Sky News: Presenters & Rotas

Sophy will be back for Sophy Ridge on Sunday, no doubt at all.

But they should make the Niall on Friday's Sky News Tonight a permanent thing as he's a far better presenter than Sophy when it comes to anything other than politics.

Forgot about Gamal coming back - first time around he was a reporter and overnight presenter but since the clear out of presenters him and Tom have probably been the most used cover presenters.

Gillian and Stephen are back together on Sunrise, she will move to that slot permanently for 2018.

Sarah Hewson will return shortly in the Friday 3pm slot, and other shifts elsewhere as required.

Tom becomes lead presenter on Friday 11-3 with Sam Washington. He also takes another weekday slot, plus Saturday and Sunday evening. Sam will also appear on Saturday afternoons.

Thinking about it, if anything, they are stronger with female presenters for cover than male ones
They have:
Female-
Kimberley
Sam Naz
Rebecca Williams
Emma Crosby
Sarah Hewson
Sophy Ridge (when she’s back)
Sam Washington
Male-
Niall Paterson
Tom Mcleod
Gamal Fahnbulleh

Sam Washington on the 2-5pm.

You need to take out Sophy and Sarah really since they already have allocated shifts and from everything I have heard and read they will simply be going back to those shifts when they return from maternity leave and I doubt with young babies they'll be doing that much random cover outside these with short notice.

That leaves Sam Naz and Kimberley, who I feel are suited to overnights and occasional off-peak shifts. Emma who is a freelancer and Rebecca who is promising but still officially a reporter (and conducting that role today). For me I don't think that is as strong as Gamal, Niall and Tom although if they add Sam and Emma to it as full time cover presenters it wouldn't be far off.

Sam coming back is really good news.

It’s likely that Sophy will cover shifts, whilst Sarah’s official title is ‘presenter at large’

I don't rate Sophy at all as a presenter - my use of her would be for Sophy Ridge on Sunday and cover for All Out Politics and other political strands - I think for political stuff she is excellent but for news coverage I feel she is poor.

I disagree. She is very good at covering breaking stories and news in general

For what reasons do you feel this way?

Just don't like her delivery style which feels a little forced and scripted and her tone seems to be very similar and monotone no matter what kind of news she was covering if it wasn't politics - it can make her come across as cold and disinterested when interviewing sometimes whereas other presenters can adjust to the type of story they are conducting the interview in relation to.

I'm sure she'll get better with practice, but I'd rate her slightly above Kimberley and Sam Naz for general news coverage but she is without doubt excellent when it comes to political presenting and one of Sky's best on her own show and when the subject is politics.

As much as people prefer Niall, surely when Sophy returns she’ll replace him on the Sunday programme. Assuming she still wants to present it, doesn’t she have a legal right to return to the same role she was in before going on maternity leave?

I think so yes. It was probably in her contract