Macca pays a touching tribute to his old school pal Peter Sissons
Icon who read the TV news on BBC, ITV and Channel 4 dies at 77
sir Paul McCartney last night paid a warm tribute to his old school mate Peter sissons, the former newsreader and Question Time host who has died at the age of 77.
Mr sissons was also hailed as ‘one of the great television figures of his time’ by the BBC director-general yesterday.
Born in Liverpool, he went to junior school with another future Beatle, John Lennon, and also comedian Jimmy Tarbuck, before winning a place at grammar school.
There he got to know both the late George Harrison and sir Paul, who said in a touching statement last night: ‘Dear Peter, my old school mate from the Liverpool institute (now LiPA), has passed away. it’s so sad to hear the news.
‘We were in the same year and stayed in touch as time went by and we both followed our separate careers.
‘He was a talented news presenter with a great sense of humour. i will miss him but always have fond memories of the time we spent together. My sympathies go out to his family and i send my love to them all.’
Mr sissons’ agent revealed yesterday that he had died at Maidstone Hospital in Kent on Tuesday night with his wife and their three children at his side. in a broadcasting career spanning more than 40 years he read the news on the BBC, iTV and Channel 4, was shot in the legs and was the subject of an iranian fatwa which led to 24-hour police protection for his family.
He also faced major controversy in 2002 when he wore a purple tie to announce the Queen Mother’s death on the Nine O’Clock News instead of the customary black.
BBC director-general Lord Hall said yesterday: ‘Peter sissons was one of the great television figures of his time – as an interviewer, presenter and world-class journalist.
‘ During his distinguished career he was one of the most recognisable and well-respected faces of television news.’ Former prime minister Tony Blair added: ‘Peter sissons was a journalist of exceptional talent, commitment and integrity.
‘He was fearless but objective, always on top of his subject and an immensely likeable personality.’
Channel 4 News anchor Jon snow said the team there were ‘deeply sorry’ to hear of the death. ‘He launched our programme in 1982 and was integral to its development’ he added. ‘He was a consummate journalist, he showed real courage under fire and was indeed shot in both legs in Biafra.
‘it was he who set the tone and the high journalistic standards that the programme seeks to emulate to this day.’
On leaving school, Mr sissons studied philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University, but returned to his home city in the summer holidays to work as a bus conductor – an experience he later said was good preparation for handling difficult interviewees.
He got a first taste of journalism writing football reports for the student paper, then joined iTN after graduating in 1964.
He was lucky to survive after being shot while covering the Biafran War in Nigeria in 1968, and a year later he was appointed iTN’s news editor, then industrial correspondent, then industrial editor.
His first role as a news anchor was on iTN’s News At One in 1976. Then when Channel 4 was launched in 1982, he became its first nightly news presenter. During his time there Channel 4 News won three consecutive Bafta Awards.
After a combative interview with the iranian ambassador – about the fatwa placed on author salman rushdie over his novel The satanic Verses – he was warned by the security services that his life could be in danger and his family were given 24-hour protection.
in 1989 he joined the BBC as host of Question Time and joint presenter of the six O’Clock News. He moved to the Nine O’Clock News in 1994 then to the less prominent BBC News 24 in 2003.
He said at the time: ‘Ageism is still the BBC’s blind spot. Yet it is blindingly obvious that maturity goes with grey hairs.’
He retired from broadcasting in 2009 as one of Britain’s longest-serving news presenters and two years later published an autobiography in which he accused the BBC of having a left-wing bias.
He later sat on the Hillsborough independent Panel, which in 2012 published a damning report about the 1989 football stadium disaster that killed 96 Liverpool fans.
He married wife sylvia, a teacher, in 1965, after they met as teenagers at a youth club. Their three children are Michael, Jonathan and Kate.
‘He was shot in both legs’