Anna Foster (born 1979) is an English news reporter and presenter. She presented BBC Radio 5 Live's Drive programme until 2021 and currently presents the News at One and is the BBC's Middle East correspondent in Beirut.
Early life and education
The daughter of an engineer father and a mother who worked as a nurse, she and her brother were born in South Shields.[1][dead link] Educated in South Shields, she attended South Tyneside College for A-levels, and went on to study Shipping Management at Collingwood College at Durham University, where she worked on student radio. She then undertook a postgraduate certificate in journalism at City University London.[1]
Career
She joined BBC Radio Cleveland as a reporter for three years, before becoming a news presenter, and then presenting the drive-time show. She then joined BBC Radio 5 Live as a regional North East reporter, before relocating to London to present Newsbeat.
Foster joined the BBC Radio 5 Live Weekend Breakfast show on 23 April 2011, replacing Rachel Burden who moved to the weekday 5 Live Breakfast team alongside Nicky Campbell on 3 May.[2]
On 14 November 2012, Foster became the Wednesday-to-Friday co-presenter of 5 Live Drive (4–7 pm) alongside Peter Allen; Louise Minchin was the Monday and Tuesday co-host. Foster subsequently became the permanent co-host, alongside Tony Livesey who replaced Allen in October 2014.
Foster left Drive on 12 August 2021 to take up a new role as BBC Middle East correspondent in Beirut.[3][4]
In May 2024, the BBC announced that Foster was one of six well-known BBC presenters to start presenting the BBC News at One from its new home at Salford studios at the beginning of June 2024.[5]
In March 2025, Foster was announced to become one of five presenters of BBC Radio 4's Today programme, replacing Mishal Husain. [6]
Personal life
She married fellow radio presenter John Foster in October 2009 at Crathorne Hall near Yarm, North Yorkshire;[1] they have a son and a daughter.[7]
References
- ^ a b c Administrator, journallive. "Interview: Anna Foster, breakfast show presenter on Radio Five Live". www.thejournal.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014.
- ^ "Anna Foster joins 5 Live Weekend Breakfast" (Press release). BBC. 13 April 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ "Anna Foster announces departure from BBC Radio 5 Live". RadioToday. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ^ "BBC Radio 5 Live". Twitter. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ^ "BBC News at One to start broadcasting from Salford on Monday 3 June". BBC Media Centre. 30 May 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Anna Foster replaces Mishal Husain on BBC Radio 4's Today programme". BBC. 10 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ Roberts, Genevieve (29 July 2016). "Anna Foster hopes to help other mothers with the loneliness of pregnancy and miscarriage". The i Paper. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
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