Geeta Guru-Murthy is a British television journalist. Since 2013, she has presented mainly morning bulletins, including BBC News at Nine, and bulletins on BBC World News, BBC Two, BBC News Channel and BBC World News.

Geeta Guru-Murthy
Born
Geeta Guru-Murthy

Liverpool, England
OccupationJournalist
Spouse
(m. 2002)
[1]
Children2[2]
RelativesKrishnan Guru-Murthy[1] (brother)

Early life

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Guru-Murthy was born in Liverpool, and grew up in West Bradford, Lancashire close to where her father worked as a radiologist in the local hospitals at Burnley and Blackburn.[3][4] She was involved with orchestras, theatres and choirs before going on to study biochemistry, and later changing careers.[3]

Career

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Guru-Murthy was a reporter for the BBC's regional news programme, BBC Look North (Yorkshire and North Midlands), before moving to 5 News.[5] In January 1998, Guru-Murthy covered the breaking of the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal from Champaign, Illinois for 5 News.[6] By 2002, Guru-Murthy was hosting Asia Today, with regular work for BBC World, BBC News 24, and BBC Breakfast,[3] and by 2005 presenting the news on BBC Radio 4.[1] In 2002, Guru-Murthy appeared in the television series Waking the Dead.

In 2017, Guru-Murthy was one of several female BBC employees campaigning against the gender pay gap.[7]

On 2 February 2023 it was confirmed that Guru-Murthy, along with many other presenters of the domestic BBC News Channel, would lose their presenting roles as part of the BBC's relaunched news channel.[8] In January 2024, it was announced she would rejoin the channel as a chief presenter.[9]

In May 2024, she was accused of violating BBC impartiality rules by characterising Nigel Farage's remarks as "customary inflammatory language". She subsequently issued an apology for failing to meet BBC standards for impartiality.[10]

Personal life

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Guru-Murthy married speech-writer and journalist Philip Collins in June 2002, taking a honeymoon in India.[3][11] Her younger brother, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, is also a journalist and broadcaster for Channel 4 News.[1][12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Mendick, Robert (13 May 2005). "Go on, teach the f***er a lesson". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 20 December 2018. Speech writer and strategy adviser Philip Collins, 36, … married to a rising star of BBC news … Geeta Guru-Murthy, who presents news bulletins on BBC World, BBC News 24 and on Radio 4, and is the sister of Krishnan Guru-Murthy, … The couple have one child.
  2. ^ "Phillip Collins". Middlesex University. 29 March 2016. couple have two sons and live in London.
  3. ^ a b c d Walia, Nona (9 June 2002). "The World according to …". The Times of India. in the newsroom on September 11, that event was a turning point, Born in Liverpool, UK, … grew up in Lancashire. … a lot of theatre, played for orchestras and sang in choirs. … studied biochemistry, but changed … , … married … India on honeymoon,
  4. ^ Graham, Natalie (5 January 2003). "Fame & Fortune: TV newsman reports to his mother". grew up with his sister, Geeta, and brother, Ravi, in Lancashire.
  5. ^ @krishgm (5 February 2019). "Yes then she became a correspondent for Five News then BBC News" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ Sissons, Helen (2006). Waiting to Broadcast. Media, Communication and Culture Series. SAGE Publishing. p. 113. ISBN 9780761949268. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  7. ^ Press Association (22 July 2017). "Female BBC stars urge corporation to 'act now' on pay and gender". The Guardian.
  8. ^ "BBC Cuts 10 Top Presenter Jobs Ahead Of News Channel Merger". Deadline Hollywood. 2 February 2023. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Annita McVeigh, Ben Brown and Geeta Guru-Murthy appointed as chief presenters for BBC News Channel". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  10. ^ "BBC apologises to Nigel Farage after broadcaster slams his 'inflammatory language'". The Independent. 28 May 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  11. ^ Collins, Philip James. Who's Who (UK). doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U10000037. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 20 December 2018. m 2002, Geeta Guru-Murthy
  12. ^ Greenstreet, Rosanna (7 July 2001). "My childhood home: Krishnan Guru-Murthy". The Daily Telegraph. village called West Bradford, just outside Clitheroe in Lancashire. In 1974, … detached house on a new housing estate … me and my older sister, Geeta; and when I was seven, my little brother Ravi arrived. Dad's a doctor and was a consultant radiologist in Blackburn and Burnley, both about 12 miles away.
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