The ''ITV Lunchtime News'' is the afternoon news programme produced by ITN on the British television network ITV. It airs Monday to Friday from 1:30pm, covering British national and international news stories and is presented by Nina Hossain.

History

Television broadcasting hours in the United Kingdom had been tightly regulated and controlled by the British government until 1972, when the then Conservative government under Prime Minister Edward Heath decided to end all limits and restrictions on the broadcasting hours of television. ITV had been campaigning for the end of the restrictions since the mid-1960s, and finally on 19 January 1972, the government announced the lifting of all restrictions, allowing proper daytime television to launch on both the BBC and ITV. ITN had provided a short lunchtime news summary to start the ITV schedules on a Saturday since 1959, with an afternoon news summary on a Sunday starting in the mid-1960s, however it was the lifting of the restrictions on 16 October 1972 which helped ITN to launch a codified, more solid weekday lunchtime news programme as part of a raft of new programming which would now take up broadcasting hours which were up to 1972 restricted to schools programming and adult education. The programme was first broadcast on 16 October 1972 as '' First Report'', a twenty-minute bulletin presented by

Robert Kee Robert Kee (5 October 1919 – 11 January 2013) was a British broadcaster, journalist and writer, known for his historical works on World War II and Ireland. Life and career He was educated at Stowe School, Buckingham, and read histor ...

at 12:40pm. The bulletin was moved to 1:00pm on 7 September 1974 and retitled as ''News at One'' on 6 September 1976. Leonard Parkin and Peter Sissons alternated as the programme's lead presenters in the same year after Kee's departure. On 20 July 1987, the bulletin was relaunched as ''News at 12:30''. Jon Snow and former BBC newsreader Julia Somerville fronted alternate editions of the programme. On 7 March 1988, ITV's daytime programming was rejigged and the bulletin was moved back to its 1:00pm timeslot. ''News at One'' later relaunched on 16 October 1989 with John Suchet as its lead presenter. On 7 January 1991, the programme moved this time to 12:30pm. On 2 March 1992, ''News at 12:30'' was relaunched as the ''Lunchtime News'' with a dual-presenting team comprising Nicholas Owen and

Carol Barnes Carol Lesley Barnes (13 September 1944 – 8 March 2008) was a British television newsreader and broadcaster. She worked for ITN from 1975 to 2004. Early life Barnes was born in Norwich, and attended St Martin-in-the-Fields High School for ...

. On 6 March 1995, ITN's news bulletins were relaunched with a cohesive identity. The ''Lunchtime News'' on air team was revamped, this time with a returning Julia Somerville alongside

Dermot Murnaghan Dermot John Murnaghan (; born 26 December 1957) is a British broadcaster. A presenter for Sky News, he was a news presenter at CNBC Europe, Independent Television News and BBC News. He has presented news programmes in a variety of time slot ...

. Owen and Barnes remained as relief presenters. On 8 March 1999, coinciding with a further relaunch of ITN's news bulletins, John Suchet returned to the newly named ''ITV Lunchtime News'' to replace Murnaghan, now lead presenter of the new '' ITV Nightly News''. On 22 January 2001, as part of a wider reorganisation of ITV News, Suchet became the sole presenter of the ''Lunchtime News''; in mid-2002, he was replaced by Nicholas Owen. On 2 February 2004, ITV News was relaunched and the 12:30pm bulletin was restructured: Owen was joined by

Katie Derham Catherine Beatrice Margaret Derham (born 18 June 1970) is a British newscaster and a presenter on television and radio. Early life and education Derham was born on 18 June 1970 in Canterbury, Kent to Margaret, a teacher, and John Derham, a chem ...

in a return to a dual-presenting team; then, on 11 April 2005, the programme was extended to 60 minutes. The 15-minute regional news bulletin at 3:00pm was axed and incorporated into the new 60-minute ''ITV Lunchtime News''. On 4 September 2006, the 60-minute format was axed, returning to its shorter length and at a new broadcast time of 1:30pm. On 5 February 2007, Owen left to join

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

and was replaced by

Alastair Stewart Alastair James Stewart OBE (born 22 June 1952) is an English former journalist and newscaster. Formerly presenting for ITV News, he joined GB News as a presenter in 2021. He has won the Royal Television Society's News Presenter of the Year awa ...

. In April 2007 ITN announced that ITV had awarded it a 6-year contract to produce ITV News, at a cost of £250 million. ''ITV Lunchtime News'' switched from the traditional 4:3 format to 16:9 widescreen since 3 December 2007. On 27 July 2009, the ''ITV Lunchtime News'' returned to a single presenter, with Stewart and Katie Derham alternating. Derham later left ITV News in June 2010 and was replaced by Nina Hossain. On 2 November 2009, the bulletin was retitled as ''ITV News at 1:30'' as part of a rebrand of the channel's news programmes. Since 12 October 2015, the programme was being referred to as the ''ITV Lunchtime News''. On 24 May 2019 it was announced Hossain would become the sole presenter of the programme.Nina Hossain moves up to lead ''ITV Lunchtime News''
James Walker, Press Gazette, 24 May 2019 The ''ITV Lunchtime News'' presenter also fronts the impending ''

ITV News London ''ITV News London'' is a British television news service broadcast on both ITV London and the ITV Hub. It is produced by ITN. History London News Network The programme launched on Monday 4 January 1993 as ''London Tonight'', after Carlton T ...

'' lunchtime bulletin from 13:55.

On air staff

Lead newscaster

* Nina Hossain (2004–present)

Other newscasters

* Gamal Fahnbulleh (2022–present) *

James Mates James Mates (born 11 August 1961) is an English newsreader and journalist, currently employed by ITN, where he presents on ITV News and is Europe Editor. Education and early career Mates was educated at Marlborough College, an independent scho ...

(2002–2018, 2022–present) *

Lucrezia Millarini Lucrezia Gaia Millarini (born 18 February 1976) is an English journalist and television presenter currently employed by ''ITV News''. Early life Lucrezia Gaia Millarini was born on 18 February 1976 into a family of Italian descent. Before start ...

(2017–present) *

Rageh Omaar Rageh Omaar (; so, Raage Oomaar; ar, راجح أومار; born 19 July 1967) is a Somali-born British journalist and writer. He was a BBC world affairs correspondent, where he made his name reporting from Iraq. In September 2006, he moved to ...

(2013–2015, 2020–present) * Kylie Pentelow (2021–present) *

Chris Ship Christopher Ship is an English journalist and presenter, working for ITV News. Since 2017, he has been the Royal Editor. Early life and education Ship was brought up in Southampton in Hampshire, and educated at Bellemoor School for Boys (since ...

(2019–present) *

Geraint Vincent Geraint V. Vincent is a British journalist, currently employed by ITN as a Correspondent for ''ITV News''. Early life The son of the international relations scholar R J Vincent and Angela Vincent, Vincent and his family lived in Newcastle in S ...

(2006–2012, 2021–present) *

Lucy Watson Lucy Watson is an English journalist and newsreader, who was employed by ITN for ITV News as a general News Correspondent. Career Watson left ''Daybreak'' to join ITN in February 2014, under the title of China Correspondent for ITV News, ba ...

(2022–present) *

Romilly Weeks Romilly Sarah Weeks (15 December 1973 in Paddington, London) is an English journalist who is a political correspondent and news presenter for ITV News. Media career After a career in acting, Weeks entered broadcast journalism. She has tr ...

(2006–present) *

Charlene White Charlene Denise White (born 22 June 1980) is a British television broadcaster, journalist and presenter, best known for presenting ''ITV News'' programmes. She has been an anchor on ''Loose Women'' since 2021Mark Austin (1998–2002, 2009–2010) *

(1980–1998) * Felicity Barr (2001–2005) * Sally Biddulph (2009) * Andrea Byrne (2010–2012) * Andrea Catherwood (2003–2006) *

(1998–2010) * Shiulie Ghosh (2000–2004) * Andrew Harvey (2000–2001) * Alex Hyndman (2009) *

Natasha Kaplinsky Natasha Margaret Kaplinsky (born 9 September 1972)The Donor, News and information for blood donors, Winter 2009, National Blood Service, England, page 55 is an English newsreader, TV presenter and journalist, best known for her roles as a st ...

(2011–2013) *

(1972–1976) *

Daisy McAndrew Daisy Candida McAndrew (née Sampson; born 20 May 1972 in Hampstead, London) is an English journalist. Education McAndrew was educated at Wycombe Abbey School, an independent school for girls in High Wycombe and then at the Cambridge Centre for ...

(2006–2011) * Lucy Meacock (2007–2009) *

(1993–1999) * Mary Nightingale (2000–2002, 2009–2015) * Nicholas Owen (1992–2007) * Leonard Parkin (1976–1987) * Sonia Ruseler (1992–1994) * Steve Scott (2005–2015) * Ranvir Singh (2014–2020) * Peter Sissons (1976–1983) * Jon Snow (1987–1988) * Julia Somerville (1987–2000) *

(1983–1987, 2005–2020) * John Suchet (1989–2004) * Kirsty Young (2000–2001)

References

External links

* {{ITV News 1972 British television series debuts 1970s British television series 1980s British television series 1990s British television series 2000s British television series 2010s British television series 2020s British television series ITN ITV news shows