- Steve Scott
From Bristol, to the war zones of Bosnia, the madness of the Congo and back to Bristol again via Johannesburg, Washington, Sydney, London and Bangkok. Wherever Steve’s career has taken him he’s always gravitated back to the West Country.
As a correspondent and presenter Steve has covered some of the biggest stories of the past 15 or so years – the Dunblane school massacre, the Fred and Rose West murders, the siege of Sarajevo, Diana’s death, and the Asian Tsunami.
His most professionally challenging story was anchoring 9 hours of live, continuous news coverage on ITV1, the day the London suicide bombers struck. His most thrilling moment was meeting and interviewing Nelson Mandela.
Apart from presenting The West Country Tonight, Steve also anchors ITV’s network bulletins and fronts the ITV series Nightwatch.
- Lisa Aziz
Lisa was born in Totnes to a Dartmouth mother (who had worked in the local potteries) and a seafaring father (a Pakistan Navy officer who did his cadetship at Britannia Royal Naval College). She was brought up first in Karachi in West Pakistan, then in Chittagong in the East (now Bangladesh). A few years later…it was back to Britain and the life of a ‘forces’ kid, a succession of ‘base’ schools around the country.
1984 brought Lisa back to the south west as a BBC graduate trainee at Points West in Bristol. A couple of years later she was poached by HTV West. Lisa said; “It was a joy to work with the great Bruce Hockin and scoop exclusives with people like Sir Paul McCartney and his late wife, Linda.”
In 1987 she became senior reporter at TV-AM and then the main newsreader. One of her first bulletins included live coverage of Nelson Mandela leaving prison. Lisa then joined Sky News where she was main anchor for 13 years.
She said; “It was a privilege to be part of a multi-award winning team. It culminated in a posting to Saudi Arabia to cover the threat of home grown terrorism post 9/11, during the Hajj pilgrimage. Life in Jeddah and Mecca was certainly different for a female reporter.”
In 2005 Lisa was asked to return to her ITV roots and is now main presenter alongside Steve Scott of The West Country Tonight.
- Peter Rowell
Peter presents the early news bulletins into GMTV which includes up to the minute travel information & weather. He also fronts other bulletins throughout the day including The West Country Today Lunchtime News.
Having been on screen in the region for more 16 years, Peter is one of our most recognisable faces.
As well as the news, Peter has presented lots of our other regional programmes including the weekly magazine programme BLT, the weekly news review programme Newsweek, our Britain On The Move campaigns encouraging viewers to get fitter and healthier though walking and he is the face for this year’s People’s Millions.
Peter is out all over the region attending many events throughout the year and supports many local charities. He is an Ambassador for the Prince’s Trust and St Peter’s Hospice. He is patron of, the 2 Bridges Drug and Alcohol Trust, the National Animal Support League, West Wiltshire Show and KWADS (Knowle West Against Drugs).
Peter is a huge movie buff and is a voting member of BAFTA.
- Alex Beresford
Alex joined the team in August 2004 originally as an Autocue Operator for the ‘6’ ‘O’ Clock News, before training to join the regional weather team. He’s gone from strength to strength. “When we had the Floods in July 2007 and the snow in February 2009 we worked round the clock to keep on top of the developments fuelled on by adrenaline and excitement”. He can also be seen presenting the ITV National Weather in London; which he says is a real honour. “It’s great being called upon and I’m really thankful for the opportunity to work with the network team as well. It’s like playing for your favourite club and then being picked for England”. Alex was also picked as one of 20 Black National Role Models by the Government to work with young Black boys and young Black men to encourage and raise aspirations.
- Bob Crampton
It never rains but it pours. Since Bob took over the weather presenting job three years ago, that’s what seems to have happened! Until then it was Sunny…
He was born in South Africa, but his parents returned to the UK when he had grown out of short trousers and the family settled in Plymouth.
Bob’s father worked as a regional news anchorman for the BBC, so despite the warnings it was natural for him to go into the business.
He started at The North Devon Journal in Barnstaple, then a spell reporting back in South Africa on the Soweto riots, before returning to Westward Television and later Television South West. Then it was on the A38 to Bristol and HTV West. In 26 years only sweeping the floor has eluded him. He’s worked as a news reporter, a presenter, a producer and even directed the evening news.
Memories so far? Coming face to face with the Taliban in Afghanistan after the Russian occupiers left; seeing Fred and Rosemary West's faces in court when they first faced mass murder charges in court; reporting on the Penlee lifeboat disaster, and presenting the weather forecast live dressed in knight's armour on St George's Day.
- Matthias Kurth
Matthias started working for ITV News as a member of the award-winning trainee scheme in 2005. That provided the springboard to further his career in regional news with ITV Border, where he reported and presented both news and sport.
Sport is his passion. “It’s what makes me tick. The first thing I did once I could walk was to kick a ball. Now I’m lucky enough to watch and comment on sport for a living.”
Matthias had a colourful upbringing. Born in Germany, his formative years were spent travelling the world and following in the footsteps of his father, a television cameraman. He was schooled in Edinburgh, attended the University of St Andrews and trained as a journalist in Nottingham.
The opportunity to work for the network came along quicker than Matthias expected. He produced and reported the national and international sports news but the chance to move to the south west was too great to turn down.
- Simon Clemison
Simon Clemison regularly presents The West Country Tonight. He is also the programme’s Political Correspondent. The award-winning journalist joined the new service when it launched in 2009. He was previously a presenter for ITV Meridian and its Political Editor. Simon joined the ITV regions from ITN where he was a reporter and presenter for Five News. In 2008 he won the RTS award for Best Regional TV Journalist and was nominated again in 2009.
Simon began his television career in Jersey as a reporter and quickly rose to become the main anchor in the Channel Islands before moving back to London to join national news. During his twelve-year career, he has covered the outbreak of war in Iraq and was live on the scene of the terror attacks in London. While he thrives on the excitement of breaking news, Simon says he is never happier than when he’s delivering stories that really matter to the place he now calls home.