Look who’s being lined up as new Jackie..
Beeb’s all-female shortlist to replace Reporting Scotland star
BBC bosses have drawn up an all-female shortlist to decide who will anchor its flagship tea-time news programme, the Record understands. It follows the shock departure of Reporting Scotland stalwart Jackie Bird after 30 years in the hotseat. There’s no place on the shortlist for veterans Sally Magnusson or Sally McNair. Instead, bosses in Glasgow have opted for a younger crop of journalists to make up the final four. Other omissions are gaelic-speaking news bulletin and weather map host Anne Lundon, and David Henderson, who is a regular in the hotseat. Catriona Shearer, who has been anchoring the show since Bird’s departure, Laura Miller, a host on BBC Scotland’s the Nine, Laura Goodwin, the Nine’s innovation correspondent, and Amy Irons, another face from the Nine, have made the cut for the final four, say insiders. It is claimed that Bird, who remains a key figure at the BBC’s Pacific Quay HQ in Glasgow, sees Irons as her perfect successor. And in another twist, Reporting Scotland production staff are said to favour anyone who is not from the Nine. Senior figures at the channel are thought to back ex-STV newsreader Miller. A source said: “The shock is that Jackie Bird is said to favour Amy Irons. “That’s a bit left field. She is a talent but
new to the scene. Catriona Shearer has been in the hotseat since April but is obviously not a shoe-in.
“Jackie Bird left the show at short notice. And, rather than give the nod to someone else to take over in typical BBC fashion, the top brass have drawn up a list of candidates and then whittled them down to this shortlist.
“Most of the presenters will do their stint on Reporting Scotland but the hierarchy seem determined that there will be one named anchor who will be the choice to front the show under normal circumstances.
“Laura Miller is the favoured choice among the bosses but it is known that Reporting Scotland people can’t stand anyone who’s been at the Nine – which must be some sort of record since it has only been going for a few months.”
Bird left in April in what was a surprisingly low-key exit given her length of service in the role.
She plans to concentrate on other journalistic projects at the broadcaster.
Her popularity among viewers was underlined in June when she was honoured with an award at the Daily Record & Sunday Mail’s Scotland’s Champion event in Glasgow.
Bird had been hosting the event with Record columnist Des Clarke when she was surprised by the gong.
The source added: “It must be the only job in TV where the final shortlist is all -female. So you have to give them that.”
Reporting Scotland has been going for 51 years, anchored from Glasgow.
Previous presenters include Alan Douglas, Viv Lumsden, Eddie Mair and 70s icon Mary Marquis.
A BBC spokesperson said yesterday: “We’re still going through the process of appointing a replacement.”