BBC / ITN Television News - Christmas Day Duty Newscaster

I remember that years and years ago, Jan Leeming always appeared on BBC1 network news as the Duty Presenter on Christmas Day. When she left, it was Moira Stuart who did it for almost ten years in a row, until someone eventually decided that the Queen of BBC News deserved a day off like the rest of us.

In fact, it was probably on one of those last bulletins that Moira did on Christmas Day that we ever heard her say "thats the news tonight, Goodnight". (Just as an aside, Moira has ever since being either doing Breakfast os secondary co-presenter on Six/Nine etc so would never have been the one saying the farewells. (except for the short spell on the Six, when it was the co-presenter who led with the farewells....)

Anyway, back to the topic, now in the advent of rolling news and the like, it is very much business as usual, with the regular presenters still doing their shift on Christmas Day, just as if it were any other day. (This certainly happens on BBC World - not sure about N24).

However, who decides who is Duty Newscaster on BBC1 Network and ITN News? Do they drop names into a hat, and the unlucky one gets it, or are things such as family considerations and children taken into account? (I don't think it can be, because the last time I ever saw BBC1 network news in the UK on Christmas Day, it was Father of twenty-five Huw Edwards who was the Duty Newscaster!!!)

Or is it a case of the "senior" presenters get to choose first, because it pays more???

I am really curious about this little bit of trivia - anyone got any inside info on how it works?

I still think Moira should do it this year, since she hasn't for quite some time now.

I'd always imagined it was a bit like taking overtime in any other job. Not sure if they are paid extra but I'd have thought they'd get some kind of benifit for doing a Christmas Day/New Year's Day shift, maybe extra holiday leave or something like that.

All BBC staff are expected to work unsocial hours, including Christmas, New Year and Bank Holidays.

No extra payment is awarded except for Christmas day and Boxing day (New Years day in Scotland) when a payment of about £90 is given to staff working on that day.

Staff get an extra holiday allowance of 9 Days to compensate for the Bank Holidays they have to work

I've no idea what the stars get (as they'll have their own contracts), but the rest of us get an additional £101.38 for working a shift on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. In Scotland, the additional payments are made for Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

The past few years it's usually been George Alagiah on Christmas Day newsreading duty on BBC ONE.

I hope nobody reads this the wrong way, as it's not meant as offensive or insulting, but as Moira Stuart and George have been reading the news most Christmas Day I can remember, I always imagined it's because they come from religious backgrounds where Christmas isn't celebrated... or am I wrong?

Last year Andrea Catherwood was on duty for ITV News, although now she's a mother, she might not be on our screens this Christmas Day...

Actually... All races (bar Middle East) celebrate Christmas, I think.

I seem to remember John Suchet presenting a Christmas bulletin once, possibly in 1999 or 2000, or am I imagining this?

I'll send a Jehovah's Witness round to your doorstep to discuss that assumption, shall I?

What has race got to do with it?

Oh, come on James, I'm sure you know that green people don't believe in Christmas!

As far as I know, at the BBC, staff who haven't got families are "encouraged" to volunteer for Christmas Day duty.

Let's be honest, Christmas Day is really for the kid's...It probably wouldn't bother me either ways if HAD to work Christmas day or not, obviously I wouldn't CHOOSE to work it, my big sis is a cop, and she's working christmas day this year - no choice...it really isn't the end of the world

Moria stuart should do it this year.

Yes thats true, I work with someone who is a Jehovah Witness and she wont go to Xmas parties or sign birthday cards or anything like that.