Fiona Bruce
Encyclopedia
Fiona Elizabeth Bruce (born 25 April 1964) is a British
journalist
, newsreader
and television presenter. Since joining the BBC
in 1989, she has gone on to present many flagship programmes for the corporation including the BBC News at Six, BBC News at Ten, Crimewatch
, Call My Bluff and, most recently, Antiques Roadshow
. From 2003 to 2007, she also anchored her own documentary series, Real Story
.
, the daughter of a Scotsman
who worked his way up from post boy to become managing director of a division of Unilever
. Her mother Rosemary was adopted. She was educated at Gayton Primary School in Heswall
, Wirral
, The International School of Milan, and then the sixth form of Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College
in New Cross
, London. It was during this later period that she modelled
for the stories in the teenage girls' magazine Jackie
.
Bruce studied French
and Italian
at Hertford College, Oxford
, during which period she was a self-confessed punk
, and for one week had blue hair. In a programme she presented for the BBC on Leonardo Da Vinci
on 30 October 2011 she demonstrated that she was comfortable interviewing both French and Italian art experts in their own languages.
After this, she worked in an advertising agency for a couple of years, before she met the then editor of Panorama
Tim Gardam
at a wedding, and pestered him until he gave her a job as a researcher at the BBC on the programme in 1989.
. She then moved to BBC South East
, appearing as an occasional presenter and reporter on Newsroom South East
. During this time she also appeared on some weekend main BBC News bulletins and reported for Newsnight
. From 1994-95 she was a reporter on the BBC2 current affairs programme Public Eye.
In 1999, as part of a major relaunch of the BBC's news output, Bruce was named secondary presenter of the Six O'Clock News bulletin. She presented the programme as cover for main presenter Huw Edwards
as well as regularly on Fridays until a presenter reshuffle in January 2003 to coincide with the retirement of Michael Buerk
and the move of Peter Sissons
to the BBC News channel. Both Edwards and Bruce moved to presenting the BBC News at Ten and have presented the programme on their respective days since. By becoming presenter, she became the first woman to ever present the bulletin from launch in 2000. More recently, Bruce has once again taken up the role of Friday presenter and main relief presenter on the BBC's Six O'Clock News.
Following the murder of Jill Dando
, Bruce took over the position of co-presenter on Crimewatch
alongside Nick Ross
, until both were replaced by Kirsty Young
towards the end of 2007.
On 22 June 2007 it was announced that Bruce was to replace the retiring Michael Aspel
as presenter of the Antiques Roadshow
in Spring 2008. She appeared in a tongue-in-cheek BBC HD
advert in 2008, featuring the show (which is one of the BBC's main programs on its HD service), where she drove a car through a wall, before running towards a falling vase; the car explodes as she jumps to save the vase from crashing.
. In one, she profiled the entrepreneur, Sir Alan Sugar. She said of the experience: "It was a bit like being in front of a hair dryer at very close quarters. He's not backwards in coming forward in his opinions." During the documentary, Bruce – who has always publicly identified herself as a feminist – challenged Sugar's view that women should openly disclose their childcare commitments to a potential employer. Her belief was that if men were not required to declare their ability to meet the demands of their job, it wasn't right that women should do so.
(series 10, episode 3), which saw her sharing a lift with presenter of the show, Jeremy Clarkson
and then having to push him out (as he was stuck in a Peel P50
, which has no reverse gear). As she walked away, Clarkson commented, without her knowledge until the programme was aired, "She does have quite a nice bottom... I said that out loud, didn't I?" Bruce returned to Top Gear in the next series (series 11, episode 4), alongside fellow newsreader Kate Silverton
, for the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car feature. As a riposte for the "nice bottom" comment, she slapped Jeremy's and declared that it "needs a bit of work". Since then, she has also occasionally stood in for a holidaying Clarkson in his Sunday Times car review column, which she referred to as the ultimate revenge; "perching my bottom – nice or otherwise – on his patch."
telethon, in the regular section where newsreaders break out from behind their desks to take part in a song and dance number. Blessed with a better singing voice than most of her colleagues, her turn in the 2007 performance, as Velma Kelly – with a rendition of "All That Jazz
" – so impressed the makers of the revival production of Chicago
that they invited her to the London performance of the 10th anniversary gala, where she appeared on stage in a parade of Velmas.
the series Fake or Fortune?
, looking at the process of using modern techniques to establish the authenticity of works of art which have divided opinion amongst art experts.
." Despite her firm views on the subject – including a "disappointment" in women who don't like working with other women – she claims to have softened her more extreme views from her university days, where she once ran a "hilarious" anti-pornography campaign. More recently, she has also contributed to Sky Real Lives' Embarrassing Problems, a show about promoting health and well-being, where she called for women to be as open as possible about reproductive conditions.
s list of 100 Sexiest Women, the oldest entrant on that particular list. The following year, her noted derrière became headline news after some viewers of her art documentary Victoria: A Royal Love Story complained that shots of her from behind, while wearing tight trousers, were too frequent. The attention raised from this saw her awarded the female Rear of the Year
title for 2010.
(VAO) alongside fellow newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald
. In February 2005 Bruce did the voice over for VAO's Lifeline Appeal. In 2007 Bruce launched VAO's Annual Review. Later that year she was one of nine female celebrities to take part in the What's it going to take?
campaign for the feminist charity Women's Aid
.
In 2009, the NSPCC
inducted her into its Hall of Fame in honour of her continued work on their behalf. In accepting the honour, she said, "The work of the NSPCC and ChildLine
is desperately important and I do little compared to what needs to be done. But I'm very honoured to be included in the Hall of Fame."
, founder of Fathers 4 Justice
, for a BBC programme in 2004. Bruce, who had featured in advertising campaigns for the feminist charity Women's Aid
, was accused of having an axe to grind on the issue of domestic violence
. Many, including O'Connor, felt she let her own personal view on domestic violence as an issue of gender take over the programme. There were also concerns that O'Connor had originally been invited to speak about CAFCASS and the Family Courts, yet the programme was changed to focus on domestic violence. Later, a BBC Committee, investigating on behalf of the BBC Governors, concluded that there were "some weaknesses" in the programme when considered against the BBC's journalistic values of "Truth and Accuracy, Serving the Public Interest, Impartiality and Diversity of Opinion, Independence and Accountability" but that the programme "still made a valuable contribution to the debate on parental rights". Overall the Committee "did not think that these matters were sufficient to constitute a serious breach of editorial standards".
Bruce is parodied by Jan Ravens
, ruthlessly exaggerating her idiosyncratic feline
mannerisms through overt sexual innuendo. For example, "I'm Fiona Bruce. There's never a hosepipe ban when I'm in the room" and "I'm Fiona Bruce and I'm sitting on the luckiest chair in Britain".
Bruce claims that she does not recognise Ravens' portrayal of her as a genuine part of her character, but says she is flattered by the attention it provokes. "People don't start salivating when I go into the newsroom. I can’t think of anything further from the truth. But if Jan Ravens chose to see me like that, well then: result.”
Referring also to Clarkson's adoration of her — who once described her as "agonisingly gorgeous" — she remarked, “In my 20s, I was virulently opposed to anyone commenting on my appearance. But it’s not an issue for me now. If he pays me a compliment, then fine, how nice. Thanks Jeremy.”
, Hertfordshire
. Bruce encountered much publicity for her decision to return to work with Crimewatch
16 days after the birth of baby Mia.
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British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, newsreader
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
and television presenter. Since joining the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1989, she has gone on to present many flagship programmes for the corporation including the BBC News at Six, BBC News at Ten, Crimewatch
Crimewatch
Crimewatch is a long-running and high-profile British television programme produced by the BBC, that reconstructs major unsolved crimes with a view to gaining information from the members of the public. The programme is usually broadcast once a month on BBC One...
, Call My Bluff and, most recently, Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979...
. From 2003 to 2007, she also anchored her own documentary series, Real Story
Real Story
Real Story was a current affairs programme which aired on the British television channel, BBC One at 19:30 GMT weekly on Mondays. It was hosted by Fiona Bruce who was also presenter of Crimewatch. The programme was edited by Dave Stanford and produced by Mike Lewis.It focused on the weeks big...
.
Early life and education
Bruce was born in SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, the daughter of a Scotsman
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
who worked his way up from post boy to become managing director of a division of Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
. Her mother Rosemary was adopted. She was educated at Gayton Primary School in Heswall
Heswall
Heswall is a town in Wirral, in the county of Merseyside, England. Administratively, it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. At the time of the 2001 Census, the total population of the ward was 16,012 , which included the nearby villages of Barnston and Gayton...
, Wirral
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
, The International School of Milan, and then the sixth form of Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College
Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College
Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College is an Academy secondary school located. in New Cross. The school was formerly a Grammar school, then a comprehensive City Technology College and now an Academy operating between two sites near New Cross Gate in South-East London...
in New Cross
New Cross
New Cross is a district and ward of the London Borough of Lewisham, England. It is situated 4 miles south-east of Charing Cross. The ward covered by London post town and the SE 14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, Telegraph Hill, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwich...
, London. It was during this later period that she modelled
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
for the stories in the teenage girls' magazine Jackie
Jackie (magazine)
Jackie was a weekly British magazine for girls. The magazine was published by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd of Dundee from 11 January 1964 until its closure on 3 July 1993—a total of 1534 issues....
.
Bruce studied French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
at Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting...
, during which period she was a self-confessed punk
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
, and for one week had blue hair. In a programme she presented for the BBC on Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
on 30 October 2011 she demonstrated that she was comfortable interviewing both French and Italian art experts in their own languages.
Career
After leaving university, Bruce joined a management consultant firm for a year, but found the experience depressingly dull:After this, she worked in an advertising agency for a couple of years, before she met the then editor of Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
Tim Gardam
Tim Gardam
Tim Gardam MBE is a British journalist and educator.Gardam is the son of the novelist Jane Gardam. He studied at Westminster School and gained a double first in English from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He subsequently worked at the BBC , and as director of programmes at Channel 4...
at a wedding, and pestered him until he gave her a job as a researcher at the BBC on the programme in 1989.
News and current affairs
After becoming assistant producer on Panorama, she made the change to presenting in 1992 as a reporter for Breakfast NewsBBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
. She then moved to BBC South East
BBC South East
BBC South East is the BBC English Region serving East Sussex, Kent, and parts of Surrey and West Sussex.The BBC region was created in September 2001 by the joining of the Heathfield transmitter , with the Bluebell Hill and Dover transmitters to form a new regional TV service...
, appearing as an occasional presenter and reporter on Newsroom South East
Newsroom South East
Newsroom South East was the name of the BBC's regional news programme for southeastern England. It was launched in March 1989 as the successor to London Plus, the South East's previous news programme...
. During this time she also appeared on some weekend main BBC News bulletins and reported for Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
. From 1994-95 she was a reporter on the BBC2 current affairs programme Public Eye.
In 1999, as part of a major relaunch of the BBC's news output, Bruce was named secondary presenter of the Six O'Clock News bulletin. She presented the programme as cover for main presenter Huw Edwards
Huw Edwards (journalist)
Huw Edwards is a BAFTA award-winning Welsh journalist, presenter and newsreader.He is a news presenter for BBC News in the United Kingdom. Edwards presents Britain's most watched news programme, BBC News at Ten, which is also the corporation's flagship news broadcast...
as well as regularly on Fridays until a presenter reshuffle in January 2003 to coincide with the retirement of Michael Buerk
Michael Buerk
Michael Duncan Buerk is a BBC journalist and newsreader, most famous for his reporting of the Ethiopian famine on 23 October 1984, which inspired the Band Aid charity record.-Early life:...
and the move of Peter Sissons
Peter Sissons
Peter George Sissons is a broadcast journalist in the United Kingdom. He was the presenter of the BBC Nine O'Clock News and the BBC News at Ten between 1993 and 2003, as earlier a newscaster for ITN, providing bulletins on ITV and Channel 4. He is also a former presenter of the BBC's Question Time...
to the BBC News channel. Both Edwards and Bruce moved to presenting the BBC News at Ten and have presented the programme on their respective days since. By becoming presenter, she became the first woman to ever present the bulletin from launch in 2000. More recently, Bruce has once again taken up the role of Friday presenter and main relief presenter on the BBC's Six O'Clock News.
Following the murder of Jill Dando
Jill Dando
Jill Wendy Dando was an English journalist, television presenter and newsreader who worked for the BBC for 14 years. She was murdered by gunshot outside her home in Fulham, West London; her killer has never been identified....
, Bruce took over the position of co-presenter on Crimewatch
Crimewatch
Crimewatch is a long-running and high-profile British television programme produced by the BBC, that reconstructs major unsolved crimes with a view to gaining information from the members of the public. The programme is usually broadcast once a month on BBC One...
alongside Nick Ross
Nick Ross
Nick Ross is a British radio and television presenter across a wide range of factual programmes and during the 1980s and 90s he was one of the most ubiquitous of British broadcasters, but he is best known for his long-running co-hosting of the BBC TV show Crimewatch which he left on 2 July 2007...
, until both were replaced by Kirsty Young
Kirsty Young
Kirsty Jackson Young is a Scottish television presenter and radio presenter. She is the main presenter of Crimewatch and Desert Island Discs. She is married to millionaire club owner Nick Jones.- Career :...
towards the end of 2007.
Antiques programmes
In September 1998, she became the presenter for BBC2's The Antiques Show, which was in its fourth series. She presented it for a further two series, showing her interest in presenting Antiques programes nearly a decade before presenting the Antiques Roadshow.On 22 June 2007 it was announced that Bruce was to replace the retiring Michael Aspel
Michael Aspel
Michael Terence Aspel, OBE is an English television presenter, known for his reserved demeanour and rich speaking voice. He has been a high-profile TV personality in the United Kingdom since the 1960s, presenting programmes such as Crackerjack, Aspel and Company, This is Your Life, Strange But...
as presenter of the Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979...
in Spring 2008. She appeared in a tongue-in-cheek BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
advert in 2008, featuring the show (which is one of the BBC's main programs on its HD service), where she drove a car through a wall, before running towards a falling vase; the car explodes as she jumps to save the vase from crashing.
The Money Programme
Bruce also occasionally presents special editions of The Money ProgrammeThe Money Programme
The Money Programme is a finance and business affairs television programme on BBC2.It was first broadcast on 5 April 1966 and presented by "commentators" William Davis, Erskine Childers and Joe Roeber. At this time David Attenborough was the controller of BBC2...
. In one, she profiled the entrepreneur, Sir Alan Sugar. She said of the experience: "It was a bit like being in front of a hair dryer at very close quarters. He's not backwards in coming forward in his opinions." During the documentary, Bruce – who has always publicly identified herself as a feminist – challenged Sugar's view that women should openly disclose their childcare commitments to a potential employer. Her belief was that if men were not required to declare their ability to meet the demands of their job, it wasn't right that women should do so.
Top Gear
Bruce was featured in an episode of Top GearTop Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
(series 10, episode 3), which saw her sharing a lift with presenter of the show, Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
and then having to push him out (as he was stuck in a Peel P50
Peel P50
The Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar originally manufactured in 1962 and 1965) by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man. It retailed for £199 when new , and currently holds the record for the smallest automobile to go into production...
, which has no reverse gear). As she walked away, Clarkson commented, without her knowledge until the programme was aired, "She does have quite a nice bottom... I said that out loud, didn't I?" Bruce returned to Top Gear in the next series (series 11, episode 4), alongside fellow newsreader Kate Silverton
Kate Silverton
Kate Silverton is an English journalist, currently employed by the BBC.- Early life and education :Silverton was born in Essex, England, the daughter of English parents; Terry Silverton, a black-cab driver turned registered hypnotherapist and Patricia Silverton, who now heads her daughter's...
, for the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car feature. As a riposte for the "nice bottom" comment, she slapped Jeremy's and declared that it "needs a bit of work". Since then, she has also occasionally stood in for a holidaying Clarkson in his Sunday Times car review column, which she referred to as the ultimate revenge; "perching my bottom – nice or otherwise – on his patch."
Children in Need
A less serious side of Bruce is also displayed each year on the BBC's Children in NeedChildren in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
telethon, in the regular section where newsreaders break out from behind their desks to take part in a song and dance number. Blessed with a better singing voice than most of her colleagues, her turn in the 2007 performance, as Velma Kelly – with a rendition of "All That Jazz
All That Jazz (song)
"All That Jazz" is a song from the 1975 musical Chicago. It has lyrics by Fred Ebb and music by John Kander, and is the opening song of the musical...
" – so impressed the makers of the revival production of Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
that they invited her to the London performance of the 10th anniversary gala, where she appeared on stage in a parade of Velmas.
Fake or Fortune?
In 2011, she co-hosted with Philip MouldPhilip Mould
Philip Mould OBE is an English art dealer and art historian, specialising in British portraits.-Biography:Mould has made a number of art discoveries, particularly in the works of Thomas Gainsborough, and Tudor portraiture...
the series Fake or Fortune?
Fake or Fortune?
Fake or Fortune? is a 2011 BBC television series which examines the provenance of notable artworks. It is presented by journalist Fiona Bruce and art dealer and art historian Philip Mould.There are four episodes:...
, looking at the process of using modern techniques to establish the authenticity of works of art which have divided opinion amongst art experts.
Feminism
Bruce has often been outspoken regarding her commitment to feminism, expressing concern at a 2006 poll that suggested almost three quarters of women no longer saw feminism as necessary; "The contradictions are still there [in society] which is why I think feminism is still very relevant for me and it's just such a shame that it's become a byword for mustachioed, man-hating women from LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
." Despite her firm views on the subject – including a "disappointment" in women who don't like working with other women – she claims to have softened her more extreme views from her university days, where she once ran a "hilarious" anti-pornography campaign. More recently, she has also contributed to Sky Real Lives' Embarrassing Problems, a show about promoting health and well-being, where she called for women to be as open as possible about reproductive conditions.
Honours
In 2009, aged 45, Bruce ranked at Number 98 in FHMFHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
s list of 100 Sexiest Women, the oldest entrant on that particular list. The following year, her noted derrière became headline news after some viewers of her art documentary Victoria: A Royal Love Story complained that shots of her from behind, while wearing tight trousers, were too frequent. The attention raised from this saw her awarded the female Rear of the Year
Rear of the Year
Rear of the Year is a light-hearted British award for celebrities who are considered to have a notable posterior. It was created by publicity consultant Anthony Edwards and is organised by Rear of the Year Limited.-History:...
title for 2010.
Charity work
Bruce is an Honorary Vice President of optical charity Vision Aid OverseasVision Aid Overseas
Vision Aid Overseas is a registered charity in the United Kingdom, which provides optical aid and services to developing countries in Africa.-History:...
(VAO) alongside fellow newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald
Trevor McDonald
Sir Trevor McDonald OBE is a Trinidadian-British newsreader and journalist. He had a long career as a news presenter with ITN...
. In February 2005 Bruce did the voice over for VAO's Lifeline Appeal. In 2007 Bruce launched VAO's Annual Review. Later that year she was one of nine female celebrities to take part in the What's it going to take?
What's it going to take?
What's it going to take? is a British print and poster campaign launched in 2007 by Women's Aid to boost awareness of domestic violence against women in the United Kingdom. The campaign, handled by advertising agency Grey London, comprised photographs of nine female celebrities made-up to appear as...
campaign for the feminist charity Women's Aid
Women's Aid
Women's Aid is a group of feminist charities across the United Kingdom. There are four main Women's Aid Federations, one for each country. Its aim is to end domestic violence against women and children...
.
In 2009, the NSPCC
NSPCC
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a United Kingdom charity campaigning and working in child protection.-History:...
inducted her into its Hall of Fame in honour of her continued work on their behalf. In accepting the honour, she said, "The work of the NSPCC and ChildLine
ChildLine
ChildLine is a free 24 hour counselling service for children and young people up to 18 in the UK provided by the NSPCC. ChildLine deals with any issue which causes distress or concern, common issues dealt with include child abuse, bullying, parental separation or divorce, pregnancy and substance...
is desperately important and I do little compared to what needs to be done. But I'm very honoured to be included in the Hall of Fame."
Fathers 4 Justice controversy
Bruce was criticised for showing "blatant bias" when interviewing Matt O'ConnorMatt O'Connor
Matt O'Connor is the founder of the fathers' rights group Fathers 4 Justice in the UK. Denied access to his children by the Family Courts, O'Connor created Fathers 4 Justice to demand reform of the family courts and government policy on parental access.In his GQ magazine feature on O'Connor in...
, founder of Fathers 4 Justice
Fathers 4 Justice
Fathers 4 Justice began as a fathers’ rights organisation in the United Kingdom. It became prominent and frequently discussed in the media following a series of high-visibility stunts and protests often in costume. It was temporarily disbanded in January 2006, following allegations of a plot by...
, for a BBC programme in 2004. Bruce, who had featured in advertising campaigns for the feminist charity Women's Aid
Women's Aid
Women's Aid is a group of feminist charities across the United Kingdom. There are four main Women's Aid Federations, one for each country. Its aim is to end domestic violence against women and children...
, was accused of having an axe to grind on the issue of domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
. Many, including O'Connor, felt she let her own personal view on domestic violence as an issue of gender take over the programme. There were also concerns that O'Connor had originally been invited to speak about CAFCASS and the Family Courts, yet the programme was changed to focus on domestic violence. Later, a BBC Committee, investigating on behalf of the BBC Governors, concluded that there were "some weaknesses" in the programme when considered against the BBC's journalistic values of "Truth and Accuracy, Serving the Public Interest, Impartiality and Diversity of Opinion, Independence and Accountability" but that the programme "still made a valuable contribution to the debate on parental rights". Overall the Committee "did not think that these matters were sufficient to constitute a serious breach of editorial standards".
Financial affairs
Bruce set up a service company called "Paradox Productions". Critics such as [Daily Telegraph]] journalist Stephen Adams alleged the purpose of the company is for Bruce to avoid paying the new 50p tax rate as it enables her to be employed freelance by the BBC. A number of other highly paid BBC staff also use the practice. Bruce is paid approximately £500,000 per year by the BBC.Parody
In the TV version of the satirical impressions show Dead RingersDead Ringers (comedy)
Dead Ringers is a UK radio and television comedy impressions broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and later BBC Two. The programme was devised by producer Bill Dare and developed with Jon Holmes, Andy Hurst and Simon Blackwell. It starred Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Phil Cornwell, Kevin Connelly and Mark Perry...
Bruce is parodied by Jan Ravens
Jan Ravens
Janet "Jan" Ravens is an English actress and impressionist, famous for her voices on Spitting Image and Dead Ringers.-Early life:...
, ruthlessly exaggerating her idiosyncratic feline
Felidae
Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...
mannerisms through overt sexual innuendo. For example, "I'm Fiona Bruce. There's never a hosepipe ban when I'm in the room" and "I'm Fiona Bruce and I'm sitting on the luckiest chair in Britain".
Bruce claims that she does not recognise Ravens' portrayal of her as a genuine part of her character, but says she is flattered by the attention it provokes. "People don't start salivating when I go into the newsroom. I can’t think of anything further from the truth. But if Jan Ravens chose to see me like that, well then: result.”
Referring also to Clarkson's adoration of her — who once described her as "agonisingly gorgeous" — she remarked, “In my 20s, I was virulently opposed to anyone commenting on my appearance. But it’s not an issue for me now. If he pays me a compliment, then fine, how nice. Thanks Jeremy.”
Personal life
Bruce met Nigel Sharrocks when he was director of the advertising agency where she worked. He is currently a senior manager at Aegis Group. They married in July 1994 in Islington. The couple have two children, son Sam (born January 1998) and daughter Mia (born November 2001), and live in Little GaddesdenLittle Gaddesden
Little Gaddesden is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hertfordshire three miles north of Berkhamsted. As well as Little Gaddesden village , the parish contains the settlements of Ashridge , Hudnall , and part of Ringshall .Part of the parish was formerly in Buckinghamshire...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. Bruce encountered much publicity for her decision to return to work with Crimewatch
Crimewatch
Crimewatch is a long-running and high-profile British television programme produced by the BBC, that reconstructs major unsolved crimes with a view to gaining information from the members of the public. The programme is usually broadcast once a month on BBC One...
16 days after the birth of baby Mia.
External links
- Vision Aid Overseas
- Profile from BBC News
- BBC Newswatch Profile
- Her BBC Press Office biography
- Profile from 'Real Story'
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