Emily Maitlis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emily Maitlis
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Maitlis in 2010
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| Born | 6 September 1970 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Education | Queens' College, Cambridge (BA) |
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Notable credit(s)
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Mark Gwynne
(m. 2000) |
| Children | 2 |
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Emily Maitlis (born 6 September 1970) is a well-known British journalist. She was born in Canada. For many years, she was a lead anchor for the BBC. She presented the news and current affairs show Newsnight on BBC Two until the end of 2021. Since then, she has been a presenter for the daily podcast The News Agents on LBC Radio.
In November 2019, Emily Maitlis conducted an important interview with Prince Andrew, Duke of York for the BBC. In this interview, she asked the prince about his connections to a person who had faced serious legal issues.
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Early Life and Education
Emily Maitlis was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Her parents were British and Jewish. Her grandmother was a Jewish refugee who escaped Nazi Germany. Her father, Peter Maitlis, was a professor of chemistry. Her mother, Marion Basco, was a psychotherapist.
Emily grew up in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. She has two older sisters, Nicky and Sally. She went to King Edward VII School, Sheffield. Later, she studied English at Queens' College, Cambridge University. While at university, she enjoyed drama and took part in plays.
Career Highlights
Starting in Asia
Emily Maitlis first wanted to be a theatre director. However, she decided to work in radio broadcasting instead. Before becoming a news reporter, she made documentaries in places like Cambodia and China. She worked for the NBC network in Hong Kong.
She spent six years in Hong Kong. She worked for TVB News and NBC Asia. She started as a business reporter and then became a presenter. She covered big economic changes in Asia in 1997. She also reported on the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong for Channel 4. After that, she moved to Sky News in the UK. She joined BBC London News in 2001.
Working at the BBC
Emily Maitlis became a regular presenter on the BBC News Channel. She worked there for ten years, from 2006 to 2016. She also presented BBC Breakfast. From 2006 to 2007, she hosted STORYFix, a fun look at the week's news.
In 2012, she helped present the BBC's coverage of the 2012 United States presidential election. This was when Barack Obama and Mitt Romney were running for president. In 2016, she presented This Week's World, a news discussion show on BBC Two.
Emily Maitlis was a main presenter for Newsnight on BBC Two. She joined the show in 2006. She became the lead anchor in 2018. After each show, she would answer emails from viewers. In April 2019, she wrote a book called Airhead: The Imperfect Art of Making News. This book explains how television news is made.
Famous Interview
In November 2019, Emily Maitlis conducted a very important interview. She spoke with Prince Andrew, Duke of York. The interview was about his connections to a person who had faced serious legal issues. It was shown on the BBC's Newsnight programme. Many people watched it. Because of this interview, Prince Andrew stepped back from his royal duties.
In February 2020, this interview won awards. It received Interview of the Year and Scoop of the Year at the RTS Television Journalism Awards. Emily Maitlis was also an executive producer for A Very Royal Scandal (2024). This film was about the interview. Another film, Scoop, was also released that year.
From 2020, Emily Maitlis presented the BBC podcast Americast. She hosted it with Jon Sopel. The podcast focused on the 2020 United States presidential election. It included analysis and interviews. Americast was very popular. It became one of the most listened-to podcasts in the UK.
After the BBC
On 22 February 2022, Emily Maitlis announced she was leaving the BBC. She joined Global, which owns LBC. She launched a new daily podcast and radio show. She hosts it again with Jon Sopel.
Their new daily podcast, The News Agents, started on 30 August 2022. It is presented by Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel, and Lewis Goodall. The first episode was about the FBI investigation into Donald Trump's handling of presidential documents.
In May 2023, Emily Maitlis was part of a Channel 4 documentary. It was called Andrew: The Problem Prince. This show looked at the events leading up to Prince Andrew's famous Newsnight interview. In November 2023, Emily Maitlis was named an executive producer for A Very Royal Scandal.
Emily Maitlis hosted election coverage for Channel 4. She covered both the 2024 United Kingdom general election and the 2024 United States elections. She hosted these shows with Krishnan Guru-Murthy.
Personal Life
In 2000, Emily Maitlis married Mark Gwynne. He is an investment manager. They met while working in Hong Kong. She asked him to marry her while they were on holiday. They live in Kensington, London, and have two sons.
Emily Maitlis enjoys running. She is also a Celebrity Ambassador for WellChild. This charity helps children with serious health needs. She can speak French, Spanish, and Italian very well.
In 2012, Emily Maitlis hosted the annual dinner for World Jewish Relief. This event was held at Guildhall, London. Her parents are Jewish, but she has said she is "not very practising."
Awards and Recognition
In 2012, Emily Maitlis received an honorary doctorate. This was from Sheffield Hallam University. She won Broadcast Journalist of the Year at the 2017 London Press Club Awards. She also won the Network Presenter of the Year award at the RTS Television Journalism Awards in both 2019 and 2020. In 2020, she received the German Hanns Joachim Friedrichs Award.
