Andrea Benfield

Infobox journalist


name = Andrea Benfield
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birthname = Andrea Benfield
birth_date = birth year and age|1978
birth_place = Guildford, Surrey
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occupation = Journalist, Newsreader
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gender = Female
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ethnic = English
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credits = "Wales Tonight",
"Thames Valley Tonight,
Meridian News
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Andrea Benfield (born circa 1978 in Guildford, Surrey), is an English journalist, currently co-anchoring ITV Wales's evening news programme "Wales Tonight."

Born in Guildford, Surrey, Benfield graduated from Southampton University with a degree in English literature, before gaining a postgraduate diploma in journalism at University of Portsmouth. Latterly, she has gained a political diploma through the Open University.citeweb|url=http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/2007/12/19/andrea-s-on-screen-sparkle-wins-her-lucy-owen-s-old-job-91466-20267293/|title=Andrea’s on-screen sparkle wins her Lucy Owen's old job|publisher=Western Mail|author=Karen Price|date=December 19, 2007|accessdate=2008-01-22]

Benfield started her journalism and media career as a local radio reporter for County Sound Radio 1566 AM. She then joined local television station MyTV Portsmouth as a reporter, but when the station was forced to lay off staff she was promoted to news editor at the station. When Portsmouth TV ceased broadcasting she moved to Oxford's local TV station, Six TV before joining ITV Thames Valley as a reporter. [citeweb|url=http://www.ethicalweddings.com/press/article/itv-thames-valley-seek-green-wedding-couples|title=ITV Thames Valley seek green wedding couples|publisher=ITV Thames Valley|date=30 November 2007|accessdate=2008-01-22] It was while here that she produced a series of special reports on the Royal Air Force, reporting on pilots and their training at RAF Odiham before they were posted to Afghanistan, [citeweb|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/index.cfm?storyid=B7CD1B5C-1143-EC82-2E3F88D4A7E2CFC3|title=RAF Odiham invited to Meridian TV|publisher=Royal Air Force|date=April 3, 2007|accessdate=2008-01-22] which was eventually shown nationally on ITV2 and placed runner up in the regional Royal Television Society awards. [citeweb|url=http://www.rts.org.uk/Information_page_+_3_pic.asp?sec_id=872&from=section|title=Southern Cenre Programme Awards 2006/7|publisher=Royal Television Society|accessdate=2008-01-22]

Following the departure of Lucy Owen to BBC Wales's evening news programme "Wales Today" in November 2007, Benfield applied for the resulting vacancy on "Wales Tonight." On 17 December, it was announced that she had beaten 80 other applicants to the post, and undertook her first show opposite Jonathon Hill on 14 January 2008.citeweb|url=http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/feature-news/fashion-lifestyle/2008/01/15/i-feel-liberated-now-we-don-t-have-to-wear-formal-suits-91466-20349777/|title=‘I feel liberated now we don’t have to wear formal suits’|publisher=Western Mail|author=Alice Klein|date=January 15, 2008|accessdate=2008-01-22] Prior to her debut, Benfield moved from Surrey to Cardiff Bay.

References

External links

* [http://www.itvlocal.com/wales/news/?player=WAL_News_26&void=139580 ITV Wales video interview with Andrea Benfield]