Calendar presenter announces departure
A POPULAR ITV Calendar presenter has left the news programme after nearly two decades.
ITV Calendar’s Duncan Wood has been a stalwart of the programme for 19 years, but last night said farewell to viewers in a recorded message. The presenter has been away from work in recent months due to health issues.
Duncan said: “It’s been an incredible honour and privilege to be allowed into the front rooms of millions of homes across the region for almost two decades, building up a relationship with ITV Calendar’s wonderful viewers, and telling their amazing stories.
“I’ve been fortunate to make many lifelong friends through the programme and to have worked with some exceptionally talented people both on and off screen.
“But after a lot of thought I’ve decided the time is right for me to start the next chapter of my life and see what’s round the next corner.”
Duncan joined ITV Calendar in 2003, presenting alongside Christine Talbot at Television Centre in Leeds.
The duo had the longest onscreen partnership in ITV News until her departure last year.
Previous roles he had held included sports presenter at ITV Tyne Tees, seven years as North of England correspondent and standin presenter at GMTV and at the start of his journalism career as a reporter at the Sunderland Echo, where his dad was the managing director.
ITV Calendar’s Head of News, Mark Hayman, said: “Duncan has made a huge contribution to television in the region, covering the biggest stories of the last two decades.
“In addition to telling the day’s news, his sense of fun and on-screen relationship with weather presenter Jon Mitchell have established him as a favourite with viewers.
“We are very sad that he has decided that it’s time to leave us and we wish him the very best of luck in the future.”
During his time at ITV Calendar, Duncan has reported from Dubai, to cover the Bollywood Oscars, and reported three times from the Greek island of Kos to cover the unsolved disappearance of Sheffield toddler Ben Needham.
“If I had one wish for any family I’ve met during my time at Calendar it would be for Ben’s mother Kerry, her parents and her daughter to get the answers they deserve,” he said.
The presenter, who has spent 32 years at ITV and enjoys sport, particularly golf, also picked interviewing Sheffield golfer Danny Willett after he won the Masters at Augusta in 2016 as one of his most treasured interviews.
As well as ITV Calendar, Duncan Wood hosted his own show, Wood You Believe It, and interviewed star names such as former chat show host Michael Parkinson for ITV Yorkshire’s One to One series.
He has received recognition too by the Royal Television Society, O2 Awards, Yorkshire Choice Awards and Yorkshire Society, who named him Media Personality of the Year in 2017.