Joanne Dawn Coburn(born 12 November 1967) is a British journalist withBBC News,a regular presenter ofPolitics Live(and formerly alsoSunday Politicsalong withAndrew Neil) and previously had special responsibility forBBC Breakfast.She is a former BBC political correspondent for London, who covered the2000 London Mayoral election.
Jo Coburn | |
|---|---|
 Coburn at the 2024 Chiswick Book Festival | |
| Born | Joanne Dawn Coburn 12 November 1967 Hendon,London, England |
| Education | North London Collegiate School for Girls |
| Alma mater | University of Manchester University of Oxford |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist,presenter,political correspondent |
| Notable credit(s) | BBC London BBC Breakfast BBC News Channel The World This Weekend Daily Politics |
| Spouse |
Mark Flanagan (m.1998) |
| Children | 2 |
Coburn is an occasional relief presenter on theBBC News Channel.She has presented onBBC Radio 4in the past and also has guested on the weekend current affairs programmeThe World This Weekendas well as reviewing the Sunday newspapers onThe Andrew Marr Show.
Early life and education
editCoburn was educated at theNorth London Collegiate School,[1]an independent school for girls in northwest London, followed by theUniversity of Manchester,where she studied History and German, and theUniversity of Oxford,where she studied Middle Eastern politics.[2]
Career
editCoburn worked for local radio stations in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire,[3]includingMix 96Aylesbury,Fox FMOxford,andStar FMinSlough.
After working as a regional correspondent forBBC Londonfor four years, Coburn joinedBBC Breakfastin 2001 as a political correspondent. She had first come to prominence when she covered events surrounding the2000 London Mayoral election,and she went on to cover the2001 general election.During her time at BBC Breakfast she covered events surrounding theWar in Afghanistanand theIraq War,and returned from maternity leave in 2005 to report onthat year's general election.
She spent some time presenting on theBBC News Channel,and three months as presenter ofBBC Radio 4's political events programmeThe World This Weekend.She also covered the2007 French presidential electionand theTreaty of Lisbonratification process. In 2008, she was part of the press pack during British prime ministerGordon Brown's visits to both Afghanistan and to Beijing for the closing days of the2008 Summer Olympic Games.[4]
Aside from presentingDaily Politics,Coburn is often used by theBBCfor more general debates and interviews. In the2015 general election,Coburn presented a live audienceQuestion Time-style debate with the thenUKIPleader,Nigel Farage,inBirmingham.[5]On 9 January 2017, Coburn presented a live audience debate with a distinguished panel inEast Grinsteadabout the continuedSouthern Railstrikes, entitled Southern Rail Crisis.[6]In the2017 general election,Coburn presented a similar live audience debate with theGreen Partyco-leader,Jonathan Bartley,and the thenUKIPleader,Paul Nuttall,fromThe Bottle Yard Studios,Bristol.[7]
Daily PoliticsandPolitics Live
editCoburn joinedBBC Two's weekday political programmeDaily Politicsin 2008, presenting the show alongsideAndrew Neilon Thursdays. From January 2010, she took overAnita Anand's role, presenting four days a week while Anand was away on maternity leave.[8]Anand returned to the show in September 2010, meaning Coburn returned to presenting on the programme one day a week, this time on Fridays.
On 5 May 2010, Coburn joined Neil to present the finalDaily Politicselection debate,The Trust in Politics Debate,before the2010 general election.The debate featured contributions fromHarriet Harman,Sir George Young,Lynne FeatherstoneandAdam Price.
In July 2011, Anand left the programme to present a new show onBBC Radio 5 Liveresulting in Jo Coburn becoming a full-time co-presenter from September with Andrew Neil.[9]Coburn presented theDaily Politicson Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays and was joined byAndrew Neilon Wednesdays for coverage ofPrime Minister's Questions.In the programme, Neil often referred to her by the nickname "JoCo".
In 2018,Daily Politicswas renamedPolitics Livewith a refreshed format and a single lead presenter. From 2019 Andrew Neil presentsPolitics Liveonly on Thursday, with Jo Coburn presenting on the other weekdays.
Coburn also presented a companion show,Politics Europe,and the regional opt-out,Sunday Politics London.BothPolitics Europeand theDaily Politicswere axed in 2018, with the latter replaced byPolitics Live,which Coburn now presents, alongside the continuingSunday Politics London.
Personal life
editCoburn isJewishand is an active member ofEaling Liberal Synagogue.[10][11][12][13]She is married to former Downing Street head of strategic communications Mark Flanagan,[14]has two children and lives in London.[15][16]
References
edit- ^"Jo Coburn".North London Collegiate School.Retrieved13 June2018.[permanent dead link]
- ^"Jo Coburn".BBC Online.Retrieved8 May2021.
- ^Jo Coburn at BBC TeamArchived19 May 2012 at theWayback Machine.Retrieved 25 April 2014
- ^"Jo Coburn's Daily Politics profile".BBC. 4 September 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 22 March 2009.Retrieved8 January2010.
- ^Davies Boren, Zachary (18 April 2015)."General Election 2015: Nigel Farage to be quizzed by BBC audience after other leaders".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 21 October 2017.
- ^"BBC One – Southern Rail Crisis".BBC Programmes.Archivedfrom the original on 9 May 2017.
- ^"BBC Election Questions 2017: Bristol' – recorded at The Bottle Yard Studios".The Bottle Yard Studios.6 June 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 21 October 2017.
- ^"Changing faces at the Daily Politics".BBC. 17 December 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 29 April 2011.Retrieved8 January2010.
- ^"Anita Anand leaves BBC2's Daily Politics for 5 Live role".BBC News. 12 July 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 24 August 2011.Retrieved12 September2011.
- ^"British Jews, Right and Left, Archive on 4 – BBC Radio 4".BBC.
- ^Jane Harrison (26 September 2013)."Synagogue celebrates 70 years in Ealing".Getwestlondon.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 30 March 2017.
- ^"Shalom – Liberal Judaism – Ealing Liberal Synagogue"(PDF).Ealingliberalsynagogue.org.uk. September 2010.Archived(PDF)from the original on 21 October 2017.
- ^"New group welcomes women with Jewish connections".Chiswickw4.com. 12 June 2006.Archivedfrom the original on 18 October 2015.
- ^"Jo Coburn Biography".Biogs.com.Archivedfrom the original on 17 June 2017.Retrieved10 May2017.
- ^"Programmes | Jo Coburn".BBC News. 31 January 2002.Archivedfrom the original on 13 March 2012.Retrieved25 January2012.
- ^"Jo Coburn".BBC News.Archivedfrom the original on 22 March 2009.Retrieved25 January2012.
External links
edit- Jo Coburnat bbc.co.uk
- Jo CoburnatIMDb
- Q&A Jo Coburninterview at TV Newsroom