Susanna Reid

Early life and education

The youngest of three children, Reid was born in Croydon, south London. She was educated at the independent Croham Hurst School, from 1975 to 1981, followed by the independent Croydon High School (1981–87) and St Paul's Girls' School (1987–89) in London. Her parents separated and divorced when she was aged 9. Her father was a management consultant, her mother, who was born in 1941, worked as a nurse. Reid studied Politics, Philosophy and Law at the University of Bristol (1989–92), where she was editor of Epigram, the student newspaper, which was short-listed in 1991 as "Best Student Newspaper" in The Guardian/NUS student journalism awards. She then undertook a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism at the Cardiff School of Journalism.

Reid appeared as an actress while an adolescent, in a stage production of Agatha Christie's Spider's Web (1982) with Shirley-Anne Field, and then alongside Peter Barkworth and Harriet Walter in The Price (1985) on Channel 4.

Career

Reid began her career at BBC Radio Bristol and then became a reporter for Radio 5 Live, as well as a producer. She then joined BBC News 24, where she spent two years as a reporter. When the 23:00 presenter didn't turn up one night, Reid became a stand-in presenter for an hour (while three months pregnant with her first child), which turned into a permanent position. Before going on maternity leave, she presented on the BBC's online interactive service. Reid became a reporter for Breakfast News in 1998. After a second maternity break, she became a presenter on the BBC News Channel.

Reid was one of the main presenters on BBC Breakfast, presenting with Bill Turnbull on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and previously presenting with Charlie Stayt on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. She held that role from 2012, when she replaced lead presenter Sian Williams. In 2010, Reid stepped down from presenting Breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays to take a role on a new programme Sunday Morning Live. As of the final episode of the first series on 21 November 2010, she resumed her weekend presenting duties on BBC Breakfast within 2 weeks. When BBC Breakfast moved to MediaCityUK in Salford, Greater Manchester, the existing lead presenter presenter, Sian Williams decided to stay in London on other programmes so she could remain close to her children. In April 2012, Reid took Williams' lead presenter role as the main weekday presenter opposite Bill Turnbull.

Reid was also previously the regular newsreader during the headlines on The Andrew Marr Show. On 16 May 2010, she stood in briefly for Andrew Marr for the Sunday newspaper review, when he arrived late for the programme after interviewing the new Prime Minister David Cameron. Reid handed back to Marr following the paper review. Reid presented the main show for the first time on 10 March 2013 following Marr's extended absence after suffering a stroke in January 2013. On 22 February 2009, Reid presented the BBC's live coverage of the 2009 Oscars from Los Angeles and also presented coverage of the 2010 Oscars on 7 March.

In December 2013, Reid was a runner-up in the eleventh series of Strictly Come Dancing. Her professional partner was Kevin Clifton. She previously participated in the Children in Need special of the show, pairing with Robin Windsor and eventually winning it in November 2011.

On 31 December 2013, Reid presented the New Year Live programme on BBC One, replacing Gabby Logan. Reid was joined in presenting duties by Take That lead singer Gary Barlow, who performed a concert at Westminster Central Hall at the same time.

In February 2014, it was reported that ITV were attempting to recruit Reid for their new breakfast programme, with a £1 million salary. Reid had previously rejected claims of moving to ITV in December 2013, during her Strictly Come Dancing stint, claiming she would "bleed BBC" if cut open. On 3 March 2014, the BBC confirmed Reid's move to ITV to front rival breakfast programme Good Morning Britain, which replaced its former breakfast show Daybreak. She co-hosts the show alongside Ben Shephard and Piers Morgan every Monday to Thursday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. It was not until she began working with Morgan that Reid "understood the real definition of a love-hate relationship!"

On 19 December 2014, Reid appeared on a special Text Santa episode of Tipping Point with fellow Good Morning Britain presenters. In 2017, Reid co-presented Save Money: Good Food alongside Matt Tebbutt.

Awards

In March 2014, the Television and Radio Industries Club named Reid Newsreader of the Year at their annual awards, the week after it was announced she would join ITV.

In 2015, she won a Television and Radio Industries Club award for Newsreader of the Year.

Personal life

Reid lives in Balham, south London. Between 1998 and their separation in February 2014 her partner was the former sports correspondent Dominic Cotton. They still live in the same house, even though Cotton has a girlfriend and Reid is single. They have three sons. Reid is a supporter of Crystal Palace, visiting the club's Selhurst Park ground with her dance partner while taking part in Strictly Come Dancing, in 2013.

Reid is a pescetarian, something she used to discuss occasionally in her Saturday morning banter with chef James Martin when commenting on the dishes on his following programme, Saturday Kitchen. Reid has also been voted into Zoo Weekly 's top ten of "Britain's sexiest mums", and in 2013 was voted 96th in FHM 's "100 sexiest women" list.

Charity

Reid is a regular contributor to Media Trust, a charity linking other charities to the media industry, and has hosted events for the Myotubular Trust and Voluntary Arts England. In 1998, just before she became a reporter for Breakfast News, she worked for three months in Sri Lanka as a voluntary media consultant for a charity which counsels victims of the civil war and operates orphanages and social development programmes.

On 22 April 2012, Reid took part in the London Marathon, raising money for Sport Relief, completing the course in just over five hours.

Filmography