Laura Kuenssberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laura Kuenssberg
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Kuenssberg in 2012
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| Born |
Laura Juliet Kuenssberg
8 August 1976 Rome, Italy
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| Nationality | British |
| Education | Laurel Bank School |
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| Occupation | Journalist |
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Notable work
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BBC News, Newsnight, Brexitcast, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg |
| Title | Political Editor of BBC News (2015–2022) |
| Spouse(s) | James Kelly |
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Laura Juliet Kuenssberg, born on August 8, 1976, is a well-known British journalist. She currently hosts the BBC's Sunday morning politics show, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. Before this, she was the BBC's Political Editor.
Laura became the BBC's Political Editor in July 2015. She was the first woman to hold this important job. She left the role on May 6, 2022. After that, she started hosting the BBC's main weekend political interview program. This show was renamed Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg in September 2022.
Before becoming Political Editor, Laura was the BBC's chief political correspondent. She was also the first Business Editor for ITV News. From February 2014 to July 2015, she was the chief correspondent for the news program Newsnight.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Laura Juliet Kuenssberg was born in Rome, Italy, on August 8, 1976. Her parents are Nick and Sally Kuenssberg. She grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, with her brother and sister.
Laura went to Laurel Bank School. Later, she studied history at the University of Edinburgh. She earned a top degree there. During her studies, she spent a year at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., in the U.S. While there, she worked as an intern at NBC, a major TV network.
Her father, Nick Kuenssberg, was a businessman and academic. Her mother worked with children and received an award for her services. Laura comes from a family with interesting backgrounds. Her paternal grandfather, Ekkehard von Kuenssberg, helped start the Royal College of General Practitioners. Her maternal grandfather, Lord Robertson, was a judge.
Journalism Career
Laura Kuenssberg started her career in journalism. In 2001, she won an award for "Most Promising Newcomer." This was for her work as a home affairs correspondent for BBC North East and Cumbria.
Becoming a Political Correspondent
In 2009, Laura was made the chief political correspondent for the BBC. She reported on political news for various BBC shows. Her presence on BBC Television was very noticeable during the 2010 UK general election. A journalist even made up the term "Kuenssbergovision" because she was on TV so much.
Laura then took on a new role as business editor for ITV News. She also helped with business reports for ITV's current affairs show, Tonight.
In November 2013, it was announced that Laura would return to the BBC. She became the chief correspondent and a presenter for Newsnight in February 2014.
Reporting on Major Events
Between the 2017 UK general election and Brexit in 2020, Laura co-hosted the BBC's Brexitcast podcast. She hosted it with other journalists like Katya Adler and Chris Mason. This podcast later became known as Newscast.
In September 2023, Laura presented a three-part political documentary series. It was called Laura Kuenssberg: State of Chaos and was shown on BBC Two.
In May 2024, Laura was chosen to host the BBC's election-night coverage. She hosted the coverage for the 2024 United Kingdom general election alongside Clive Myrie.
As BBC Political Editor
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Laura was appointed the BBC's political editor in July 2015. She was the first woman to hold this important position. In January 2016, she was involved in a situation where a Labour MP, Stephen Doughty, announced his resignation on a BBC show. This led to a complaint, but it was rejected by the BBC.
In December 2016, Laura heard a rumor that the Queen had made comments supporting leaving the European Union. She decided not to report it because the BBC usually needs two sources for a story.
During a press conference with Prime Minister Theresa May and then-President Donald Trump, Laura asked Trump a question about his travel ban. She asked if he had anything to say to British viewers who were "worried about you becoming the leader of the free world?" Trump responded, "That's your choice of a question?" He then joked to May, "There goes that relationship."
In March 2019, Laura presented a documentary called The Brexit Storm: Laura Kuenssberg's Inside Story. This film was about the Brexit negotiations.
On December 11, 2019, while reporting on the 2019 United Kingdom general election, Laura was accused of breaking election law. She said that postal ballots showed a "grim" picture for the Labour Party. The BBC denied any law was broken, and she was cleared.
On December 17, 2019, she presented another documentary. It was called The Brexit Storm Continues: Laura Kuenssberg's Inside Story. This film covered Boris Johnson becoming Prime Minister and the 2019 general election.
On December 20, 2021, Laura announced she would step down as political editor in spring 2022. She wanted to take on a new presenting and reporting role at the BBC. In February 2022, Chris Mason was announced as the next BBC political editor.
In March 2022, it was confirmed that Laura would replace Andrew Marr. She became the full-time host of BBC One's main Sunday morning politics show. The show, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, started in September 2022.
Awards and Recognition
Laura Kuenssberg has received several awards for her journalism.
- In November 2016, she was named Broadcaster of the Year by the Political Studies Association. This award recognized her work in helping the public understand politics.
- In December 2016, she received the Journalist of the Year award at the British Journalism Awards. The judges praised her for her extensive reporting on major changes in British politics, especially during the EU membership referendum.
- In 2019, Laura was included in the Evening Standard newspaper's list of the top 20 'most influential Londoners'.
Personal Life
Laura Kuenssberg is married to James Kelly, who works as a management consultant. They live in East London.
See also
In Spanish: Laura Kuenssberg para niños
