest global stories since joining 5 Live: 9/11, the Paris Concorde crash, general elections, World Cups and Olympic Games.
Derbyshire's occasionally outspoken approach to broadcasting has not always endeared her to some of her guests She was criticised for interviewing the convicted sex offender Jonathan King
Jonathan King
Jonathan King is an English singer, songwriter, impresario and record producer. He is also the author of three novels, Bible Two and The Booker Prize Winner , and Beware the Monkey Man , and an autobiography, 65 My Life So Far .King first came to prominence as an...
after his release from prison. In 2006, Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver
James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools...
strongly rebuked Derbyshire, after she questioned his commitment to helping young people in the Cornwall area. In 2007 outraged 5Live listeners forced a phone-in poll about sympathy for Madeleine McCann's parents off the air. The McCanns have recently been on Derbyshire's programme to mark the 4th anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance.
In 2009, Derbyshire won the Nick Clarke Award
Nick Clarke Award
The Nick Clarke Award is a journalism prize created by the BBC in honour of Nick Clarke, former presenter of BBC Radio 4's The World At One, who died in November 2006...
for her sensitive handling of an interview with a man accused and then cleared of date rape
Date rape
"Date rape", often referred to as acquaintance rape, is an assault or attempted assault usually committed by a new acquaintance involving sexual intercourse without mutual consent....
.
On 30 July 2009, Derbyshire visited a drug and prostitution rehabilitation centre in Walsall. The Manor Women's Project
In September 2010 she interviewed her own 5 Live boss about why he wasn't moving to MediaCityUK in Salford when the station moves in Autumn '11. Describing the interview, The Guardian said, "Derbyshire's grilling of the station's controller Adrian Van Klaveren made Jeremy Paxman
Jeremy Paxman
Jeremy Dickson Paxman is a British journalist, author and television presenter. He has worked for the BBC since 1977. He is noted for a forthright and abrasive interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians...
's infamous interview with Mark Thompson look like a vicar's tea party".
At the Sony Awards, May 2011, Derbyshire won the Gold award for Best News & Current Affairs Programme, The judges said Derbyshire was "an outstanding & versatile presenter with an appealing determination to get to the heart of a matter". She also won silvers in the Speech Broadcaster of the Year category & in the Speech Programme category.
Her interview with the Justice Secretary Ken Clarke in the summer of 2011 about his plans to give a 50% sentence discount to defendants who pleaded guilty early caused a media storm. Mr Clarke seemed to imply that some rapes were more serious than others. He was forced to clarify his comments in subsequent interviews. The public reaction to the plans led to the government dropping them.
In October 2011 Derbyshire made her debut on Have I Got News For You.