Fiona Bruce facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fiona Bruce
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Bruce filming a 2013 episode of
Antiques Roadshow |
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| Born |
Fiona Elizabeth Bruce
25 April 1964 Singapore State, Malaysia
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| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Hertford College, Oxford University of London Institute in Paris |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1989–present |
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Notable credit(s)
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| Spouse(s) |
Nigel Sharrocks
(m. 1994) |
| Children | 2 |
Fiona Elizabeth Bruce (born 25 April 1964) is a well-known British journalist and TV presenter. She started working at the BBC in 1989. She became the first female newsreader for BBC News at Ten. Fiona has presented many popular shows, including BBC News at Six, Crimewatch, Antiques Roadshow, and Fake or Fortune?. Since January 2019, she has also hosted the TV show Question Time.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Fiona Elizabeth Bruce was born on 25 April 1964 in Singapore. Her mother was English, and her father was Scottish. Her father had a long career at Unilever. Before Fiona was born, her family had lived in a fishing village in Scotland called Hopeman.
Fiona has two older brothers. She grew up in England, first in Port Sunlight and then in Heswall. She went to Gayton Primary School. Later, she attended the International School of Milan. From age 14 to 18, she went to Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College in London. During her teenage years, she even modeled for stories in the magazine Jackie.
Fiona studied French and Italian at Hertford College, Oxford. She was briefly a punk and sang in rock bands. She even colored her hair blue for a week! She graduated with a good degree. She also studied in Paris and can speak Italian and French very well.
Her Career in Television
After university, Fiona worked for a year at a company that helps businesses. She found it a bit boring. Then, she worked at several advertising agencies. There, she met her future husband, Nigel Sharrocks. In 1989, she got a job as a researcher for the BBC show Panorama.
News and Current Affairs
Fiona started reporting in 1992 on Breakfast News. She then worked for BBC South East, appearing on Newsroom South East. From 1994 to 1995, she was a reporter for Public Eye. She also reported for Panorama and Newsnight, and presented Newsnight from 1995 to 1998.
In 1996, she began presenting Breakfast News and the BBC Six O'Clock News. In 1999, she became a main presenter for the BBC Six O'Clock News. She often presented the show on Fridays. In 2003, she moved to the BBC Ten O'Clock News. She was the first woman to present this news program. She continued to present the BBC News at Ten.
From 2003 to 2007, Fiona presented the current affairs series Real Story. After the murder of Jill Dando, Fiona became a co-presenter on Crimewatch. She also helped present the BBC's general election results in 2001.
On 10 January 2019, Fiona Bruce became the first full-time female host of Question Time. This show is a debate program where people discuss important topics. She has said that hosting Question Time is the hardest job she has ever done.
In 2023, during an episode of Question Time, Fiona made a comment about a past incident involving Stanley Johnson. She later apologized for her comments, explaining that she had to provide legal context. She also stepped down from her role as an ambassador for the charity Refuge.
Other Programmes
In 1998, Fiona started presenting Antiques Show on BBC Two. This showed her early interest in antiques. In 2007, it was announced that she would replace Michael Aspel as the presenter of Antiques Roadshow. This show looks at old and valuable items. Viewership for Antiques Roadshow increased during her first year as host.
In 2007, Fiona wrote and presented a BBC documentary about Cherie Blair. She also presented special editions of The Money Programme, where she interviewed business leaders like Alan Sugar. Fiona, who identifies as a feminist, once challenged Sugar's view that women should always tell employers about their childcare duties. She argued that if men don't have to declare their ability to do a job, women shouldn't either.
In 2010, she wrote and presented Victoria: A Royal Love Story. This BBC documentary explored the love story between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Since 2011, she has co-hosted Fake or Fortune? with Philip Mould. This show tries to figure out if works of art are real or fake using modern techniques. In 2011, Fiona wrote and presented The Queen's Palaces, a three-part BBC documentary about Queen Elizabeth II's official homes. In 2012, she presented a BBC documentary about Leonardo da Vinci.
In 2015 and 2016, she presented the quiz show Hive Minds on BBC Four.
Fun Facts and Parodies
Fiona Bruce has appeared on Top Gear. In one episode, she helped Jeremy Clarkson push his tiny car. Clarkson famously commented on her, and she later got her revenge by playfully slapping his bottom on a later show! She also sometimes wrote his car review column for the Sunday Times.
She has been parodied on the show Dead Ringers, where an impressionist exaggerated her mannerisms. Fiona also appeared in a funny BBC HD advertisement in 2008, which was a parody of Antiques Roadshow.
Fiona has regularly appeared on the BBC's annual Children in Need telethon. She performs musical routines with other BBC newsreaders to raise money for charity.
Political Views and Charity Work
Fiona Bruce has often spoken about her commitment to feminism. She believes feminism is still important today. She has said she was disappointed that some women don't like working with other women.
Charity Work
Fiona is an honorary vice-president of the charity Vision Aid Overseas (VAO), which helps people with their eyesight. She has done voice-overs and launched events for the charity.
In 2007, she was part of the What's it going to take? campaign for the charity Women's Aid, which supports women affected by domestic violence.
In 2009, the NSPCC (a charity for children) honored her for her work on their behalf. She said she was very honored to be recognized for helping children.
Personal Life
Fiona Bruce met her husband, Nigel Sharrocks, at an advertising agency. They got married in July 1994 and have two children: a son born in 1998 and a daughter born in 2001. They live in London and also have a home in Oxfordshire. Fiona has said she doesn't use social media because of negative comments directed at female celebrities.
