Susanna Reid Biography

Susanna Reid (born 10 December 1970) is an English journalist and presenter best known for presenting BBC Breakfast.

Early life

The youngest of three children, Reid was born in Croydon, South London, to an English father of Scottish ancestry, who worked as a management consultant, and an English mother who worked as a nurse. Her parents separated and divorced when she was aged 9.

Reid was educated at the independent Croham Hurst School, Croydon from 1975"81, where comedienne Sue Perkins was amongst her classmates, followed by the independent Croydon High School (1981"87) and St Paul's Girls' School (1987"89) in London. Reid studied Politics, Philosophy and Law at the University of Bristol (1989"92), where she was editor of EpiGram, the university's student newspaper, when it was short-listed for Best Student Newspaper in 1991 The Guardian/NUS student journalism awards. She then undertook a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the Cardiff School of Journalism.

Reid appeared as an actress, with Shirley-Anne Field, in Agatha Christie's Spider's Web in 1982, and then in 1985 alongside Harriet Walter, Peter Barkworth, Adrian Dunbar and Derek Thompson in 'The Price' on Channel 4.

Broadcasting career

Reid started her career at BBC Radio Bristol and then became a reporter for Radio 5 Live, as well as a producer. She then joined BBC News 24, where she spent two years as a reporter. When the 23:00 presenter didn't turn up one night, she became a stand-in presenter for an hour (while three months pregnant with her first child), which turned into a permanent position. Before going on maternity leave, she presented on the BBC's online interactive service. Reid then spent three months doing charity work in Sri Lanka, before becoming a reporter for Breakfast News. After a second maternity break, Reid became a presenter on the BBC News channel.

Reid is one of the main presenters on BBC Breakfast, presenting alongside Bill Turnbull on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and previously presenting alongside Charlie Stayt on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. She has held her current role since 2012, when she replaced Sian Williams. In 2010 she stepped down from presenting Breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays to take a role on a new programme Sunday Morning Live. As of the final episode of the first series on 21 November 2010, she resumed her weekend presenting duties on BBC Breakfast within 2 weeks. In light of the move of BBC Breakfast to MediaCityUK in Salford, Greater Manchester, and existing Monday to Thursday presenter Sian Williams deciding to stay in London on other programmes, in April 2012 Reid had taken over Williams' position as a main weekday presenter, alongside Bill Turnbull.

She was also previously the regular newsreader during the headlines on The Andrew Marr Show, On 16 May 2010 she stood in briefly for Andrew Marr, for the Sunday newspaper review, when he arrived late for the programme after interviewing the new Prime Minister David Cameron. Reid handed back to Marr following the paper review. Reid presented the main show for the first time on 10 March 2013 following Marr's extended absence after suffering a stroke in January 2013. On 22 February 2009 she presented the BBC's live coverage of the 2009 Oscars from Los Angeles. She also presented coverage of the 2010 Oscars on 7 March.

As of September 2013, Reid is currently participating on the upcoming eleventh series of Strictly Come Dancing. Her professional partner will be newcomer and ballroom champion, Kevin Clifton.

Charity interests

Reid is a regular contributor to Media Trust, the charity that links other charities to the media industry, and has hosted events for the Myotubular Trust and Voluntary Arts England. In 1998 she worked for three months in Sri Lanka as a voluntary media consultant for a charity which counsels victims of the civil war and operates orphanages and social development programmes.

Since 2008 she has also been part of the annual BBC's Children In Need "Newsreaders performance." During the 2011 charity night, she took part in a Strictly Come Dancing competition, along with three other BBC newsreaders. Reid and her professional dance partner, Robin Windsor won the competition.

On 22 April 2012 Reid took part in the London Marathon, raising money for Sports Relief. She completed the course in just over 5 hours.

Personal life

Reid lives in Lambeth, South London, with her longtime partner, former sports correspondent Dominic Cotton. Although not married, the couple have been together since 1998, and have three sons.

Reid is a pescetarian, something she discusses occasionally in her Saturday morning banter with chef James Martin when commenting on the dishes on his following programme, Saturday Kitchen.