Nan Winton facts for kids

Nancy Wigginton (born November 6, 1925 – died May 11, 2019) was a British broadcaster. She was known as Nan Winton in her professional life. Nan Winton made history as the first woman to read the national news on BBC television.

Nan Winton's Career Highlights

Nancy Wigginton, later known as Nan Winton, was the youngest of four children. Her father was a surveyor, and her mother was a homemaker. When she was 15, her mother passed away. Nan left school to take care of her family's home. During World War II, she joined the Women's Land Army. She even became a drill sergeant there.

Early Broadcasting Days

After the war, Nan Winton traveled to Italy with a theater group. They performed for soldiers. She also earned a spot at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. The BBC noticed her at the Ideal Home Exhibition. She was working there as a live presenter. This job helped her earn money while she pursued acting.

In the mid-1950s, she started co-hosting TV shows. One show was Information Desk. Viewers would send in questions for the show. She also co-hosted Mainly for Women, a daytime TV magazine show.

Making History as a Newsreader

From 1958 to 1961, Nan Winton was a BBC TV announcer. She was also an experienced journalist. She had worked on popular shows like Panorama and Town and Around.

The BBC decided to have her read the 6 PM news. She also read weekend news bulletins on Sunday evenings. This decision came after their rival, ITN, had a female newscaster. Barbara Mandell had been reading news for ITN since 1955. Nan Winton worked alongside famous newsreaders. These included Kenneth Kendall and Michael Aspel. It's important to know that Nan wasn't the very first woman to read news on BBC Television. Armine Sandford had broadcast news in the BBC's West Region from 1957.

Nan Winton started her newsreading role on June 20, 1960. Her new job was considered an experiment. BBC bosses thought she was serious enough for the role. They wanted to show that women could deliver important news. Stuart Hood, a BBC manager, had the idea to hire her. He said his colleagues shared this opinion. Nan herself remembered having issues with BBC editors. She said the public was generally fine with her. However, audience research found that viewers thought a woman reading the late news was "not acceptable." The newspapers at the time were also critical of her.

She was removed from the newsreading role in March 1961. Michael Peacock, a BBC executive, was the one who ended her role. Nan recalled in 1997 that he "didn't say why." She felt very angry about it.

Nan Winton was the only woman to read the national news on BBC television for many years. This changed in 1975. That's when Angela Rippon became the first female BBC newsreader to be hired permanently.

After leaving the news desk, Nan Winton moved to ITV in 1961. She continued her career as a TV and radio news reporter. She was also a regular guest on the radio game show Treble Chance.

Nan Winton's Personal Life

In 1948, Nan Winton married actor Charles Stapley. He later played Ted Hope in the TV series Crossroads. They had a daughter in 1951 and a son in 1953. Nan and Charles divorced in 1962.

Nan Winton passed away on May 11, 2019. She was 93 years old. She had a fall at her home in Bridport, Dorset, a few days before her death.