Kay Burley

Kay Burley (born Dec 17, 1960) is an English television newscaster. She currently anchors the "Afternoon Live" programme on Sky News.

Biography

Kay Burley was born in 1960 in Wigan. Her first reporting job was at the "Evening Post and Chronicle" in Wigan at the age of 17. She worked in local radio and TV, including Tyne Tees Television before joining TV-am in 1985 as a reporter and occasional newsreader. From 1987 she presented TV-am's first hour, filling in for Caroline Righton and covering Anne Diamond's maternity leave [ [http://www.tv-am.org.uk/presenters.asp Presenters | TV-am.org.uk: The official resource for TV-am related information ] ] .

When TV-am closed down, she joined Sky Television, launching the Sky One Entertainment Channel in November 1988 with her own documentary "The Satellite Revolution". She moved to the then fledgling Sky News in 1988 and has since become one of the most recognisable figures in British satellite news broadcasting. Burley received some notoriety during Sky News' coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks when she said "if you're just joining us, the entire eastern seaboard of the United States has been decimated by a terrorist attack." [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1665901,00.html Marina Hyde: The world will end with a punch-up in a suburban petrol queue | Columnists | Guardian Unlimited ] ] She also, on another occasion, suggested to an aviation expert that a way to cut deaths from helicopter crashes would be to install ejector seats; she was gently reminded that anyone using an ejector seat in a helicopter would almost certainly be decapitated by the spinning rotor blades above them. Among many noteworthy assignments she was the face of Sky News coverage from the disaster zone after the Southeast Asian tsunami in 2004-2005 and was prominent in the Sky coverage of the 2005 General Election and the royal wedding of Prince Charles of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles.

Kay is also known for presenting news coverage every Christmas morning on Sky News, a tradition she has upheld for the last 17 years. [ [http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006580205,00.html Kay's a winner working Xmas | The Sun |HomePage|News ] ]

Burley is also an occasional contributor to the tabloid "Sunday Mirror" and since the summer of 2006 she has appeared on Five's news bulletins.

It has been alleged [cite web | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/20/bskyb.television | title="Kay Burley in scrum outside Naomi Campbell court hearing" | author=Brook, Stephen and Williams, Rachel | publisher=guardian.co.uk | date=2008-06-20 | accessdate=2008-06-21] that Burley was involved in "a small incident" outside court during a media scrum surrounding a recent Naomi Campbell court trial. There is some video footage [cite web | url=http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/law_order/naomi+fights+law+loses/2294177 | title="Naomi fights law, loses" | author=Sparks, John | publisher=Channel 4 News | date=2008-06-20 | accessdate=2008-06-21] of the alleged altercation showing a hand around the neck of Associated Press photographer Kirsty Wigglesworth, pinning her to the wall.

Personal life

Burley is divorced and has one son, Alexander (b.1993) from a one year marriage to Steve Kutner, a football agent of Frank Lampard. She has been dating "Sun" newspaper political editor George Pascoe-Watson [ [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4153/is_20050506/ai_n14619624 Find Articles 404 File not found ] ] , and despite rumours of a split, "The Sun" tabloid newspaper of 20 January, 2007 refers to her living with her partner, a "Sun" journalist. Burley is an avid Queens Park Rangers fan although admitted being an Arsenal F.C. fan live on SKY [18th March 2008, 14:05]

Burley was once considered a sex symbol, having been voted "What Satellite TV" magazine's "Most Desirable Woman on TV" for three consecutive years, as well as appearing in countless other "sexiest women"/"sexiest presenter" lists and she is said to be popular with the male audience.Fact|date=February 2008

"Dancing on Ice"

Burley was a contestant for the second series of the ITV reality television show "Dancing On Ice" beginning 20 January [ [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds41169.html Dancing on Ice - News - New 'Dancing On Ice' contestants announced - Digital Spy ] ] . She was skating for MacMillan Cancer Care, in memory of her mother who died of Breast cancer [ [http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/dancing-on-ice/dancing-on-ice-2007-kay-burley-dedicates-dance-to-deceased-mum/ Dancing On Ice 2007: Kay Burley Dedicates Dance To Deceased Mum - Unreality TV ] ] . She also donated her appearance fee to the charity. Kay went out of the show on the 5th week as she faced a skate-off. [ [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds41176.html Reality - News - Tension between 'Ice' stars Ulrika, Kay? - Digital Spy ] ] [ [http://www.unrealitytv.co.uk/dancing-on-ice/dancing-on-ice-ulrika-jonsson-turns-frosty-with-kay-burley/ Dancing On Ice: Ulrika Jonsson Turns Frosty With Kay Burley! - Unreality TV ] ] .

References

External links

* [http://www.skypressoffice.co.uk/SkyNews/AboutUs/biography.asp?id=2 Bio at Sky News]
* [http://www.tvnewsroom.co.uk/viewpictures.php?gallery=kayburley Images of Kay]
* [http://www.freewebs.com/kayburley Dedicated Kay Website]