Martha Kearney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martha Kearney
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Kearney in 2014
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| Born | 8 October 1957 Dublin, Ireland
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| Education | Brighton and Hove High School George Watson's College |
| Alma mater | St Anne's College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Journalist, presenter |
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Notable credit(s)
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Woman's Hour Newsnight The World at One |
| Spouse(s) |
Chris Shaw
(m. 2001) |
| Parent(s) | Hugh Kearney (1924–2017) Catherine "Kate" Murphy |
Martha Kearney (born 8 October 1957) is a well-known journalist and presenter from Britain and Ireland. For 11 years, she was the main presenter of The World at One, a lunchtime news show on BBC Radio 4.
In April 2018, Martha joined the team presenting the early morning Today programme. She announced in February 2024 that she would leave Today after the 2024 United Kingdom general election. Her last day on Today was 18 July 2024. She is staying with Radio 4 to host a new series called This Natural Life and will continue to present episodes of Open Country.
Contents
Martha Kearney's Early Life
Martha Kearney was born in Dublin, Ireland. She grew up in a family where learning was very important. Her father, Hugh Kearney, was a historian who taught at universities.
Martha went to St Joseph's Catholic School for primary school. For secondary school, she briefly attended Brighton and Hove High School. She then went to George Watson's Ladies College in Edinburgh. From 1976 to 1980, she studied classics at St Anne's College, Oxford University.
Martha Kearney's Career in Journalism
Martha Kearney started her career answering phones for call-in shows. This was at a radio station called LBC and Independent Radio News in London. She became a reporter for the AM programme. Later, she became a political correspondent, covering the 1987 United Kingdom general election. In 1988, she joined A Week in Politics on Channel 4 as a reporter. In 1990, she moved to the BBC's political programme On the Record.
Working at the BBC
In 1998, Martha Kearney became a regular presenter for BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. In 2000, she became the political editor for BBC Two's Newsnight programme. She presented Newsnight and its weekly culture show, Newsnight Review, more and more often.
Martha was even featured in a funny spoof on the BBC comedy show Time Trumpet. It was called "Honey, I Shrunk Martha Kearney." In this skit, she was interviewed while being very tiny!
In 2006, she presented a Radio 4 series with her father. It was about the history of universities in Britain, called The Idea of a University.
Martha presented her last Woman's Hour on 19 March 2007. Her last Newsnight show was on 23 March 2007. She then became the main presenter of Radio 4's lunchtime news programme The World at One on 16 April 2007. She also presented Newsnight Review, which later became The Review Show, until 2014.
Awards and Achievements
Martha Kearney has received several awards for her work.
- She was nominated for a BAFTA award in 1998. This was for her reporting on the Northern Ireland peace process.
- In 2004, she won the TRIC radio presenter of the year award.
- She also won a Sony bronze award for a programme about child poverty.
- In 2006, The House magazine named her Political Commentator of the Year.
- In 2014, she won the Best Individual Contribution to Radio award.
In 2013, Martha won her episode of the Great Comic Relief Bake Off. She competed against other famous people and showed off her baking skills!
In 2015, she took part in the 50th anniversary celebrations of The World at One.
Martha joined Today on Radio 4 in April 2018 as a main presenter. She swapped roles with another presenter, Sarah Montague.
Other BBC Programmes
Martha has also presented many other interesting programmes for the BBC, including:
- The Secret World of Lewis Carroll (2015) for BBC Two.
- Being The Brontes (2016) for BBC Two.
- The Great Butterfly Adventure (2016) for BBC Four.
- The Books That Made Britain (2016) for BBC One.
- Great Irish Journeys (2017) for BBC Four.
- MAKE! Craft Britain (2017) for BBC Four.
She has also presented Talking Books for the BBC from Hay Festival. Here, she interviewed famous authors like Kazuo Ishiguro and Marlon James.
As mentioned, Martha left the Today programme after the 2024 General Election. Her last day was 18 July 2024. She is now hosting a new series called This Natural Life and continues to present Open Country on Radio 4.
Other Activities and Interests
Martha Kearney has also been a judge for important literary awards.
- In 2004, she was a judge for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. She also led the judging panel for this prize in 2020.
- In 2005, she led the judges for the women-only Orange Prize for Fiction.
- In 2013, she was a judge for the Man Booker Prize.
Martha was the President of the Classical Association from 2013 to 2014.
Martha Kearney is a very keen bee-keeper! She loves bees and has made several BBC programmes about them:
- Who Killed The Honey Bee (2009) for BBC Four.
- The Wonder of Bees (2014) for BBC Four.
- Hive Alive (2014), a two-part nature documentary with Chris Packham for BBC Two.
In 2023, Martha became a patron for Camphill Milton Keynes Communities. This charity was home to her brother-in-law for over 30 years. She is helping them raise money for their projects.
In March 2025, Martha Kearney was appointed as a trustee of the British Museum. This means she helps guide the museum's work.
Martha Kearney's Personal Life
Martha Kearney married Chris Shaw in 2001. Chris Shaw was a senior programme controller at Channel 5. The couple lives in Wortham, Suffolk.
