Roger Johnson (TV presenter)

Roger Johnson (born 1969) is an English television journalist, newsreader and presenter, currently working as the main presenter for the regional news programme BBC North West Tonight, as well as a regular weekend presenter of BBC Breakfast and other National BBC News platforms.[1]

Early life

Johnson was born in the former mining village of Chesterton,[2] in Staffordshire in 1969, and grew up in the market town of Newcastle-under-Lyme (also in Staffordshire). He is the son of BBC Radio Stoke commentator Nigel Johnson.[2]

Education

Johnson was educated at Newcastle-under-Lyme School, an independent school in his hometown of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, followed by the University of Birmingham and the University of California, Berkeley.

Life and career

Johnson joined the BBC after university - working as a reporter at BBC Radio Solent and BBC Radio Manchester. His first television role was as a sports journalist on BBC South's news programme South Today. During this time he was also the relief presenter for Sally Taylor and worked for several other BBC Television outlets. He was named Royal Television Society Regional Sports Presenter of the Year in 2002 [3] and was nominated on three other occasions.

He left BBC South in September 2011 after 14 years[4] to replace Gordon Burns as the main anchor on North West Tonight, originally alongside Ranvir Singh[5] and then Annabel Tiffin. In April 2014, Johnson anchored coverage of the 25th Anniversary Service for the Hillsborough Disaster. The programme was named Best Regional News Programme at the Royal Television Society North West Awards.[6] Johnson and the BBC team won the award again in 2015 for a compilation entry.[7] The programme also won the award in 2017 for a compilation of coverage on the Manchester Arena Bombing, in which Johnson played a leading role.[8] BBC North West Tonight, presented by Johnson, was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for News Coverage in 2014 and again in 2017.[9] He was nominated as Nations & Regions Presenter of the Year at the Royal Television Society Journalism Awards in 2018 and 2019[10] and was winner of the Broadcast Presenter Award at the O2 Media Awards NW in 2018.[11]

From 2009–2011, he was a regular relief presenter on the BBC News Channel, presenting a variety of shifts during the week and at weekends. He broke the news of the death of singer Amy Winehouse. He also presented BBC World simulcasts on the Norwegian shootings by Anders Behring Breivik and the start of western bombing operations in Libya in 2011.

Johnson has also been a regular reporter on the BBC's Match of the Day and Final Score programmes.[12] He was part of the Match of the Day reporting team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and is, possibly, the only person to have read the BBC News and commentated on Match of the Day on the same day.[13]

Since 2012, he has been a regular presenter of BBC Breakfast on Sundays. He has also presented the Friday, Saturday and Bank Holiday editions of the programme.

Johnson is a patron of Willowbrook Hospice in Prescot on Merseyside, England.[14] He was also a patron of Southampton charity the Rose Road Association's 'Change My Life' appeal [15] and was a supporter of Naomi House Children's Hospice, for whom he hosted a range of fund-raising events. He has also anchored the BBC's regional Children in Need coverage (south or north west) since 1998.

References
  1. "Roger Johnson". Dave Warwick Media Representation. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  2. "Son of BBC Radio Stoke journalist lands TV anchor role". Stoke Sentinel. 11 October 2011. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  3. "Television Sport Awards 2002". Royal Television Society. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  4. "Presenter leaves BBC South Today". 16 September 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  5. "Roger Johnson is the new face of BBC North West Tonight". BBC News. 11 July 2011.
  6. "Winners of 2014 award". Royal Television Society. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  7. "RTS NW Awards 2015". Royal Television Society. 15 November 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  8. "Regional Awards - North West 2017". Royal Television Society. 1 November 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  9. "Television Awards". www.bafta.org. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  10. "Television Journalism Awards". Royal Television Society. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  11. "O2 Media Awards honour 'inspirational' journalist". O2 The Blue. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  12. Napier, Andrew (6 September 2011). "BBC South's Roger Johnson leaving for Manchester". Southern Daily Echo. Archived from the original on 16 September 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2011.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. "Dave Warwick | Agent | Media Representation | Career Management". Dave Warwick. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  14. parentapps. "Roger Johnson Joins Willowbrook!". www.willowbrook.org.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  15. "Rose Road". Rose Road. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
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