Roger Johnson (born 1969) is an English television journalist, newsreader and presenter, currently working as the main presenter for the regional news programme ''

BBC North West Tonight ''BBC North West Tonight'' (known as ''BBC North West Today'' during daytime) is the BBC's regional television news programme covering North West England and the Isle of Man. Produced by BBC North West, the programme broadcasts from the BBC's ...

'', as well as a regular weekend presenter of ''

BBC Breakfast ''BBC Breakfast'' is a British television breakfast news programme, produced by BBC News and broadcast on BBC One every morning from 6:00am. It is also broadcast on the UK feed of BBC News channel on weekends. The simulcast is presented live, ...

'' and other national

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 ...

platforms.

Early life

Johnson was born in the former mining village of Chesterton, in

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

in 1969, and grew up in the

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

Newcastle-under-Lyme Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. It is adjacent to the city of Stoke-on-Trent. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the population ...

(also in Staffordshire). He is the son of

BBC Radio Stoke BBC Radio Stoke is the BBC's local radio station serving Staffordshire and South Cheshire. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, Freeview and via BBC Sounds from studios in the Hanley area of Stoke-on-Trent. According to RAJAR, the station has a week ...

commentator Nigel Johnson.

Education

Johnson was educated at Newcastle-under-Lyme School, an

independent school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...

in his hometown, followed by the

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham (founded in 1825 as ...

and the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

Life and career

Johnson joined the BBC after university – working as a reporter at BBC Radio Solent and

BBC Radio Manchester BBC Radio Manchester is the BBC's local radio station serving Greater Manchester. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of ...

. His first television role dating back to 1997 was as a sports journalist on

BBC South BBC South is the BBC English Region serving Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset, West Sussex, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and parts of Gloucestershire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Surrey, and Wiltshire, with geographic coverage varying between ...

's news programme ''

South Today ''BBC South Today'' is the BBC's regional television news service for the south of England, covering Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, West Sussex, much of Dorset and parts of Surrey and Wiltshire. The service is produced and bro ...

''. During this time he was also the relief presenter for Sally Taylor and worked for several other

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...

outlets. He was named

Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

Regional Sports Presenter of the Year in 2002 and has been nominated on three other occasions. He left BBC South in September 2011 after 14 years to replace Gordon Burns as the main anchor on ''

North West Tonight ''BBC North West Tonight'' (known as ''BBC North West Today'' during daytime) is the BBC's regional television news programme covering North West England and the Isle of Man. Produced by BBC North West, the programme broadcasts from the BBC's ...

'', originally alongside Ranvir Singh and then Annabel Tiffin. Since 2020, the programme has had a single presenter as part of savings made across BBC regional news, with Johnson covering Mon-Thurs. In April 2014, Johnson anchored coverage of the 25th Anniversary Service for the

Hillsborough Disaster The Hillsborough disaster was a fatal crowd crush at a football match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989. It occurred during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the tw ...

. The programme was named Best Regional News Programme at the Royal Television Society North West Awards. Johnson and the BBC team won the award again in 2015 for a compilation entry. The programme also won the award in 2017 for a compilation of coverage on the

Manchester Arena Bombing The Manchester Arena bombing, or Manchester Arena attack, was an Islamic terrorism in Europe, Islamic terrorist suicide bombing of Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, on 22 May 2017, following Dangerous Woman Tour, a concert by the Americ ...

, in which Johnson played a leading role. It won the same award in 2024.

, presented by Johnson, was nominated for a

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

TV Award for News Coverage in 2014 and again in 2017. He was nominated as Nations & Regions Presenter of the Year at the Royal Television Society Journalism Awards in 2018 and 2019 and was winner of the Broadcast Presenter Award at the O2 Media Awards NW in 2018. Johnson was named Best Presenter at the Royal Television Society NW Awards in 2023. From 2009 to 2011, he was a regular relief presenter on the

BBC News Channel The BBC News channel is a British free-to-air public broadcast television news channel owned and operated by the BBC. The channel is based at and broadcasts from Broadcasting House in the West End of London from which it is anchored during ...

, presenting a variety of shifts during the week and at weekends. He broke the news of the death of singer

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman. With over 30 million records sold worldwide, she was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix ...

. He also presented

BBC World BBC News is an international English-language pay television channel owned by BBC Global News Ltd. – a subsidiary of BBC Studios – and operated by the BBC News division of the BBC. The network carries news bulletins, documentaries, an ...

simulcasts on the Norwegian shootings by

Anders Behring Breivik Anders Behring Breivik (; born 13 February 1979), officially named Fjotolf Hansen from 2017 to 2025, and Far Skaldigrimmr Rauskjoldr av Northriki since March 2025, is a Norwegian neo-Nazi terrorist and mass murderer. He carried out the 2011 No ...

and the start of western bombing operations in Libya in 2011. Johnson has also been a regular reporter on the BBC's ''

Match of the Day ''Match of the Day'' (abbreviated to ''MOTD'') is a Association football, football highlights programme, typically broadcast on BBC One on Saturday nights during the Premier League season. ''Match of the Day'' is one of the BBC's longest-runn ...

'' and '' Final Score'' programmes. He was part of the ''

'' reporting team at the

2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

and is, possibly, the only person to have read the

and commentated on ''Match of the Day'' on the same day. Since 2012, he has been a regular presenter of ''

'' on Sundays. He has also presented Saturday, weekday and Bank Holiday editions of the programme. Johnson is a patron of Willowbrook Hospice in

Prescot Prescot is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. It lies about to the east of Liverpool city centre. At the 2001 Census, the civil parish population was 11,184 (5,265 males, 5,919 femal ...

on Merseyside, England. He was also a patron of

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

charity the Rose Road Association's 'Change My Life' appeal and was a supporter of Naomi House Children's Hospice, for whom he hosted a range of fund-raising events. He has also anchored the BBC's regional

Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...

coverage (south or north west) since 1998.

References

External links

Current profile as anchorman of BBC's North West Tonight news bulletin programme.

BBC – South Today – Presenters – Archived Profile.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Roger BBC newsreaders and journalists BBC North West newsreaders and journalists Living people Mass media people from Staffordshire People educated at Newcastle-under-Lyme School 1969 births People from Chesterton, Staffordshire