‘Angry Anna’ was a female first for ITN
As she looked forward to a new career as the first female newsreader on the station, on February 13, 1978, the BBC argued she had breached her contract with them, and so they were launching legal action.
Born in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, in 1943, Anna had to obtain security clearance from MI5 before beginning employment with the BBC as she was living with a former Communist.
She then worked on Man Alive and Tomorrow’s World before the opportunity arrived for her to “change sides”.
Although Anna still had 10 months left on her BBC contract, the company decided to release her from it and dropped their legal proceedings.
A spokesperson said: “We are sorry to lose her, but we will do nothing to stop her.”
She would certainly have been pleased to be receiving a £4000 pay rise from the £10,000 salary she had been earning.
“I have never been averse to working with ladies,” said ITN newsreader Reginald Bosanquet on Anna’s appointment.
“But I judge my colleagues on professionalism. I do not know Anna, but I have heard that she is a very competent and professional lady.”
Anna was to find herself in direct competition with Angela Rippon, who was presenting the news on the BBC, having become the first female presenter there in 1975.
Within two months, Anna began presenting News At Ten.
Although her ITN career initially went from strength to strength, she would eventually return to the BBC in 1986 after being sacked.
This was due to the fact she was leaving ITN to join Tv-am. Her bosses had seen her in the role of anchor and when they discovered she was planning to leave, accused her of being disloyal and dishonest.
Anna later threw some wine over Jonathan Aitken, disgusted at his involvement in her sacking – this would lead to her being labelled “Angry Anna”.
Anna, who was at one point engaged to her former ITN colleague Jon Snow, married magazine editor Mark Boxer, who passed away as the result of a brain tumour, in 1988.
She has interviewed presidents and prime ministers, but even Anna wasn’t immune to the BBC ageism controversy, when in 2006, she retired.
“I don’t think the people you see on our screens reflect the people out there and I’m sure the public would like that – people with character, with lines on their faces, people who have had experiences of life,” she said as she bid farewell.