Andrew Peach is a news presenter on radio and event host in the United Kingdom. He presents programmes on BBC Radio 4 such as Pick of the Week (radio)[1] and the Six O'Clock News. On BBC World Service he hosts news programmes including Newshour, World Business Report and the Global News Podcast. He is the longest serving newsreader on BBC Radio 2.

Andrew Peach
Born
Alma materSt Edmund Hall, Oxford
Occupation(s)Broadcaster and Event host
Years active1992–present
Employer(s)BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service, BFBS, LBC News

Peach has been nominated for 18 Radio Academy Awards, winning gold at the Audio and Radio Industry Awards in 2021. The judges described him as “an assured host, balancing great seriousness and warmth and displaying a strong bond with the audience” and “empathetic and probing, formulating questions that are short, to the point and perfectly timed”.

Peach celebrated 30 years on BBC Radio on 10 October 2022.[2]

Life

Andrew Peach was born in Bloxwich and educated at Queen Mary's Grammar School in Walsall[3] and the University of Oxford.

Career

Peach had an early experience being on the radio when he won a competition on BBC Radio WM in 1989. His prize was to travel to Germany and compile reports about life in Bonn and Cologne. His career started at BBC Radio Oxford in 1991. He joined BBC Radio Berkshire in 1992 and presented Saturday Breakfast on both stations from October that year.[4]

Peach joined BBC Radio 2 in 1998. He was the regular news voice on The Chris Evans Show from 2005–9.

Peach hosted Sunday mornings on BBC Radio WM from 2008-2011.

He presented news and phone-in programmes on BBC Radio 5 Live from 2010-2012.[5]

Peach presented Saturday PM on BBC Radio 4 from 2014-2017.

As well as winning gold for Best Local Radio Show at the 2021 Audio and Radio Industry Awards, Peach was nominated as Best Speech Breakfast Presenter in the 2018 ARIAs and UK Speech Broadcaster of the Year in the 2010 Sony Radio Academy Awards.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

Peach's work was reviewed by The Guardian in April 2010.[13]

His interview with the Archbishop of Canterbury in November 2010 was widely reported.[14] In January 2014, his interview in which a UKIP Councillor blamed recent flooding on gay marriage made news around the world.[citation needed]

Major broadcasts have included the US Presidential Election from Washington, D.C. in November 2004, Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom in September 2010 and the Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey in April 2011.

Peach has presented BBC coverage of all UK General Elections since 2001 and hosted the results of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum on BBC World Service.

On 10 October 2017, Peach received an on-air message of congratulations from then Prime Minister Theresa May.[15]

Peach hosted the rolling BBC World Service coverage of the January 6 United States Capitol attack in 2021 and the Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II in September 2022.

On 1 December 2023, he announced he would be leaving BBC Radio Berkshire after 31 years.[16]

Peach currently reads the news on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 6 Music.[17] He also presents programmes such as the Midnight News, Shipping Forecast, the Six O'Clock News and Pick of the Week (radio)[18] on BBC Radio 4. On the BBC World Service, Peach hosts Newshour, World Business Report, Business Matters, BBC OS, BBC OS Conversations, the Global News Podcast, the Happy Pod, Newsday and The Newsroom. He is also a news presenter on BFBS and LBC News.

References

  1. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Pick of the Week, Andrew Peach". BBC. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Andrew Peach - 30 years of Peachy on BBC Radio Berkshire - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Andrew Peach". BBC Birmingham. 18 November 2009.
  4. ^ "Andrew Peach: 25 years on BBC Local Radio". RadioToday.uk. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  5. ^ "Radio 5 live Programmes – Stephen Nolan, 12/12/2010". BBC. 12 December 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  6. ^ "Winners – 2010 – Personality Awards – Speech Broadcaster of the Year". Sony Radio Academy Awards. Archived from the original on 14 September 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  7. ^ "Winners – 2010 – Programme Awards – Breakfast Show of the Year (under 10 million)". Sony Radio Academy Awards. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  8. ^ "Winners – 2010 – Programme Awards – Best News & Current Affairs Programme". Sony Radio Academy Awards. Archived from the original on 14 September 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  9. ^ "Winners – 2010 – Programme Awards – Best Community Programming". Sony Radio Academy Awards. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  10. ^ "Three Sony nominations for BBC Berkshire!". BBC Radio Berkshire. BBC. 8 April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  11. ^ "Sony Radio Awards: Nominations". BBC News. 19 March 2002. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  12. ^ "The Winners 2013: Breakfast Show of the Year (under 10 million)". Sony Radio Academy Awards. Archived from the original on 7 June 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  13. ^ Mahoney, Elisabeth (15 April 2010). "The Andrew Peach Show". The Guardian. London.
  14. ^ "Archbishop of Canterbury's warning over welfare changes". BBC News. 7 November 2010.
  15. ^ "BBC Radio Berkshire - Andrew Peach, "Congrats on 25 Years on BBC Radio Berkshire Peachy!" from the Prime Minister". BBC. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  16. ^ "Andrew Peach announces departure from BBC Radio Berkshire after 31 years". Radio Today. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  17. ^ Peach, Andrew (30 September 2024). "(1) Andrew Peach on X: "Happy birthday..." X. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  18. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Pick of the Week, Andrew Peach". BBC. Retrieved 16 November 2024.