BBC Weekend News

BBC Weekend News is the national news programmes on BBC One at the weekend and bank holidays, although it is often referred to on guides simply as BBC News. It is called BBC Weekend News on all bulletins apart from being broadcast on Weekend at the 10:00pm hour, where it is named the BBC News at Ten. The programmes are simulcast on the BBC News Channel, unless it clashes with the edition of World News Today at 9:00pm or there is some major news story being covered on the News Channel. The evening bulletins are mainly presented by Kate Silverton and Mishal Husain.

BBC Weekend News
Created by	BBC News
Presented by	Kate Silverton Mishal Husain
Theme music composer	David Lowe
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
Production
Production location(s)	Studio E, Broadcasting House, London
Editor(s)	Paul Royall
Running time	10-30 minutes
Release
Original network	BBC One BBC News
Picture format	1080i (HDTV)
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	5 July 1954 – present
Chronology
Related shows	BBC Breakfast BBC News BBC News at One BBC News at Six BBC News at Ten

Format

BBC Weekend News airs three times on both Saturday and Sunday, and is also used as the title of the BBC News Channel simulcast on Sunday mornings during August when The Andrew Marr Show doesn't air. The main three bulletins are presented in the studio in a similar format to other national news bulletins on BBC One but are shorter in length.

The lunchtime bulletin is normally at 1:00pm although these times often vary. The programme lasts approximately 10 minutes including the sport and is immediately followed on BBC One by a weather forecast on Saturday and Sunday.

The evening bulletin generally lasts 15–30 minutes. It does not have a fixed time however tends to end at around 6pm. It is followed by regional news.

The late bulletin contains a sports update from the BBC sports centre in Salford, and is at 10:00pm on Saturday and Sunday depending on scheduling. There is a BBC One regional news after the Sunday late news on BBC One.

Presenters

Lunchtime

The lunchtime bulletin is presented by the on-duty BBC News Channel presenter during the scheduled bulletin. Maxine Mawhinney was the long term presenter from 2006 until 2015. Following a reshuffle, BBC News 24 launch presenter Gavin Esler became the main presenter until his departure from the channel in early 2017. Mawhinney briefly returned to the role until her departure in April 2017[1] and Shaun Ley took over afterwards. Since the Coronavirus outbreak in 2020, the main presenter of the Saturday bulletin has been Carrie Gracie and the Sunday presenter normally continues to be Ben Brown.

Current presenters

Years	Presenter	Current role
2018–present	Carrie Gracie	Main Presenter (Saturday)
2017–present	Ben Brown	Main Presenter (Sunday)
2017–present	Reeta Chakrabarti	Regular Relief Presenter
2015–present	Shaun Ley
2014–present	Julian Worricker	Relief Presenter
2010-present	Clive Myrie
2017–present	Martine Croxall

Evening

Unlike the lunchtime bulletin, the presenter of the two evening bulletins has usually been a dedicated presenter for that evening on BBC One, with the surrounding news presentation on the BBC News Channel being presented by another presenter. Senior presenters, such as Huw Edwards and Sophie Raworth, often appear in the event of a major event.

The Bank Holiday news bulletins can be presented by either a member of the BBC Weekend News team or a presenter from the BBC News at One, BBC News at Six or BBC News at Ten.

Current presenters

Years	Presenter	Current role
2008–present	Kate Silverton	Main Presenter (Saturday)
2010–present	Mishal Husain	Main Presenter (Sunday)
2014–present	Clive Myrie	Regular Relief Presenter
2014-present	Reeta Chakrabarti
2008–present	Ben Brown	Occasional Relief Presenter
2016–present	Huw Edwards
2018–present	Tina Daheley
2002–present	Jane Hill
2005–present	Simon McCoy

Former presenters

If there is no position before the years of being a presenter, then this newsreader was either a relief presenter or occasional guest stand-in presenter.

• George Alagiah (Main presenter, 1999–2002)
• Matthew Amroliwala (2001–2014)
• Michael Aspel (Main presenter, 1964–1972)
• Richard Baker (1954–1982)
• Jennie Bond (Main presenter, 1988–1999)
• Fiona Bruce (Main presenter, 1999–2005)
• Michael Buerk (Main presenter, 1988–2003)
• Jill Dando (Main presenter, 1988–1999)
• Robert Dougall (Main presenter, 1964–1973)
• Chris Eakin (2013–2015)
• Gavin Esler (2002, 2015–2017)
• Joanna Gosling (2008–2011)
• Andrew Harvey (Main presenter, 1984–1999)
• Philip Hayton (Main presenter, 1984–1993, 2005)
• John Humphrys (Main presenter, 1981–1993)
• Darren Jordon (2001–2006)
• Kenneth Kendall (1954–1981)
• Sue Lawley (Main presenter, 1983–1988)
• Jan Leeming (Main presenter, 1980–1987)
• Chris Lowe (Main presenter, 1988–1999)
• Jon Sopel (2003)
• Martyn Lewis (1988–1999)
• Emily Maitlis (2006–2013)
• Maxine Mawhinney (Main presenter, 1999–2017)
• Laurie Mayer (1985–1993)
• Louise Minchin (2006–2012)
• Clarence Mitchell (1999–2005)
• Christopher Morris (1984–1993)
• Riz Lateef (2008-2013)
• Sophie Raworth (2002–2006)
• Angela Rippon (1975–1983)
• John Simpson (1981–1988)
• Peter Sissons (Main presenter, 1993–2009)
• Julia Somerville (2011–2012)
• Edward Stourton (1993–1999)
• Moira Stuart (1981–1998)
• Carole Walker (2012–2017)
• Richard Whitmore (Main presenter, 1972–1988)
• Sian Williams (1999–2013)
• Nicholas Witchell (Main presenter, 1981–1999)
• Peter Woods (Main presenter, 1964–1981)
• Nicholas Owen (2007-2017)
• Sophie Long (2010-2013, 2017)
• Rebecca Jones (2015-2017)
• Kasia Madera (2010, 2017)
• Karin Giannone (2017)
• Annita McVeigh (2008-2018)

Sports News

During the late programme on each day a round up of the days sports news is presented from the BBC Sport Centre at MediaCityUK, Salford. This is usually presented by one of the BBC News channel sports presenters: Olly Foster, Karthi Gnanasegaram, Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes and Katherine Downes.

References

1. http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/bbc-news-channel-anchor-maxine-mawhinney-leaving-corporation-after-21-years/