Former Newsnight host Kirsty Quark will be awarded a BAFTA Fellowship for her exceptional contribution to television with the Scottish star enjoying a quiet family life when she isn’t working
Kirsty Wark will be awarded a BAFTA Fellowship for her exceptional contribution to television at the The BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at London’s Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on May 11. The prestigious event is set to be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer and will see the Scottish born journalist accept the honour.
Kirsty, 70, was born on February 3 1955 in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, and is well known for her career in broadcast journalism. She is married to television producer Alan Clements with whom she tied the knot in 1990.
Kirsty and Alan share two children and live in Glasgow. She has previously been honoured for her work when she received the Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting accolade at the 2013 British Academy Scotland Awards.
The couple saw their home become a work hub not just for them but for their children – Caitlin, 35, a TV executive, and James, 33, who works as an actor – when COVID pushed them all to stick under one roof. At the time Kirsty discussed what it was like to suddenly have a full home again with all the family in it.
She also happily discussed their differing careers while talking to The Sunday Post. She said: “The house is full – there are five of us here, all working away, my husband is running his media companies, with his staff all working from their homes.
“My daughter is usually in London, she’s a development researcher for Eon Entertainment, and my son runs a theatre company in New York, so he’s here doing some teaching, writing, doing courses and planning productions. We’re not sure when he’ll get back to America. And my daughter’s fiancee, who is a civil servant, is also working from here.”
Kirsty hosted Newsnight for 31 years between 1993 and 2024 when she stepped down from her role after the general election coverage ended. She first joined the BBC in 1976 as a graduate researcher for Radio Scotland.
Following the announcement of her departure from Newsnight Kirsty hit out at BBC execs over cost-cuts on the show that led to the change. Speaking to Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Kirsty addressed the broadcaster’s decision to make cuts to BBC Two’s Newsnight. She said: “It was really a tough time for everybody.
“In this world, it’s all about the brand and Newsnight is a massive brand for BBC Two. Especially in an election year, every single night we will interrogate what is going to be a critical election.
“So, it’s not about killing it,” Kirsty said before adding: “Some people wanted to kill it maybe. But, lots of people didn’t want to kill it and I think whatever happens down the line, it’s going to be in hale and hearty health. We won’t have some of our best editors, but we will still have Nick Watt running up to an election.”
Kirsty admitted that she would not have made the same decision as the broadcaster. She continued: “I’m going to be bullish about this and I think I wouldn’t have done it.
“I loved Newsnight the way it was, but your point about linear [TV] is not lost. Everybody has to change and so I think there is a future for Newsnight and I think it will be in a different format.”
Source: Mirror
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