Martha Kearney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martha Kearney
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Martha 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 |
| Parent(s) | Hugh Kearney (1924–2017) Catherine "Kate" Murphy |
Martha Catherine Kearney (born 8 October 1957) is a well-known British-Irish journalist and broadcaster. She has worked for the BBC for many years. For 11 years, she was the main presenter of the BBC Radio 4 news programme The World at One.
In 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 the show was 18 July 2024. She will continue to work for Radio 4, hosting a new series called This Natural Life and presenting episodes of Open Country.
Contents
Early Life and Education
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 school in Sussex and Edinburgh. She briefly attended Brighton and Hove High School. Later, she went to George Watson's College in Edinburgh. From 1976 to 1980, she studied classics at St Anne's College, Oxford. Studying classics means learning about the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, including their languages, history, and literature. In her last year at Oxford, she volunteered at a hospital radio station.
Martha Kearney's Broadcasting Career
Martha Kearney started her career in radio. She worked as a phone operator for LBC, a London radio station. She also worked for Independent Radio News. She became a reporter for the AM programme. Later, she covered the 1987 United Kingdom general election as a political correspondent. This meant she reported on political news and elections.
In 1988, she joined A Week in Politics on Channel 4 as a reporter. Two years later, in 1990, she moved to the BBC to work on their political programme On the Record.
Working at the BBC
In 1998, Martha became a regular presenter for BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. This show talks about topics important to women. In 2000, she became the political editor for BBC Two's Newsnight programme. She often presented Newsnight and its weekly culture show, Newsnight Review.
Martha also appeared in a funny segment of the BBC comedy show Time Trumpet. In 2006, she presented a Radio 4 series with her father called The Idea of a University. This series explored the history of universities in Britain.
Martha presented her last Woman's Hour in March 2007. She also left Newsnight that same month. On 16 April 2007, she became the main presenter of Radio 4's lunchtime news programme, The World at One. She continued to present Newsnight Review, which later became The Review Show, until 2014.
Martha has won several awards for her work. She was nominated for a BAFTA award for her reporting in 1998. She also won a Sony bronze award for a programme about child poverty. In 2014, she received an award for her great contributions to radio.
In 2013, Martha showed off her baking skills. She won her episode of the Great Comic Relief Bake Off. She competed against other famous people for charity.
In April 2018, Martha joined the Today programme on Radio 4. This is a very important early morning news show. She swapped roles with another presenter, Sarah Montague.
Martha has worked on many other BBC programmes. These include The Secret World of Lewis Carroll (2015) and Being The Brontes (2016). She also presented The Great Butterfly Adventure (2016) and MAKE! Craft Britain (2017). She has interviewed famous authors like Kazuo Ishiguro for the BBC's Talking Books.
In February 2024, Martha announced she would leave the Today programme. Her last day was 18 July 2024. She will stay with Radio 4 to host a new series called This Natural Life. She will also continue to present episodes of Open Country.
Other Interests and Activities
Martha Kearney has also been a judge for several important book prizes. 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 chaired the judges for the Orange Prize for Fiction, which celebrates books by women authors. She also judged the Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine in 2012. In 2013, she was a judge for the Man Booker Prize, another major literary award.
From 2013 to 2014, Martha was the President of the Classical Association. This group promotes the study of ancient Greek and Roman cultures.
Martha is a very keen bee-keeper. She has even made several BBC programmes about bees. These include Who Killed The Honey Bee (2009) and The Wonder of Bees (2014). She also presented a two-part nature documentary called Hive Alive (2014) with Chris Packham.
In 2023, Martha became a patron for Camphill Milton Keynes Communities. This charity supports people with learning disabilities. Her brother-in-law lived there for over 30 years. She is helping them raise money for their important work.
