Colin Brazier

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For the English footballer, see Colin Brazier (footballer).

Colin Brazier
Sky News journalist Colin Brazier speaking to a camera in front of Buckingham Palace, London, UK
Brazier in 2013
Born (1968-03-28) 28 March 1968 (age 53)
Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England[citation needed]
OccupationTelevision presenter, news presenter
Notable credit(s)
Sky News
GB News
Spouse(s)
Joanna Roughton
​
​
(m. 1999; died 2018)​
Children6

Colin Brazier (born 28 March 1968) is an English journalist and presenter for GB News, having previously worked for Sky News between 1997 and 2021. He presented Sky News Today on the channel alongside Jayne Secker since September 2014, but he has presented a number of other programmes on the channel. Between 2005 and 2011, Brazier presented Saturday Live on the channel. In February 2021, it was announced that Brazier was leaving Sky News for GB News.[1]

Early life[]

Born in Bradford, Brazier was brought up by his mother, a nurse.[2] Estranged from his father for most of his childhood, Brazier used the surname Eshelley until he and his father were reconciled. In 1985, Brazier was present at the Bradford City stadium fire.[3] Under the name Colin Eshelley, he studied English literature at Cardiff University, where he was also elected to serve for a year as Communications Officer at Cardiff University Students' Union. He then trained as a journalist at The Northern Echo and the Yorkshire Post, and briefly worked at The Observer.

Broadcasting career[]

Brazier worked at the BBC, then ITV.[citation needed] He joined Sky News in 1997. His postings at Sky have included politics, the Royal Family and several foreign postings, in addition to anchoring studio coverage.

His industry awards include a gold medal from the New York TV awards, for his reporting from Afghanistan.[citation needed] The first British journalist to enter Iraq with coalition troops during the 2003 invasion, Brazier's documentary, Brothers in Baghdad, was later shortlisted at the 48th Monte-Carlo Television Festival.[4] He was the first journalist to enter Southern Lebanon with Israeli forces in 2006.[5]

In 2009, Brazier conducted one of the final interviews given by the dictator Muammar Gaddafi.[6][7] Brazier wrote an article for the New Statesman discussing his experiences of meeting the dictator at his compound in Libya.[8]

In 2014 he was Sky's sole nominee in the Royal Television Society Awards Presenter of the Year category for his work in Nairobi during the Westgate shopping mall attack[9] and Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.[citation needed]

In 2015 he was long-listed[citation needed] in the RTS Awards Presenter of the Year category for his anchoring of the Tunisian terror attacks[10][11] and the Nepal earthquake.[12][13]

In 2016 he won an International Emmy Award[14] and was nominated for a BAFTA[15][16] for his coverage of the European migrant crisis.[17] The Emmy award judges specifically cited his live anchoring when rioting broke out on the Serbian/Hungarian border.[citation needed]

He has made several appearances as a newsreader in movies, including The Bourne Legacy in 2012.

In February 2021, it was announced that Brazier was leaving Sky News for GB News.[1] On the channel he and Mercy Muroki co-hosted Brazier & Muroki, a daytime "news, interview and debate" programme.[18][19] In August 2021 it was replaced by a different programme, leaving Brazier's sole presenting role as filling in for Andrew Neil in the 8 pm slot.[20]

Controversies[]

In December 2004, Brazier was alleged to have assaulted his producer, Julian Morrison, after an argument following a staff Christmas party in Brussels. Morrison went to hospital, having suffered a broken nose and damaged teeth, and was off work for several days. Brazier was recalled to London following the incident.[21]

In July 2014, following the destruction of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine, Brazier was filmed tampering with the contents of a victim's luggage. Widespread media criticism and calls for Brazier's resignation ensued. As of 21 July, 110 complaints about Brazier's behaviour had been submitted to Ofcom.[22] In an article published in The Guardian on 22 July 2014, Brazier apologised, admitted that his actions were "a serious error of judgment".[23]

Personal life[]

In 1999, Brazier married Joanna Roughton, at the time Reuters Asia editor and then Sky's head of foreign news until 2002, with whom he had six children.[24] In 2017, Brazier and his family were featured on Sky News talking about Sky's Ocean Rescue campaign.[25] Roughton passed away from breast cancer in July 2018, aged 55.[26][27]

Brazier is a practising Catholic,[28] and has written articles for the Catholic Herald.[29] He has stated that he is "ill at ease" with modern funeral traditions.[30]

A keen cricketer, Brazier is a member of the Lord's Taverners, a charity which aims to improve the fortunes of underprivileged young cricketers, and has played in fundraising matches for the organisation.[31] He was once seen on-camera appearing to practise a cover drive.[32]

Brazier's 2013 book Sticking Up For Siblings, was based on his experiences as a father of six young children.[33][34][35] The book, which encourages parents to reconsider the merits of larger families, was debated on the BBC Today programme, Radio 5 Live, ITV Daybreak and BBC Breakfast.[citation needed]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "What is GB News? In-depth briefing about Andrew Neil's new channel". Press Gazette. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  2. ^ Brazier, Colin (16 November 2020). "Crime fighting in the age of emoting". Catholic Herald.
  3. ^ "Sky Man's Memories Of 'Hideous' Bradford Fire". Sky News.
  4. ^ "48th Monte Carlo Television Festival Press Kit" (PDF). Monte Carlo Television Festival. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 June 2016.
  5. ^ Plunkett, John (4 August 2006). "Keeping your balance". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  6. ^ "Gaddafi: deal done over IRA victims". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 26 October 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Gaddafi Issues Shooting 'Apology'". 4ni.co.uk. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  8. ^ Brazier, Colin (5 November 2009). "The Leader will see you in the library . . ". NewStatesman. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Nairobi Mall Shooting: 'A Gigantic Crime Scene'". YouTube. Sky News. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  10. ^ "With thousands of people heading home early and many more cancelling..." Getty Images.
  11. ^ "With thousands of people heading home early and many more cancelling..." Getty Images. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  12. ^ "Nepal Survivors Risk Death To Retrieve Possessions". Sky News. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  13. ^ "Destruction of Sankhu Town". MSN. Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  14. ^ "SKY NEWS AND ITN DISPATCHES WIN INTERNATIONAL EMMYS® FOR NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS – International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences". International Emmy® Awards. International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  15. ^ "2016 Television News Coverage". BAFTA TV Awards. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  16. ^ "Bafta TV Awards 2016: the full list of winners". The Telegraph. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  17. ^ "Sky News wins prestigious Emmy award for its refugee crisis coverage". Sky News. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  18. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (26 May 2021). "Discovery-Backed GB News Channel to Launch in June". Variety. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  19. ^ Press Gazette [@pressgazette] (10 February 2021). "Sky News journalist Colin Brazier is joining GB News to anchor a daytime news, interview and debate programme" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 August 2021 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ Wilkes, Neil (5 August 2021). "Patrick Christys to take over from Colin Brazier on GB News". Media Mole. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  21. ^ "Senior Sky reporter demoted after fight at Christmas party". The Independent. 18 December 2004. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  22. ^ "Complaints over Sky News MH17 report". BBC News. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  23. ^ "Sky News reporter Colin Brazier apologises for snooping in victims' luggage". The Independent. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  24. ^ "On this day 18 years ago, thanks again Mrs B.pic.twitter.com/tzckCE9b7D". Twitter. @colinbraziersky. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  25. ^ "Meet the Braziers: Sky News presenter invites 'Ocean Rescue' to breakfast". YouTube. TV Newsroom. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  26. ^ "Obituary: Joanna Roughton". THE BARON. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  27. ^ "Sky News host Colin Brazier's wife dies aged 55". Metro. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  28. ^ Quinn, Ben (23 July 2018). "Sky News man asks mourners at wife's funeral to wear black". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  29. ^ "A shattering prognosis". Catholic Herald. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  30. ^ Brazier, Colin (21 July 2018). "Let funerals be sad". The Spectator. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  31. ^ "The Lord's Taverners v The Yankee Wanderers | Lord's Taverners". www.lordstaverners.org. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  32. ^ "Hilarious moment news presenter is caught practising cricket shot". Evening Standard. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  33. ^ "Is it better for children to have siblings?". BBC News. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  34. ^ "Cost of children 'puts off parents'". MSN Money. MSN. p. 23 August 2013. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014.
  35. ^ Moorhead, Joanna (10 August 2013). "Children? The more the merrier …". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 August 2019.

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