Daisy McAndrew

Education

McAndrew was educated at Wycombe Abbey School, an independent school for girls in the town of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, followed by the Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies, where she completed her A Level studies in English, Politics (with Professor Ian Swinburn) and the History of Art.

Life and career

At the age of 19, McAndrew worked as a researcher in the House of Commons, transferring to The House Magazine which she went on to edit between 1995 and 1997 before becoming a freelance political journalist in the House of Commons Press Gallery. In November 1999, McAndrew became a press secretary to the Liberal Democrat Leader, Charles Kennedy.

Broadcasting career

After the 2001 general election, McAndrew decided to develop a career in broadcasting, making regular contributions across television and radio and presenting Channel 4's lunchtime political programme, Powerhouse.

McAndrew came to national prominence as a BBC News presenter, under her maiden name Daisy Sampson, co-hosting weekday lunchtime show The Daily Politics with Andrew Neil and presenting Yesterday in Parliament on BBC Breakfast. From January 2005 until August 2005, she presented the weekday drivetime show for LBC 97.3 in London.

In September 2005, McAndrew joined ITN as Chief Political Correspondent for ITV News, and in June 2008 became ITV News Economics Editor after returning from maternity leave. She occasionally acted as a newscaster of ITV News weekend bulletins and the ITV Lunchtime News, from 2006–2007 and again 2010–2011. In August 2011 she began working under the new title of special correspondent. In December 2012 she left ITN.

McAndrew was an occasional news reviewer for the ITV daytime programme This Morning.

Charles Kennedy

In January 2006, it was alleged that McAndrew was responsible for the ITV News story that led to Liberal Democrat Leader Charles Kennedy being forced to reveal that he was a recovering alcoholic. Kennedy's party colleagues chose to capitalise on what was already low-key public knowledge, and this forced his resignation and triggered a leadership election. As she had previously served as Kennedy's personal press secretary, McAndrew's role in this story was widely questioned; some broadcasters and journalists aired the view that she had turned on her former employer, and dubbed her "the blonde assassin". Others considered that Kennedy's colleagues had questioned his capabilities to lead the party and had chosen to capitalise on the situation.

Tony Blair

In February 2007, McAndrew's reporting was questioned, this time by Ofcom. She claimed on air that an interview of Tony Blair by Michael Parkinson revealed that Blair believed God played a role in his decision to go to war in Iraq. ITV was forced to apologise following the ruling.

Personal life

In August 2005, the-then Daisy Sampson married John McAndrew, former editor of The Daily Politics; her husband works for Sky News. She has two children, Milly (born 2006) and Daniel (born 2007).

Away from work, McAndrew has many other interests: "A self-confessed speed-junkie, motorcycles, go-karts, dune-buggies and fast cars are her other passions as well as throwing parties, cooking, walking her dog Ted and endlessly moving home!"

In 2015, the international media development charity Internews announced that she had been appointed to their trustee board in the UK.