Seven things you didn't know about BBC Newsround – Co-star romances to live TV shockers

Iconic BBC children’s programme Newsround is 50 years old in April.

The show, co-founded by John Craven and Edward Barnes, has been a staple part of children’s lives since April 4 1972 and has paved the way for modern news reporting.

It has also inspired the next generation of journalists across the world, including BBC Entertainment reporter Lizo Mzimba and ITV journalist Julie Etchingham.

But do you really know what it is like to be a Newsround presenter? And why the programme has been such a trailblazer?

To celebrate Newsround’s 50th anniversary, Daily Star has spoken to presenters past and present about the programme – including some of its behind the scenes secrets.

Presenters still get starstruck

Newsround presenters through the decades have interviewed some of the biggest stars from the world of entertainment and sport, as well as figures from business, politics and education.

Although you might think that the presenters would become used to talking to such huge public figures, there were still moments when the hosts became starstruck – especially when they met their heroes.

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Ore Oduba, who presented Newsround between 2008-2013, said he was lost for words when he interviewed his childhood hero, and sporting legend, David Beckham – especially as posters of him were still on his childhood bedroom wall at his parents’ house.

However one star that all the Newsround presenters agreed that they were starstruck by, was none other than one of their very own – the TV icon John Craven.

Speaking at the Newsround 50th anniversary press day, lots of presenters past and present said they were in awe of meeting Newsround co-founder John Craven, with former presenter Sonali Shah saying: “I said we’ve got to get a photo [with John Craven]. I watched him and he was the reason I’m in it.”

Ellie Crisell added: “We’re starstruck by John Craven and then there’s a few young ones who are more starstruck by us, so now they’re making us feel ancient.”

Newsround led the way for adult news

While audiences across the UK are used to seeing explainer videos, interactive news segments and colourful graphics on their TV screens, this was not always the case in news programmes.

However, Newsround was a trail-blazer and paved the way for the inclusion of such tools in modern news broadcasting, with Sonali Shah saying: “The way we communicated, which you see a lot now throughout news – those explainer videos – we were doing them 20 years ago.”

Ellie Crisell added: “We were big on all the website stuff and the digital stuff, way before it became the norm.”

Sonali also explained that although Newsround followed the main news agenda, it didn’t always stick to it rigidly, paving the way for stories including sport to become headline news.

“We didn’t stick to the adult news running order,” said Sonali.

“I remember when Chelsea won the league. It was an instant decision for us to say, right, that’s the top story.

“The adult news have now only started to go – oh we can put a sports story as the lead, rather than politics. They followed on.

“We just had that confidence to say, let’s do what it is important to our audience, rather than what someone thinks should be top of the news agenda.”

Presenters are taught to be ‘older siblings’

One of the most important aspects of Newsround was the way it communicated its news to its young audience.

One of the ways that presenters communicated effectively to the audience was by presenting the news to young people as if they were an older sibling – not a parent.

Ellie Crisell said: “Not parents, that’s what we were always told. Don’t come across as a parent, come across as an older sibling.

That duty of care also extended to the presenters too, with one Newsround presenter becoming an older sibling to the next generation of presenters, with Ellie saying: “When I joined, Lizo had already been there. He was just brilliant with me – and Laura Jones. She’s still one of my best friends.

“They were so nice to me when I arrived. Lizo guided me through so much stuff in those early days.”

Sonali Shah added: “The best advice I was given, was just be you. What was tough was learning to have a personality but still having the authority.

“I learnt that from you [Ellie], as I watched Ellie and how she did it. It was the big sister thing. That was the thing, we were meant to be the big sisters.”

By clearly communicating the story to the audience in a specific way, children have learnt about what is going on in the world and can strike up conversations about topics such as politics with their parents, with current presenter Ricky Boleto saying: “Parents will say to me – ‘my kid has woken up and they’re talking about Brexit to me. They’re talking about what Boris Johnson has been up to.

“How are they aware of this?’ and it’s partly because of Newsround.

“The fact that we speak to kids, we don’t shout at them. We give them information – the facts, the information that they need to hear, but in a way that they can feel safe.”

Adults watch Newsround too

Despite many people presuming that Newsround is for children, it is a programme that is watched by just as many adults too.

The presenters say that adults watch the programme as the news bulletins do not presume that the audience have prior knowledge of a story, and always intend to explain a story as clearly as possible.

ITV presenter Julie Etchingham, said: “A lot of adults watched Newsround with their kids, but they also watched it because we gave them backgrounders. We didn’t assume knowledge.

“There would always be a few sentences that explained the background to it. That’s one of the most important things Newsround did.”

Presenters sometimes need to improvise

Like with any Live TV programme, there is always a chance that something can go wrong live on air – which means that Newsround presenters sometimes have to improvise.

This can either be a sudden newsroom invasion by famous celebrities such as Ant and Dec, or when video footage for a news bulletin does not arrive on time, with former presenter Ore Oduba saying: “I’m broadcasting live on BBC One and the video hasn’t made it. Well I have never been in this position before, so I’m just going to have to speak a little slower, maybe give a little more context – while my heart is absolutely racing.

“I’m just waiting for someone to say it’s there. That happened quite often, but it was amazing.

“Gosh – the idea that live TV all goes to plan. I learnt that very quickly – not the case. It was thrilling – terrifying – but live TV.”

Mistakes can lead to memorable moments

Although you might think that live on air mistakes might be one of a presenter’s worst memories, some Newsround presenters have revealed that they can be some of the most memorable.

Speaking about a mistake that he made during a recent broadcast, current presenter De-Graft Mensah said it was made even funnier by the fact it got mentioned by DJ Greg James on the Radio One Breakfast Show.

He said: “My most memorable moment isn’t a story that I’ve worked on, but rather a mistake that I made in the bulletins.

“It was a long day and I was very tired. It was time to wrap up the programme and I just spurted out random words – all this big mess.”

Although De-Graft was supposed to announce that there was a new article on the Newsround website about the latest Planet Earth episode, with David Attenborough featuring Dave The Rapper, he said it did not go to plan.

“I think I said something along the lines of, ‘Check online, Dave, episode earth, featuring Dave. See ya,” said De-Graft.

“Me being me, I thought I’m going to clip it up and put it on Twitter, because it was funny.

“Next day I come home and my housemate said, ‘De-Graft, you were on the radio yesterday?’ I was like, was I?

“Turns out Greg James had played the mistake out on his breakfast show. Luckily he was very nice about it. That moment always makes me laugh.”

Co-star romances

Along with being described as one of the loveliest newsrooms and news teams to work in, by past and present hosts, Newsround has also led to a number of sweet co-star romances.

Julie Etchingham met her husband and TV producer Nick Gardener on the first day that she joined the programme, saying: “The first day I walked into the office and they said, ‘this is where your desk will be’, and I sat down facing this guy Nick Gardener, who I ended up marrying.

“It’s quite a big week in my life professionally and personally I suppose.”

Reflecting on her time working on Newsround, she also added that meeting her husband would always be her most treasured memory, adding: “That was the most notable by product of my time there. I married my husband in 1997 and we’re still together all these years on.

“My two boys wouldn’t be around if it weren’t for Newsround. That’s my most treasured memory.”

Behind the scenes romance has also continued through to more recent episodes of Newsround, with current presenter Hayley Hassall saying: “I met my husband on Newsround. I never thought I’d work for Newsround – it was always one of my favourite programmes growing up, so it was unbelievable to think I’d get to work here.

“Then I met my husband on the programme, so it’s massively changed my life. Who would have thought that.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk