The BBC has announced that Gordon Burns will be standing down from BBC North West Tonight at the end of September 2011, after almost 15 years of presenting the programme.
He will continue to work with the BBC presenting a new radio show on Radio Manchester and Radio Lancashire, on Sunday mornings from September.
On his departure, Burns said: “It will be a great wrench to leave the programme I have been proud to present for nearly a decade and a half. I’ve enjoyed it enormously and I regard it as a real privilege to have been in the homes of people across the North West for so many years delivering the news to them. I have enjoyed a great relationship with the North West Tonight audience and I think I’ll miss that most of all.
“I’m pleased that I won’t be missing out on the excitement of the big move [to the new MediaCity in Salford] as I’ll be heading over there with my brand new show on Radio Manchester and Radio Lancashire. But for the next six months I will continue to concentrate on co-presenting North West Tonight with all the enthusiasm and dedication I can muster in the constant bid to produce programmes of the very highest standard.”
Born in Belfast in 1948, he went on to quench his thirst for sport and sports news by working on the BBC’s long running radio programme Sports Report before joining Ulster Television as a sports editor and programme producer in 1967. Whilst at UTV, he presented the channel’s news programme, UTV Report before crossing the Irish sea to front Granada TV’s nightly news programme, Granada Reports.
As well as presenting BBC North West Tonight since 1997, he is also very well known across the country for presenting The Krypton Factor, a prime time ITV show for almost 20 years which first hit the airwaves in 1977, attracting audiences over 15 million in number. Gordon not only presented the show but he wrote all the scripts for the programme and also helped devise many of the mentally challenging rounds. He has lived in Manchester for 30 and is married with two grown-up children and two grandchildren.
A decision is yet to be made on a successor to Gordon Burns. Ranvir Singh will continue to co-present North West Tonight when the programme moves to the new MediaCityUK development in Salford Quays.
BBC North West Tonight’s 6.30pm programme has a current weekly audience of 1.5 million, over half a million more than that of ITV rivals Granada Reports at 6pm, with 990,000.
12 comments on “Gordon Burns to leave North West Tonight”
have only just heard that gordon Burns will be leaving bbc north west tonight. Am really sad to hear this news – Gordon is a true professional and will be greatly missed.
on 19th July 2011
Thank goodness Gordon Burns is leaving North West Tonight. He is so biased towards those who do wrong and tonight we’ve heard him say that the looters, “have a right…” to have a long period to “…prepare themselves for trial.” It’s attitudes like this that allow the wrong-doers to carry on persecuting the decent folks in society.
on 16th August 2011
His performance on the last two nights in attempting to imply that the legal profession and the Courts are overeacting to the riots , looting,and sheer criminality tells me that it is just as well that he is leaving.The Courts have responded to a national crisis admirably., as have the Police, public and everyone else.
I have always liked this man, but I think his decision to leave is very wise.
on 16th August 2011
I hope it was his decision to move, he is a very popular and likeable man.
on 26th September 2011
To be fair guys, I think you might be mistaking Gordon’s comments. He’s a journalist and as such will be putting views across that aren’t necassarilly his own views but potentially the views of people sat at home. Isn’t that the point of a journalist in such circumstances? i.e to put across views that maybe those at home want expressing of for the person being interviewed to respond to. I’m sure you will find this will have been the case………..almost devils advocate.
Did you expect him to just give the person he was interviewing a pat on the back as that is not what journalism is about……………..and this comes from someone who has no relation to journalism at all.
on 27th September 2011
We are really sad to see Gordon burns leaving north west tonight ,we will really miss him ,we moved from Belfast 40 years ago and he always brought us a little bit of home ,but good luck Gordon ,we will listen to you on radio all the best for your future Jim&Cath
on 28th September 2011
we thank gordon for his contributions and wish him well in his retirement. all the best gordon.
best regards
on 28th September 2011
Hello
Just heard the news that Gordon Burns is leaving north west tonight..really, really sad to hear it. I did not know him apart from watching him at six o’clock and it was always a welcome to see him. He is a true professional and I have never posted a comment like this before about anyone..so I truly do mean what I say. I worked abroad [Saudi Arabia] for a while and it was comforting to see and hear his voice on dvd broadcasts that were brought into the country by expats.
I wish you all the best and truly hope all will be well with you…I know your colleagues and friends will miss you and I am pleased to have seen you doing your magic! Thank you once again and you give journalism a good name!
Gerol Williams
on 29th September 2011
Wishing Gordon all the best – he made presenting the news look so easy – he is a true professional – will miss his raspy voice at 6:30pm. Cheers and thanks for your hard work.
on 30th September 2011
Bonjour Gordon,
Sorry to see you are leaving the programme, we have enjoyed your participation over the years. Good luck and don’t work too hard in your new job. We will miss you.
Au Revoir,
From all your fans in France.
on 30th September 2011
So very sad that Gordon is leaving. Think it wasn`t his choice, but as usual the BBC don`t listen to viewers but push ahead with their own agenda. He is excellent in his role as presenter, and makes a superb team with Ranvir; in fact, the whole team on North West Tonight has been a winning formula, very watchable, and I think the quality will suffer when Gordon has gone. Good luck, and all very best wishes to Gordon; will listen to him on Radio Man/Lancs on Sunday mornings. Well done, Gordon. Continue to sock it to `em on the radio. God bless you.
on 30th September 2011
Hi, of all places, on this day, 24/11/2011, I met the man himself in the most unusuall circumstances, told him I had watched his shows on the tv, asked him how he was and did he miss it, but didnt have time to tell him that that he would be sadly missed to a lot of viewers including myself, I shall have to catch him on the radio.
on 24th November 2011
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