30 Facts About Peter Sissons

Peter George Sissons was an English journalist and broadcaster.

Peter Sissons was a newscaster for ITN, providing bulletins on ITV and Channel 4, before becoming the presenter of the BBC's Question Time between 1989 and 1993, and a presenter of the BBC Nine O'Clock News and Ten O'Clock News between 1993 and 2003.

Peter Sissons retired from the BBC in 2009 and died in 2019 from leukaemia at the age of 77.

Peter Sissons attended Dovedale Junior School with John Lennon and Jimmy Tarbuck, passed the eleven-plus and attended the Liverpool Institute for Boys from 1953 to 1961 with the theatre producer Bill Kenwright, the politician Steven Norris, and George Harrison and Paul McCartney from the Beatles.

Peter Sissons read philosophy, politics and economics at University College, Oxford, where he was treasurer of the University College Players, with whom he acted, produced, directed and organised.

Peter Sissons joined ITN in 1964, working his way up to the role of journalist.

Peter Sissons was wounded by gunfire whilst covering the Biafran War in 1968, sustaining severe nerve damage in his left leg.

On 6 September 1976, Peter Sissons joined the list of presenters of ITN's lunchtime News at One bulletin, alternating with Leonard Parkin.

Peter Sissons co-presented ITN's coverage of the 1983 general election with Sir Alastair Burnet and Martyn Lewis, and again in 1987 with Burnet and Alastair Stewart.

Peter Sissons was the presenter on the night of the Lockerbie bombing in December 1988.

In early 1989, Peter Sissons received a death threat following his interview of an Iranian representative as part of the reaction surrounding the publication of The Satanic Verses, with the fatwa covering Salman Rushdie extended to cover him as well.

In June 1989, Peter Sissons took over from Sir Robin Day as the presenter of Question Time.

Peter Sissons continued until December 1993, when he was succeeded by David Dimbleby.

Peter Sissons co-presented the BBC's coverage of the 1992 general election with Dimbleby and Peter Snow.

Peter Sissons worked for ITN, Channel 4 News and BBC News, where he hosted the BBC Nine O'Clock News and the Ten O'Clock News.

Peter Sissons was dropped from this position in January 2003.

Peter Sissons reportedly accused the BBC of ageism in response to its decision to remove him from the bulletin.

In 2002, Peter Sissons announced the death of the Queen Mother on the BBC.

Peter Sissons subsequently presented weekend afternoons on BBC News 24, the corporation's rolling news channel, although until 2004 he still occasionally appeared on the Ten O'Clock News when Huw Edwards, Fiona Bruce and Darren Jordon were unavailable.

Peter Sissons presented News 24 Sunday, the replacement for Andrew Marr's BBC One programme The Andrew Marr Show when it was off air during the summer.

Peter Sissons retired from the BBC in 2009, announcing on 12 June his intention to retire in the summer in order to write his memoirs.

Peter Sissons cited a 2009 interview he conducted with Harriet Harman as the final catalyst for his decision to leave the BBC.

Peter Sissons asked the question anyhow, and upon arriving home afterwards decided he no longer wished to work for the organisation.

Peter Sissons argued that the organisation had a left-wing mindset "in its very DNA" and that BBC News had a bias towards New Labour, the United Nations, the European Union, environmental groups, Islam, ethnic minorities, and women.

Peter Sissons wrote, "I am in no doubt that the majority of BBC staff vote for political parties of the Left".

Peter Sissons had three children, one of whom, Kate Peter Sissons, is an actress.

Peter Sissons lived in Sevenoaks, Kent, with his wife Sylvia, and had a second home on the island of Barbados.

Peter Sissons was a Liverpool John Moores University Honorary Fellow and delivered a lecture on 19 June 2008 speaking about the city of Liverpool.

Peter Sissons was a lifelong supporter of Liverpool Football Club.

Peter Sissons died at the age of 77 on 1 October 2019 at the Maidstone Hospital in Kent from leukaemia.