Sian Williams

Infobox journalist
name = Sian Williams


birthname = Sian Mary Williams
birth_date = birth date and age|1964|11|28|df=yes
birth_place = London, England
occupation = Journalist, Presenter
spouse = Neale Hunt (1991–?)
domesticpartner = Paul Woolwich
children = 3
ethnic = English / Welsh
credits = "BBC Breakfast"

Sian Mary Williams (born 28 November 1964 [http://www.tvnewsroom.co.uk/qanda/answers.php?page=sianwilliams Sian Williams - Questions and Answers - TV Newsroom ] ] ) is a BBC journalist and current affairs presenter. Since 2006, she has been co-anchor of "BBC Breakfast" on Mondays through Thursdays. She regularly presents the "News at Six" and occasionally presents the "News at One" and the "News at Ten".

Early life

Williams was born in London to Welsh parents, and raised in Eastbourne, East Sussex.Although born and raised in England, Williams is Welsh by heritage, her family hailing from South Wales. She gained a BA in English and History from Oxford Polytechnic.

Radio career

Prior to her career in television journalism, Williams spent over a decade with BBC Radio after joining the corporation in 1985. Williams worked on BBC Local Radio in Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester before becoming a producer and reporter in Liverpool. Williams later joined a national spoken word network, BBC Radio 4, as a producer on "The World at One " and "PM" programmes. Williams spent the next few years reporting and editing news programmes on the station, and also on BBC Radio 5 Live.Cite web
url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/news/sian_williams.shtml
title=Sian Williams, BBC Breakfast presenter
month=July | year=2007
work=Biographies
publisher=BBC Press Office] Cite news
url=
title=Sian Williams
work=The Donor
publisher=magazine from the National Blood Service
date=Summer 2008]

Television career

Williams's first job in television news was when she joined digital rolling news channel BBC News 24, which was soon to launch, as an output editor. During screen tests for potential presenters, one became unwell and Williams was asked if she would be willing to audition for the role. Cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/breakfast/presenters/1782305.stm
title=Sian Williams
publisher=BBC Breakfast
date=approximately 2007, date stamp of 31 January 2002 is incorrect
accessdate=2008-07-12] When she did, producers were so impressed that they offered her the position alongside Gavin Esler presenting from 4pm–7pm; one of the prime slots on the channel.

She remained with the channel for nearly two years before joining the "Six O'Clock News" in 1999 as their Special Correspondent. During this time she also began filling in for the programme's presenters, Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce, as well as regularly presenting the national news bulletins on BBC One at weekends.

She joined the BBC's "Breakfast" programme in January 2001 as one of the regular presenters, initially presenting on Friday-Sunday alongside Darren Jordon, and then later with Bill Turnbull, as well as deputising for main presenter Sophie Raworth, and later Natasha Kaplinsky, on weekdays. She also regularly deputised on the "Six O'Clock News" and the "One O'Clock News" during this period.In 2004, Sian covered Raworth on the Six during her maternity leave, co-presenting with George Alagiah, and the following year, reported from Sri Lanka and Thailand on the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and from Pakistan on the Kashmir earthquake.

In April 2006 she was confirmed as the main female presenter of the programme, presenting initially alongside Dermot Murnaghan and now with Bill Turnbull on Mondays to Thursdays.

Other television credits include BBC Wales ("One Show", with Aled Jones, and the "Big Welsh Challenge", where she spent a year learning Welsh) as well as presenting BBC One daytime programmes including "Now You're Talking" and "City Hospital". While working at "Breakfast", she has also presented for BBC Radio 5 Live.

Sian is the new President of TRIC (Television and Radio Industries Club) for 2008-2009. She is supporting two charities during her year of office.

Family life

Williams has three sons, born in 1991, 1994 and 2006.She disclosed in an interview to promote blood donation, that she received two litres of blood as a result of complications from the birth of her third son.
As of October 2008, Williams is pregnant with her fourth child, her second with her domestic partner, Paul Woolwich, a television producer. [Cite news
url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/10/05/newsreader-sian-williams-to-have-fourth-child-115875-20775696/
title=Newsreader Sian Williams to have fourth child
last=Ford
first=Louise
date=2008-10-05
accessdate=2008-10-06
work=Sunday Mirror via mirror.co.uk
publisher=Mirror Group Newspapers
location=London]

References