Kirsty Wark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kirsty Wark
FRSE
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Wark in 2008
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| Born |
Kirsteen Anne Wark
3 February 1955 Dumfries, Scotland
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| Education | Wellington School, Ayr |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
| Occupation | Television journalist |
| Years active | 1976-present |
| Employer | BBC |
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Notable credit(s)
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Newsnight |
| Spouse(s) |
Alan Clements
(m. 1989) |
| Children | 2 |
Kirsteen Anne "Kirsty" Wark (born February 3, 1955) is a well-known Scottish television presenter and journalist. She has worked for the BBC for a very long time.
Kirsty started her career at BBC Radio Scotland. She became a producer there. Later, she moved to television. She presented popular shows like The Late Show and Newsnight. She also had her own interview show.
Kirsty has reported on big news events, like the Lockerbie disaster. She has also hosted fun shows, such as a book quiz. She has helped people talk openly about important health topics like menopause. She even showed off her baking skills on The Great British Bake Off, where she won "Star Baker" in one episode!
Kirsty is known for her strong and direct interview style. She has won awards for her work. These include "Journalist of the Year" in 1993 and "Best Television Presenter" in 1997 from BAFTA Scotland.
Contents
Growing Up in Scotland
Kirsty Wark was born in Dumfries, Scotland. Her father, Jimmy Wark, was a lawyer. Her mother, Roberta Wark, was a teacher. Her father was a brave soldier in World War II. He received a special award called the Military Cross for his courage.
Kirsty went to school at Kilmarnock Grammar Primary. Later, she attended Wellington School in Ayr. She then studied history at the University of Edinburgh. She focused on Scottish history.
Kirsty's TV Career
Kirsty joined the BBC in 1976. She began as a researcher for BBC Radio Scotland. A year later, she became a producer. She worked on shows like Good Morning Scotland.
Moving to Television
In 1982, Kirsty started working in television. She produced news and current affairs shows. Soon after, she began presenting. She hosted programs for BBC Scotland. These included Reporting Scotland and Seven Days. She then moved to national TV. She joined the presenting team for Breakfast Time.
In 1988, Kirsty was one of the first reporters to cover the Lockerbie disaster. This was a very sad plane crash. In 1990, she interviewed Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Her questions were very direct and memorable.
Presenting Famous Shows
From 1990 to 1993, Kirsty presented The Late Show. This was a popular arts program on BBC2. She also hosted One Foot in the Past, a show about history. In the mid-1990s, she hosted Words with Wark. This was a monthly debate show. In 1999, she had her own interview program, The Kirsty Wark Show.
Kirsty was a main presenter on the BBC show Newsnight from 1993 until 2024. This is a very important news and current affairs program.
Beyond News and Current Affairs
Kirsty has also hosted many other types of shows. In 2006, she presented Tales from Old Europe. This series explored different countries. She also made a small appearance in the 2008 Doctor Who episode "The Poison Sky".
She hosted The Book Quiz on BBC Four. She also hosted A Question of Genius, a quiz show on BBC Two. In 2011, she hosted A Question of Taste, a food quiz show.
Reality TV and Health Awareness
In 2011, Kirsty took part in Celebrity MasterChef. She made it to the final round! In 2013, she appeared on a special series of The Great British Bake Off. She was named "Star Baker" in her episode. She also had a small role in the TV show Absolutely Fabulous.
Kirsty has spoken openly about her experience with menopause. In 2017, she made a BBC documentary called 'Let's talk about the menopause'. She wanted to help women learn more about this natural part of life.
Recent Work and Farewell to Newsnight
Since 2020, Kirsty has presented The Reunion on BBC Radio 4. She also sometimes hosts Start the Week.
In 2021, Kirsty was a main presenter for the BBC's election night coverage. She reported from Edinburgh. On October 19, 2023, the BBC announced that Kirsty would leave Newsnight after the next general election. Her final day on Newsnight was July 12, 2024. Many colleagues and guests paid tribute to her amazing 30 years on the show.
Awards and Recognition
Kirsty Wark has received many awards for her work.
- In 1993, BAFTA Scotland named her "Journalist of the Year".
- In 1997, she won "Best Television Presenter".
- She was also nominated for the Richard Dimbleby Award in 2000. This award is for the best factual TV presenter.
In 2017, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This is a very special honor. In 2023, the University of St Andrews gave her an honorary degree. This was to celebrate her great career in journalism.
Books by Kirsty
Kirsty Wark has written two novels. They are called The Legacy Of Elizabeth Pringle and The House By The Loch.
Kirsty's Family Life
Kirsty Wark married television producer Alan Clements in September 1989. They met while working on a BBC Scotland show. They have a daughter, born in 1990, and a son, born in 1992. The family lives in Kelvinside, Glasgow.
Kirsty and Alan started their own TV production company in 1990. It was called Wark Clements & Co. They later left the company in 2005.
