Gavin Esler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gavin Esler
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Esler in 2013
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| Born |
Gavin William James Esler
27 February 1953 Glasgow, Scotland
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| Nationality | British |
| Education | George Heriot's School |
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| Occupation |
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| Employer | BBC News (1977–2018) |
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Notable credit(s)
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| Political party | Change UK (2019) Independent (2019–present) |
| Spouse(s) |
Patricia Warner
(m. 1979; div. 2010)Anna Phoebe
(m. 2012) |
| Children | 4 |
Gavin William James Esler (born 27 February 1953) is a Scottish journalist, television presenter, and author. He is well known for presenting the BBC Two political show Newsnight from 2003 to 2014. He also presented BBC News at Five on the BBC News Channel.
From 2014 to 2023, Esler was the Chancellor of the University of Kent. In 2017, he announced he was leaving the BBC to focus on writing. However, he returned later that year to host the show Talking Books. In 2019, he ran as a candidate for the Change UK party in the European Parliament election but was not elected.
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Early Life and Education
Gavin Esler was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on 27 February 1953. His father was a manager for a building company. When he was a baby, he had a serious illness that made it hard for him to digest milk. He needed an operation when he was only three weeks old.
His family moved from Clydebank to Edinburgh, where he went to Duddingston Primary School. At age seven, he earned a scholarship to attend George Heriot's School. His childhood in Scotland had a big impact on him. Even when his parents moved to Northern Ireland, he stayed in Edinburgh to continue his schooling.
Esler was the first person in his family to attend a university. He graduated from the University of Kent in 1974 with a degree in English and American literature. While studying, he wrote for the university newspaper. He later earned a Master's degree in Anglo-Irish literature from the University of Leeds.
Career as a Journalist
Esler started his journalism career in 1976 as a reporter for the Belfast Telegraph. A year later, he joined the BBC as a reporter in Northern Ireland.
Working in America
In 1989, Esler became the BBC's correspondent in Washington, D.C.. A year later, he was promoted to chief North America correspondent. From Washington, he led the BBC's news coverage for the entire continent. He reported on the U.S. governments of both President George H. W. Bush and President Bill Clinton. He also reported from countries in Europe, Russia, China, and South America.
Presenting for the BBC
In the mid-1980s, Esler began presenting the news for London and Southeast England on a show called Newsroom South East. When the BBC News channel started in 1997, he was one of its first presenters.
In 2003, he joined the popular political show Newsnight. During his time there, he interviewed many world leaders, including U.S. President Bill Clinton and King Abdullah II of Jordan. He also talked with famous cultural figures like singers Dolly Parton and Roger Waters, and authors Doris Lessing and Seamus Heaney. Esler left Newsnight in 2014.
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Until 2017, Esler was the main presenter of Dateline London, a Sunday morning show on BBC News and BBC World News. He also hosted the BBC News at Five on Fridays and presented the Film Review show with Mark Kermode.
On 11 March 2017, Esler announced he was leaving the BBC to spend more time writing. He later returned to host Talking Books. Since 2021, he has been a regular contributor to the political podcast The Bunker.
Writing Career
Esler has written five novels and four non-fiction books. His novel A Scandalous Man was praised as a "compelling book." His non-fiction book The United States of Anger explores why many Americans in the 1990s felt unhappy with their country.
In 2019, he wrote Brexit Without the ..., which discusses the possible effects of the UK leaving the European Union. His 2021 book, How Britain Ends - English Nationalism and the Re-birth of Four Nations, argues that a growing sense of English identity is causing the United Kingdom to split apart.
Political Life
In 2018, Esler spoke at a rally for People's Vote, a group that wanted a public vote on the final Brexit deal. In April 2019, he became a candidate for the Change UK party in the European Parliament election. The party's goal was to stop Brexit and hold another vote on whether the UK should stay in the EU. The party did not win any seats.
Esler has shared his opinions on how news channels should handle political discussions. He believes that it's not enough to just have one person from each major political party. He thinks it's important to give more time to experts instead of giving equal time to someone who may not know the facts.
Personal Life
Esler has been married to rock violinist Anna Phoebe since 2012. They have two children. He was previously married to Patricia Warner from 1979 to 2010, and they had two children together.
In his free time, Esler enjoys camping, hiking, and skiing. He is a big fan of progressive rock music and likes bands such as King Crimson, Jethro Tull, and Pink Floyd.
Awards and Honors
- Royal Television Society award: For a report on the military build-up in the Aleutian Islands.
- Sony Gold Award (2007): For his radio documentary Letters from Guantanamo, about a detainee in Guantanamo Bay. The detainee was released after the documentary was broadcast.
- Honorary Degrees: He has received two honorary degrees from the University of Kent. He also served as the university's Chancellor from 2014 to 2023.
