Born:
May 11, 1950
in
Leeds
Best Known For:
Giving politicians a hard time on Newsnight.
Early-life:
Born May 11, 1950, in Leeds. He was brought up in Worcestershire, and educated at public school Malvern College. On leaving, he studied English at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. He began his news career with a job in local radio before moving to Northern Ireland. He spent three years in Belfast, where he became the first full-time TV current affairs reporter, specialising in investigative journalism.
Career:
In 1977, Paxman moved to London where he was a reporter on Tonight, before working for Panorama, a job which allowed him to cover stories in Beirut, Uganda, Zimbabwe, the USA, and Europe. His popularity led to him being given stints on the Six O'Clock News. In 1986, Paxman took over Breakfast News, and joined Newsnight three years later. The programme helped create his reputation as a fearsome interviewer, although his image was softened following a moving appearance on Who Do You Think You Are? Paxman also hosts University Challenge, and presented the art history series The Victorians.
Quote:
On his job: "I think it's pretty straightforward really. You're there to ask the question the average reasonably intelligent viewer would like to see asked."
Trivia:
Away from TV, he has written several books and loves fly-fishing.