Kirsty Wark

Kirsty Wark is one of the UK’s most influential and trailblazing female political and cultural television presenters. She presented BBC’s for 30 years, stepping down after the 2024 General Election. Throughout her long tenure on the programme, she became renowned for holding politicians and public figures to account with her formidable interviewing skills.

She made her reputation as a journalist and producer at BBC Scotland, memorably reporting from the scene of the Lockerbie bombing, before joining BBC Two’s arts strand as a presenter. She moved on to in 1993. Alongside her political journalism, Kirsty consistently spanned both arts and current affairs, hosting for over a decade and presenting a wide range of BBC Arts series and documentaries.

Over the years, she has had memorable encounters with figures ranging from Margaret Thatcher to Madonna, and from Harold Pinter to Damien Hirst, as well as leading writers including Toni Morrison, Donna Tartt, and Philip Roth. She currently hosts Radio 4’s long-running flagship arts programme and the acclaimed series . She also continues to present arts programmes on television and radio, including cultural history series such as and .

Kirsty has won several major awards for her work, including BAFTA Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting, Journalist of the Year, and Best Television Presenter. In 2024, she was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTS Journalism Awards.