35 Facts About Fiona Bruce

Fiona Elizabeth Bruce was born on 25 April 1964 and is a British journalist, newsreader, and television presenter.

Fiona Bruce was educated at Gayton Primary School in Wirral, the International School of Milan, and then, from the age of 14 until 18, attended Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College in New Cross, London.

Fiona Bruce attended the University of London Institute in Paris and is a fluent speaker of French and Italian.

Fiona Bruce then moved to BBC South East, appearing as an occasional presenter and reporter on Newsroom South East and a weekly current affairs programme, First Sight.

Fiona Bruce then reported for Panorama and Newsnight before moving to presenting Breakfast News and the BBC Six O'Clock News in 1996.

In 1999, as part of a major relaunch of the BBC's news output, Fiona Bruce was named secondary presenter of the BBC Six O'Clock News.

Fiona Bruce presented the programme as a cover for the 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.

In 2007, Fiona Bruce returned to presenting the BBC News at Six.

From 2003 to 2007, Fiona Bruce presented and reported in the BBC One current affairs series, Real Story.

In 2001, Fiona Bruce became one of the presenters of the BBC general election results programme.

In 2006, following a court case involving British Airways requesting that a Christian employee conceal her cross because it infringed the airline's dress code, the BBC disclosed it had some concerns over the fact that Fiona Bruce often wore a cross necklace, although she was not banned from doing so.

On 10 January 2019, Fiona Bruce succeeded long-time host David Dimbleby on the BBC's debate programme Question Time as the first full-time female host.

In 2023, during an episode of Question Time, when journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown claimed that Stanley Johnson, the father of former British prime minister Boris Johnson, broke his wife's nose, Fiona Bruce interrupted to comment that Johnson's friends had said that the incident occurred, but was a "one-off".

The BBC defended Fiona Bruce, commenting that, as the host, she had the duty to present an avenue of reply by accused parties and it was not her personal comment.

Fiona Bruce apologised for her comments after the incident and resigned as an ambassador for the domestic violence charity Refuge, a role she had been in for over 25 years.

In September 1998, Fiona Bruce became the presenter for BBC Two's Antiques Show, which was in its fourth series.

Fiona Bruce presented it for a further two series, showing her interest in presenting antiques programmes nearly a decade before presenting Antiques Roadshow.

On 22 June 2007, it was announced that Fiona Bruce was to replace the retiring Michael Aspel as presenter of Antiques Roadshow the following spring, which initially caused some controversy.

In 2007, Fiona Bruce wrote and presented a BBC documentary about Cherie Blair as Tony Blair left office.

Fiona Bruce's point was that if men were not required to declare their ability to meet the demands of their job, it was not right that women should do so.

Victoria: A Royal Love Story is a BBC documentary, written and presented by Fiona Bruce, charting the story of the love affair between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and documenting the collection of paintings, sculptures, and jewellery they gave each other.

In 2011, Fiona Bruce wrote and presented The Queen's Palaces, a three-part BBC documentary telling the story of Queen Elizabeth II's three official residences, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Holyrood Palace.

In 2012, Fiona Bruce wrote and presented a BBC documentary about Leonardo da Vinci.

Fiona Bruce is reputably known by a number of epithets at the BBC including "The Long Streak of Plain Jane" and "The Queen of Woke"'.

Fiona Bruce was featured in an episode of Top Gear, sharing a lift with one of its presenters, Jeremy Clarkson, and then having to push him out.

Fiona Bruce appeared in a tongue-in-cheek BBC HD advertisement in 2008, featuring a parody of the Antiques Roadshow, in which she drove a car through a wall, before running towards a falling vase, with the car exploding as she jumped to save the vase from crashing.

Fiona Bruce has regularly appeared on the BBC's annual Children in Need telethon, performing musical routines alongside fellow BBC newsreaders.

Fiona Bruce was criticised for showing "blatant bias" when interviewing Matt O'Connor, founder of Fathers 4 Justice, for a BBC programme in 2004.

Fiona Bruce, who had featured in advertising campaigns for the charity Women's Aid, was accused of having an axe to grind on the issue of domestic violence.

Fiona Bruce is an honorary vice president of optical charity Vision Aid Overseas, alongside fellow newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald.

In February 2005, Fiona Bruce did the voice-over for VAO's Lifeline Appeal.

Fiona Bruce met Nigel Sharrocks was born on 1956 and when he was director of the advertising agency where she worked.

Fiona Bruce encountered much adverse publicity for her decision to return to work with Crimewatch 16 days after the birth of her daughter.

In 2014, Fiona Bruce stated that she did not use social media because of the misogynistic abuse directed towards female celebrities.

Fiona Bruce was awarded the female Rear of the Year title in 2010, and accepted it in person.