Edward Stourton (journalist)

Edward John Ivo Stourton (born November 24 1957, Lagos, Nigeria) is a BBC presenter of the morning flagship "Today" programme on BBC Radio 4. He is a former president of the Cambridge Union Society.

Early life

Stourton was educated at the now defunct RC Prep School Avisford in Walberton, where he was taught by the late Robert Nairac, and then at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire. He was Head Boy in his final year at both establishments. He went on to study English Literature at Trinity College, Cambridge gaining a 2.1, and serving as editor on the student magazine "Rampage".

Broadcasting

He started at ITN in 1979 as a graduate trainee. While there he was a founder member of Channel 4 News in 1982 working predominantly as a scriptwriter but also as a producer, duty home news editor and chief sub-editor.Stourton joined the BBC in 1988 as a Paris correspondent. He returned to ITN as a diplomatic editor in 1990. In 1993, he was back at the BBC as the presenter of "BBC One O'Clock News" for six years. He presented editions of "Assignment", "Correspondent", "Panorama" and "Call Ed Stourton", a phone-in programme on Radio 4.

He has made a number of current affairs programmes for Radio 4 including "Asia Gold" and "Global Shakeout", "The Violence Files", "With us or against us", "United Nations - or Not?". Asia Gold was the winner of the Sony Sony Radio Gold Award for current affairs in 1997. Stourton presented a four-part series about the Catholic Church, entitled "Absolute Truth". It was broadcast on BBC2 in 1997. He also wrote a book to accompany the series.

"Today" programme

In January 1999, he joined the "Today programme" presentation team. On 27 December, 2006 he appeared on the celebrity charitable edition of BBC One's "Mastermind", chaired by his BBC Radio 4 "Today" co-presenter John Humphrys. When asked his name, Stourton replied: "John, why do you need to ask that - we almost sleep together!" His specialist subject was Pope John Paul II on which he scored 17 points, for a total of 28 points after general knowledge to win his heat.

Religious programmes

Stourton now regularly presents "Sunday", Radio 4's religious and ethical news programme. His latest series, "A Year in the Arab Israeli Crisis" is currently being broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service.

In 2001, he won the Amnesty Award for best television documentary.

Personal life

Stourton is a descendant of the 19th Baron Stourton and in very distant remainder to this barony presently held by his cousin Edward Stourton, 27th Baron Mowbray. He is the son of Nigel Stourton OBE, who worked for British American Tobacco, and Rosemary Abbott, being brought up near Patrick Brompton. He first married Margaret McEwen in 1980 in Kensington, the daughter of Sir James Napier Finnie McEwen, a Baronet. He [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/the_hitch/article825214.ece?token=null&offset=12 married] Fiona Murch on November 8 2002 at Chelsea Register Office. She was an editor for BBC2 (producing the "Correspondent" programme, in which Edward featured, although he left the programme) with whom he lived with from 2001. They live in Balham. He is a Roman Catholic [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2004/05/27/bvstour27.xml "Technically, I suppose, I'm a sinner"] "The Daily Telegraph", 2004-05-27] and has an extensive knowledge of the Catholic faith.

Stourton's Eton/Cambridge educated son Ivo James Benedict, born 1982, has recently published his first book: a fiction novel entitled "The Night Climbers" (Doubleday 2007). His other two children are Thomas Edward Alexander (born 1987, and went to Eton) and Eleanor Mary Elizabeth (born June 1984). He has a stepdaughter, Rosemary.

Publications

* "John Paul II: Man of History" (Hodder & Stoughton) ISBN 0340908173 March 2007
* "In the Footsteps of St Paul " (Hodder & Stoughton) ISBN 0340861886 January 2005
* "Absolute Truth: The Catholic Church Today " (Penguin Books) ISBN 0140272976 February 1999

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1509511 IMDb]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/un/ United Nations - or Not?]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/withus.shtml With us or against us]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/arab_israel.shtml A Year in the Arab Israeli Crisis]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/keepingthefaith/pip/u6c13/ Keeping the Faith] , BBC Radio 4 series in which people of different religions look at the English Reformation through the experience of their ancestors.
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/08/04/nstour04.xml 2001 "Telegraph" article about his relationship with Fiona Murch at the BBC]

Video clips

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxifeNjY7X4 "Have I Got News For You" 1999]

References