Read this: Media Masters - Rageh Omaar

Media matters with Paul Blanchard

welcome to media Masters a series of one-to-one interviews with people at the top of the media game tonight by ITV's International Affairs editor Rageh Omaar after establishing a strong reputation for reporting from Somalia and Iraq for the BBC he moved to Al Jazeera and later presented his own investigative documentary series he started ITV in 2013 as a special correspondent and was promoted to his current role a year later.

He is now a regular presenter on their flagship news programs including use at 10.

He has also written two books and has twice been nominated in the services to media category at the British Muslim Awards ragi.

Thank you for joining make it's a pleasure to Reigate we live in a globally volatile error know it must be a great time to be ITV's International Affairs editor it is it's a busy time.

I'm in there in a one person so we in this should be there will never be out of a job.

That's happening all the time and I remember in MMI beginner MMI I got.

Job as a correspondent in Africa you know having been born in Africa that was just a dream in a job and moved to Johannesburg you know why I'm with my wife and daughter is just six months at the time and I thought you know I'm going to be covering this enormous.

You know very fascinating you know continent which is Home and where many of my relatives still live in a and working.

I was my sister's a human rights lawyer and sheep in a cupboard in a Rwanda and the war crimes trials my brother was a businessman later became a politicians of this was a place that was very high achieving family months later.

I was in our living room in Johannesburg and my wife said you got a come.

You've gotta come.

Have a look at this and I just remember right now crystal clear as though it was yesterday in a watching some smoke coming out of the Twin Towers and I thought it look like I should have been aware of fireworks going on and then.

You know as I was would have been wondering what was happening in the second plane.

You are where you actually watch live just watch the holes for the drama to the one on unfold.

I just remember my other sort of you know shock and disbelief with everyone in a watching at that moment when they came down and I just thought in a festival in my entire world should have been a change as a professional so will I didn't cover Africa for the next 910 months I was flying between Johannesburg and Afghanistan and then very soon after that between Johannesburg and the rock and I thought to myself at that time.

You will never experience you know a period of your professional life as seismic as you know in a lot of changing as busy as as that time and then today I saw the find myself you know even sort of you know busy with a world in even more Flux so it's an extraordinary time to be reporting the world as as an International Affairs

Editor for you know the biggest broadcast commercial broadcaster in Europe would have been the most memorable stories that you've worked on since 9/11 cuz I mean you have been all over the planet and cut and put yourself in some quite considerable danger.

I remember as you talk about some of those reports had never seen you deliver them to screen.

How do you how do you maintain that you know that the duality of being a reporter but also being a human being as well.

I mean of course a question of is of it, but you don't you try and not be personalized and you know selective in your reporting in terms of what you put to wear but of course there's always you know a lot of you and how your especially if you're seeing people who've in a lost their lives their their homes children.

Who are at deaths door because of you know disease and and an illness.

I'm in these are very very traumatic things you know you would not be human if you didn't put something of yours.

Emotional yourself you know into that but it's funny because I started life at the BBC and of course you know you'll put in a sort of incubator the BBC and and it is an incredibly important sort of be no training but the fact is you and I and I got on a plane today.

We went to wherever you know what guitars are old eastern European Washington in and we witness exactly the same thing and we had to do the same report to get of course you put your inner view of what you saw, what maintenant I put my view whatsinport that what matters so you can't you try your best and not give your Bentall spinel persons with ing on on on an event but inevitably as a journalist in the you weigh up.

You know what you feel.

Is it is important of of what you've seen because the other side is the emotional side of

You saw The Witness stand and things that you've been out the stay with you forever and that something you deal with or find ways of sort of dealing with difficult takes years to sort of you know processor the one thing though and I get asked this question.

Is it when you've seen someone shot or piano someone's died or gonna say something horrific and awful.

You know how can you how do you how do you recover from something like that? You could write this from PTSD but YouTube solutely but the thing is it's is going to sound for the weird you go into work mode.

Do you see what I mean? That is my dad is my office.

I swear.

I work.

That's where I try and Report is also something that we love doing but that's just one of the Sword of crossing the other thing is you got a bear in mind is that it's a cliche but it's absolutely true when you are in places like Iraq or Afghanistan or you know refugee camps you see the best.

Humanity in not just always the worst and that's in the form of Mini you see uplifting sweet of humour even in the most sort of ghastly awful sort of places.

I wouldn't want people listening to this to think we're all just so you know I'm miserable miserable miserable guts and they're just amazing really funny play remember.

I was with a friend of mine who have been incredibly talented and genomic multi-award-winning should a camera moderate party recently and he said you were that time.

I took that piece of camera in Kabul and basically I got the last ever visa that the Taliban issue, when they are in power in 2001.

So just as you know so couple of months after 9/11 the Americans and and and you know international powers invaded Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban December MMI so I got into Kabul with William reason we were the only.

Journalist Western journalists in Kabul in the last days of of the Taliban in and thousands of other colleagues were busy now coming in with the northern Alliance of social so friend was the cameraman Fred Scott and he said look up.

I need to be worked at the hotel above Kabul taking a shot in a of the city saying you know how many more hours you know is this city got left before in a Western forces and northernlion sort of her arrived and he needed reflector held you know so because it was so that another under they were these guys who were had bandolero you know you should have been a beard kalashnikov Who at one of them was holding a light and the other was holding a reflect well.

We did the piece of camera and so and then Fred thought you've just for posterity.

I'm just got I've got to take a picture of this you know just what goes into the bizarre weird mean a moment like that when you've got these sort of you know.

Guerrilla Fighters acting as assistant cameraman for you, so it's a fantastic.

You know life of course people will concentrate on your they ask you a personal question.

What's it really like to see you now as I did you know only last year the famine unido impending for the famine in the horn of Africa and going to therapeutic feeding centres and looking at children who really really thought they were not going to survive Tower Bravia it is but you have to just reports because we doing their favour by residents the other thing is your dad is the motivation you know someone has to see this YouTuber policymakers yo people on the basis of that the disasters emergency committee came into a bit of being really based on that the reports of we did it sort of her ITV the Secretary of State pitched in Uno 10 million matching for the first 10 million of the public raised and it got to 50 odd million-pound.

You know and that.

The power of being in those who love you no place is just one example of course there are many others when you think he's paid attention.

You know who literally sometimes absolutely nothing happens and your reporting.

I just don't have her sort of effect but often and who do they do it this isn't a can of them that question how vulnerable do you feel when you in the Theatre of companies because it in one sense you could become desensitized.

Cos you there all the time dealing with it and you just have it on or it might be that you massively increase your sensitivities or do you just get on with it as you going to have to have a you're not reporters in the in the Theatre of War out there seems to be more danger than ever before you know you could have had an orange jumpsuit put on you and been kidnapped and tortured to death live on camera.

I think that's the one of the things that's changed in in my time as a as a unicorn fondant is the rules of trying to the sense of journalistic Neutrality has been eroded has been undermined to a breathtaking degree wedge.

Smart targets, are they didn't used to be known as the value of kidnapping someone like you just Islamic state.

I'm in governments and gorilla group something.

I just barely a week ago.

I interviewed you know colleagues of Marie Colvin the Sunday Times correspondent who is deliberately targeted bally Sagoo targeted by the Assad regime that is probably one of the most if I was if I was in a 20-something again.

You know when entering this profession would I do so knowing what the Enormous order costs in ar when I swallow join, do you know 25 years ago and got my sort of first breaks you really did feel that you know you when you were going to any part of this would have in the Middle East you know the Israel Palestinians would a conflict you know all sides wherever it was.

Respected the idea that you were there neutrally doing your job able to report from sort of both sides, of course.

They would deaths you know well before I sort of got in bed.

You weren't specifically targeted because people wanted to sweet as salty as much as as much as journalists are today.

I think that's one of the things.

It's changed and that just seems especially unfair.

I wouldn't say unfair because I feel at times we as in a journalist news organisations have not helped ourselves it it at times and then going back to the Iraq war in 2003 the whole issue of embedding you know came up in a way that it just never did was formalised remember go to explain and the particularly the US and UK military particularly the United States military said that if you want.

To a report from the wall and accompany US military forces you have to embed in a literally travel with go within a stay with you were absolutely there a part and parcel of that military unit as they sort of course you're independence in that you reported for whoever it was in a new hozier movement.

So you can come wander off exactly what's happened in terms of what are just have to sort of God of course there is inevitably you know a sense in which you know you become you're travelling with these young men you know seeing them come on the fire you're coming on the fire with them.

There is a close proximity in a way that is uncomfortable.

You know Sophie for me.

I can speak not quite Stockholm

But a little bit of cuisine and providers will not I can understand the argument because the audience were we weren't going to be able to see the war without that you know because you were going to wear the paratroopers although Amina marines or correct whatever work work work going that to me.

I can understand that argument, but it really changed the whole idea that you were neutral and I think things like that began to sort of give the excuse to those people who wanted to target journalists that you're part of that other sort of you know army your part of you know you'll see what I mean to undermine.

That is so there are tiny that you need some for course.

It's unfair but you really have to if it if you're going to be in a really look at it in a sore Cold Light of Day did we?

Yeah, as a professional body.

Did we do something to do we take actions that with hindsight? You could say contributed to a broader sense of in which you know that the idea of silvina journalism sort of Farm become on an under under the other thing is that I been looking at the media landscape today.

You have you know people screaming.

You know very clear ideological standpoint and do that sort of BBC isation if you liked the BBC in a lots of other news organisations are incredibly in partial Una Acura strive to be and that's getting drowned out and there's many different reasons you know for that, but we live in an age now in which said to be a journalist is really to be getting bombarded from many different sized not just from those in power and obviously I was senior International Affairs editor.

So you'll be involved in.

Decisions as to whether to send other people to videos of wine that was specially heavy on you.

You know one of the things you're absolutely right and the other thing that makes it really difficult is that it's know it's very difficult to be a freelance journalist at anymore because the risks are so high that when I trying to sort of dinners loads of people got their brakes being freelancers going off to base yourself in this part of Africa or Asia hoping to get a lucky break.

You know hoping that you know sailor.

I'm going off on a journey.

You know we're here.

Can I write you something now? It's so should a dangerous and so expensive and because also journalism has had to adapt and news organisations have had to adapt because of the increasing dangerous.

You know I often say that sometimes insurance companies have as much say in what gets covered in terms of international should have been in use as much as sort of for an editors at times because if I'm going with colleagues.

Cube stereo or whatever else my bosses have an absolute duty of care and they are very very careful to make sure that we have gone every kind of unit training that we could have done every kind of the risk assessments you know that we have all the sodium a life-support solar systems to be able to sort it.

Do it.

That's really really expensive it is just think about suit jacket as would have been an emergency medical pack in are you talking thousands of pounds a days when you could have bump around as I did you know back in the suit of her early 90s on the back of a supercar in that Jack is Back Then at all.

It was really Bosnia in which you know you started to sort of sea flapjack is being used as you know part and part of your everyday reporting and so that elements of of of jellies and being able to get into the business as a foreign correspondent the war correspondent.

It's almost impossible.

I think you know I mean of course there are still

Freelancers who go and basins elves in Kabul but that's because there's already a huge Media presence there, but if I'm if I'm ok and editing I'm going to send you to a Kabul despite all the protections and all that you know the flat jackets.

What am I going to get you ultimately talking to me much more danger and they have to balance that that your proximity to danger with ultimately though if they PL27 never send you anywhere then these these huge problems geopolitical promising and always you know it won't get covered with it.

They have to balance the you know the report is right to go in then raise awareness of this is a calculation you making me know so I can we do it every single day and a balls down to sometimes.

You know how likely are you gonna get killed to go down that road today? I said that loads of times.

I've just I've got the heebie-jeebies said.

I just don't know this is not the day and so I'm not going and I know though that I will get absolute sort of support.

In making that cool and it could just be something as ephemeral as that I just I don't I don't wanna go down that road, but one of the things we mustn't say to leave at 1, I think people don't often realise is the thundermans eat in a meal in a Jeremy Bowen Robert moral Johnny Irvine all these sort of your car lifeline our lives and on a bet every single one of those are there within this room would say that you the reason why we are lot of the Times stay alive is you too many things but one of them is fundamental aspects is we call them being our local so Davina fixes.

You know colleagues who are journalists who are gonna afghans organist somalis are Syrians who are our guardian angels.

You know it's their country.

They know the Beano the battle since they know what area is and what resident know who the commanders.

Are you a week flown in from London course.

We've got a huge amount of information but

They often hold you know our lives and in in the cup of their hands really and that is the most fundamental relationship.

I think of modern journalism and the reverse is true sometimes if if that relationship is sad or are you working with someone who doesn't have that should have been a diligence.

Ok? I can go horribly wrong but my life is really the story of the people.

I should have worked with who allowed me to be an eyewitness in it's not flying from London you know arriving at the outskirts of Damascus start reporting a know absolutely everything is just that 6:10 sometimes you know just get a tap on the shoulder.

Can we need to go there there? There's little tell tale signs you know you've been lots of sort of situations are remember just being in Garza a couple of years back during you know the bombardment of Gaza and I was just busy working.

You know there was some air strikes that hurts would have you no come to the quite close.

There's an awful lot going on when you're reporting it in a scene where there is conflict, but it just wish I would have been am I should have a colleague who just looked at my phone said we need to go I don't know what he saw, but there was some sense.

He got of you know the way people were behaving some guys.

I come out.

I was sort of you know with building.

I don't even know the bill what the building was that the israelis were sort of targeting you know but you just say we needed to go and we left and then just as we were sort of leaving another huge strike Cayman basically only abouts would have been to 300 yards.

You know whether he sensed something that this was an important of the building the israelis Adams would appear that there were coming back again in it for another Streatham and I didn't want to know that so that's just to give you one example of how your life and sort of changed conversely a colleague and ended up being kidnapped because that relationship been understand.

We leave after every assignment in a we've been a we go back getting off light in a go back to our home in a well-paid job etc.

They stay in Syria Afghanistan whatever makes you realise just how lucky we are by accident of birth absolute.

We can enjoy absolutely in the new what's in the headlines.

Just changes like the sort of win sometimes.

You know you can be going to sort of a country or region because you know it's on the international news agenda, and then slowly disappears.

They've got families to support their support them obviously by the local work that they do but the fact that they work with international jealous is a massive part of you know and that one person working with ITV or BBC or New York Times will have 1520 people dependent on them and sometimes not come back for 2 years 3 years 4 years and 1 time this collie.

His driver had obviously been oh come on this would have been a pressure by the Taliban and they said we know you work for an journal issue.

No one on this day.

You'll take that road, and and he didn't you know you probably got some of the money himself and betrayed by those that was supposed to love to have you got to be realistic and and understand that you know sometimes you know that's another point of being journalists are worth a lot of money in people's eyes a lot of the people that you know were captured by Islamic state were ineffective Eastwood have you sold on if you see what I mean you captured by I should have been out and one of the sort of groups and you just get sold on to ultimately bank, Idol room mino Isis so so that's when that relationship goes really bad.

You know is sometimes.

You're just a giant $400,000 in a ransom in the eyes of someone and it might be me know your dress ivory.

Might be also a translator or just might just be bad luck, but the worst that can happen to me in any one week in my job is at someone might fall asleep during a PowerPoint presentation as you know I know you probably true.

I'm not in Mortal danger.

It is there an element of a can of duality where in one sense.

It's almost thrilling that you doing something of such important work that people might want it or is it actually waiting know that that beat the novelty wore off within a few months and now I just need to mitigate any risk as I don't want to get killed.

I think it's well.

It is but I'd be lying if I didn't say that this wasn't an incredibly vital exhilarating you know an amazing calling course it's exciting it's the first draught of history your presence of do you know events and interviewing people that will be in a written about in in in history books on that the idea that you know I was there.

When dot dot dot is incredibly.

You know addictive who wouldn't that's why we all go into it being with Yasser Arafat as he should have been a came back after the other of whatever it is.

You know.

Where are you seeing American troops as they entered soda in Baghdad when they know the statue of Saddam you know came down.

You really do feel at the epicenter of Uno global Events having said that.

I wouldn't continue to do this job if I didn't acknowledge that I was scared.

You know I'm really happy to be scared and I think that's a lot of the reason why I'm sure he respectfully I don't like being with people who meaning of got a deathwish.

Yes absolutely I think there are definitely some of course.

There are who are so damn we sort of referral Hedsor synonym for headbangers.

They are not that many as you go on you know use a sense in which you're in a nine lives us would have been.

Used up you know you people have been journalism.

Not just there is no there isn't there is a dose of there was some jealous For Whom This is an all consuming and then married to you know there you know they're calling many others are father's you know wives mother's husband, etc.

Etc.

They have no family is absolutely no relation am a map of course changes of course it does it has two am I certainly you know as my career has gone on.

I'm just very careful about the sort of receiving said that my daughter was just two and a half I think when I was decided to stay in Baghdad for the wall and my son was 11 months you know I might order thinking back to their nose, what the hell.

Are you? It's not without a smile cost isn't exactly also remember just

Is the wall with starting the hundreds of journalists in Baghdad in 2003 and it looked it was quite clear for a long while that this invasion was going to go and just buy all the sort of the diplomacy of these silly United Nations abortion in a Tony Blair had made this with commitment to being ago in invade, Iraq and overthrows for the Saddam but when Saddam Hussein has two sons were given 48 hours to the only way to avoid walls that if they saw they stood down and left the country that was exactly that's when it suddenly became real for everyone who's still in Baghdad you know and it was announced that unit the Iraqis so what was happening the border is being closed in a no one will get into or out of Iran as of that date to the press corps in Baghdad was about 2000.

I think I'm information from you know all over the weather in that let you know cameraman correspondence in a reporter satellite engine is a new.

With all of us teenagers like 2001 that notification that you know this is not just real but you know you got to make a decision.

Are you staying or going? It's suddenly went down from about 2000 to a couple of hundred that's quite a sobering moment when you saw the see a lot of very experienced very decorated wise in a brilliant swinging turn on the hills and do what I'm going with you and I didn't and the reason why didn't is a grappling with this and by the time.

I made this is true stories while out this is why I ended up being in Baghdad the moment so I thought maybe he is a good time goes too late so border because of their was as it was one of my colleagues was turn back at the moth stories have stayed with you.

I mean given that there's been so many things that you covered I mean Harry mobility traveler length and breadth of Somaliland reporting.

Dystrophic drown Griffin a country I can remember you doing that and that stay with me and I know you're the actual you I was just a bit of things.

I should have stayed up the huge story that you should have seen you know it's not so it's it's also just a suit of small things that don't make it to other often so they stay with you the most and their positive things as well.

I don't want to sort of you said earlier that you know I don't want people to think being on phone calls for a walk or this one is just there been a bunch of sort of absolutely moving misery guts in the amazing mums.

I got the one of things.

I will always remember is interviewing Nelson Mandela that was probably the only time so fine my career immediately when I was told you're going off and your interview Nelson Mandela and he said yes, do you know teens with that instantly when I heard I thought I wish I could take my children.

It's only time.

I thought I really really in.

Anything in a more than mean to be in a I want you know to take my sort of children with me so went to sort of Johannesburg I wasn't living there and what does around 2005 and Madiba no cobwebs on I'm still love you know you was absolutely sharp as a sort of you know about you and this is another word legendary sword made out of the letters in the UK really you know he was a real deal with absolutely gibbering wreck.

You know what is our dinner.

I mean average long walk to freedom the genuine forgiveness luharvi something that I wouldn't be strong enough to do if given that what you went through.

I mean he belongs in a very very rare genuine Pantene United Martin Luther King you know Mahatma Gandhi he is for the ages.

You know so we went to his house.

I want to take every detail in the you know what was his house.

I was expecting you know look at the sky sort of life.

You know who liberated you know a nation that many people thought would become a bloodbath in her wearing often, so I was expecting you know pictures of him with the poem with it.

There's nothing and not a single suing a picture of him.

Will you didn't care for that took what they was was in the corn was a small ways that Lena just a friend cartoon from other sweater newspaper ok and in it was basically remember.

We were trying to England was trying to win hosting the World Cup right and we wanted South Africa support so David Beckham had been sent to schmooze Nelson Mandela eunos medievil really need your help.

Please make sure South Africa votes for a bit.

So this just happened.

You know a little while earlier and Nelson Mandela's the only picture he's got in his ribcage.

Nope, you know him with presidents and world leaders number that.

This cartoon shows a young black South African boy with his dad in their dinner home in the Township may both watching TV on the TV is Nelson Mandela sitting next to David Beckham and is a little bubble coming out of the boys mouth and he's looking at his dad saying Dad who's that old bloke with David Beckham was Nelson Mandela's in at that was a one thing you had in his room and active shooter captures him because he really.

Didn't take himself.

You know that seriously he hated the kind of you know of veneration and sort of her where she is very very funny funny man I remember sort of them South Africa the time before he died in a were really desperate any time you visited the doctor the whole nation would hold its breath coming in Aldi's journalist where there's a diva you know what is the doctors at has he given you have they given you a clean bill.

Asking really details for dinner because you know before the night we needed him to stay alive and he's getting a bit bored with this Binding is and again now.

Just adjust a triple check GoPro you've been examined thoroughly and given a clean because I've not seen the gynecologist, but otherwise it was just very very very funny has been Somali born with you more determined to bring Africa story to viewers.

Yeah.

I do I think more than more than just being so being a Somali and having been born in a tampon in York and I'm determined a tune of the north of England absolutely heavenly protruding that something is it just because I'm there also it's just a lot of very important things you know internationally will give up the fight against extreme is al-Shabaab.

There's lots of things you know where they're going on there a reporting.

It is not just decided to promote Eno the horn of Africa where about is to look at it.

But I think it's the fact that you're reporting a place where you know you know relatives and loved ones who live and work there gives you a sort of just more of an insight.

I think reporting a place.

Where is different to going to a country which is entirely should have been an alien see what you've never should have been to before but you know you got your deployed there because it's in the Sword of news.

I think there is lots of soda Vangelis who won African went down there who also have this some the fascination with that continent because it just is the most every sort of story under the son of the humans would a condition is is there so it took it say bewildering magical amazing place, but you know it is well.

I'm gonna be reporting in Sudan in the bin 2004/5 6 with the Darfur crisis and you know there's a conflict in a way the Sudanese government was basically definitely cleansing you know people.

For the dolphins one province in Sudan it's a size of France is it just think that there's another 51 so the country is Amy Sudanese you know much bigger than all of Western Europe put together and then you'll know which incredible when you're here and there's two other countries which are slightly bigger.

You know who are also its absolutely enormous.

It's close to sort of home in lots of ways you want said that idealism has become a dirty word and I'm saying this but you still seem to make pretty idealistic and and I mean that as a compliment no no I I I am aiming you do get it would not become a curmudgeon not quite there still time she gets my idealism comes from just I've got a I'm a naturally optimistic person.

I want to see you know the sense that there is optimism to be found in humans would have unit condition also the only thing I love about journalism and you know this is absolutely true form.

The day on today, you're getting paid to pursue a career which is a continual education.

You know it's just it's just amazing innit.

There's always something to learn to a new country and you issue disordered discover and is just great fun but also you just learnt by meeting people in an animal.

I love that.

You know I love you know travel.

I love you know I'm naturally drawn to be no people even into the very very sweet of you know other bizarre.

Sort of the circumstances.

I don't I'm not someone who just want to stay in the suit of hotel and to the van Gogh to press conferences.

I'll just sort of go out and wander around the market and all that kind of thing I mean I think that's the great fun of Sword of journalism.

It's like a continual Selena a lifelong backpacking a journey, but that you've got to have Wunderlist and having won the last is is fundamental to being a journalist.

I think you just got to.

Round the corner someone's order granting was John coldest would have the BBC political editor by John Legend.

He said he said journalism is the only profession where you can get on a plane and fly 5000 miles get out the airport get my car drive for half an hour get out of the taxi walk down the street turn left and bump into 40 people you know really well.

It's you know am I think that kind of elements of them being part of a sort of United travelling caravan is a lot of camaraderie in German battle wonderful thing a lot of very close friends.

You know it is but we always see each other on the road.

I mean we really.

It was sick and tired of each other by the time we get home to London so the idea of course we do all go out for a drink whenever you catch up, but most of the time is spent on the road, and you know and that's that's the sort of affray.

That's very central to being a journalist being on the road less and less that bits are wearing off the romance of Travellers Inn in the age of unit error that that romance of just as I said in a bumping along the back of a supercar somewhere.

You know that no one knows you know where you are and you know you're sleeping under the stars in some in a desert that that romances gone because of safety security because uni journalism, so it's still exist Simon of course it does but you do just also just get sometimes just tired of trying.

I'm where do you see your career going? I mean given that you've covered all of these amazing events Amin I was then I was watching ITV News at Ten Aquila weeks ago and you were presenting it happened to name drop the fat that you're coming on the podcast to my friends.

I was what anyone like incredibly impressed you like being the news anchor is that something that you know you are.

One of us didn't grow up watching you know somebody call Anthony Quinn McDonagh remember.

It's an amazing for the program that has got an incredible heritage and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to sort of sit in that chair presenting it.

I'm very lucky in the sense that im being able to sort of present, but I'm still in International Affairs editor and I also been a have developed over the years A Love of doing longer features and documentaries and I'm able to do all three at ITV you know presenting on assignment and the News at Ten and also report.

It's just the Great Gig I mean to be left Peter explore one of the industry's the air is the geographies never been one of those people that have rights one's career path on the back of an envelope 1.

Award x by uniden.

I'm not sort of like that used to do that, but never gets really never you look at it in a person.

I'm in a lot of my should have been a family colleagues and and and and friends will attest that even now right now after having travelled by dinner in a how many countries have been on OXO accounting but a lot I still am a last minute panic packer.

I will be throwing stuff.

You know into the night getting ready to go in the in the festival by that is that is that that is not enough for some people but for me it just kind of just check it and if I forgot now try and grab it on my way to do.

You know it duty-free.

So I'm not as I'm quite.

I've got a very low boredom threshold by mean.

I remember you reported life in the royal wedding is well as well.

It was that it was incredibly surprised and I tell you what an dinos dribble a lot of Correspondents some of them.

Set up wanting to be present as you know, where did you know at some stage in their careers, but there's a lot of them.

You sort of regard.

There's a section of the course with regard to presenting as not really you know not serious in a jewellers in gotta stay on the road and blow obliquity Lacoste move from being the main tank of the 6:00 news to the Royal cos that was a bit of me thinking I can do this.

Just sitting here now and then that first time when I was presenting and you know you're in the studio.

You're on your own causes a floor manager, but when that door goes wrong and someone says right.

You know 30 seconds to help back in your ears really really frightening.

Beamshot the end of this week level-headed to do that the Beginning even be wrong you gonna be doing that for millions of people.

How do you manage the nerves apparently? It's part of the adrenaline you have a way of sweet of you know section in your mind so that you know block that's what about I just I just get on with it and if I make a mistake.

I should have made a mistake Touchwood I meant of course I made some say that they haven't been too noticeable.

I think I mean I've not had any maybe I should just got me.

Should be talking about this because next time but I do enjoy it is C2 the plants know for sure because it's all on u i mean that you are angry little the term used and if you guys perfume on a beautiful but you've got to just carry carry on and I mean Jeremy Paxman always tell the story of his fame.

Interview with Michael Howard worry off the same question a lot to threaten to overrule Indigo clothes for exactly, but he's doing that because he was told that I'm just keep asking in a question because the neck tape then that the next reports not ready, so I had to just keep records events Olaf and it actually hit on something but you know these kind of famous incidences do have sort of Ord beginners.

That's his version anyway.

I meant the first time I ever was a guest on Sky News 5 at live Jeremy Thompson who was one of my favourite news anchors.

He interviewed me.

I was trying to ban the sale of foie gras at the time.

There was a package and then you can read it in Nuneaton to me and I remember the autocue body had to wait a minute.

Just said ask Paul some questions effortlessly turn around to me instead so what you don't want of the legal implications of our body clearly got no no no preparation and I was blown away by the professionalism bad because I could clearly see the autocue ran out of stuff from to say I most probably three people talking in his ear the same kind of you wouldn't have noticed a single beat.

It's it's it's a real skill it is c2c to the

Has a much more frightening doing it than I ever thought it it it would be and again.

He goes back again is credibly exhilarating as well.

You know when you come off.

Have you got loads of Adrenalin I'm going round whenever definitely come round a little while should have been I just go home and go to sleep unit having presented the dinner quite you have to come down a little bit consignment series that how do you put the program together on assignment came about from a an idea that colleagues and and CDs YouTube editors at itv.com you know we've got this amazing network of Uno correspond as travelling in it all over the world unit in stories, but what about you know making use of that those that kind of us in a different way and and communicating a different type of storytelling are in a wing International Affairs and and stories to to to an audience that isn't just constricted by you having to do something because he?

On that day the news agenda, because when you're asking me earlier.

What are the things that really stay with you, but it's those little for the moment like I was saying about Nelson visiting Nelson Mandela's house the best stories the most fascinating things are the one sometimes it just never make it on Air by jealous, because you want you don't want that you need to be lost.

You know those journeys you that you made those amazing to the people that will never make it into the news but really tell you something enlightening about a society or a country.

So that's what all the time is it? It's a half-hour program.

It's three reports by 3 correspondence are able to sort of cover a multitude of different and they can be very serious with a subject Robert Moore did amazing story very early on before very few people as for the coming about the opiates addiction in in in the United States and as you know where was absolutely do I actually really like just extraordinary sort of stories and we've done.

And you know debi, Edward did the same story about an issue about mental health in Indonesia but where fat people suffering from in a mental health issues with Shackle in Chains I mean in a tied to you know where you know in an awful sort of conditions and the access the she got in the sort of you know the the the empathy and and and delicate where would you tell that story was incredibly amazing one of the stories that I really am incredibly proud to that was on on assignment with buying a John Wales South Africa correspondent and just told the stories call Vicky story about a girl who had undergone the most incredible sort of that abuse women in a sort of United Township you know which one the one world would have you know what award and it really told you about the the bleak and desperate should have plight of.

Many children growing up in the you know the townships of South Africa would have suffered you know abuse and it was just incredibly sort of towel, but there are also other really great stories that would never make it on a there was some of these ultra marathon runners from Afghanistan you know Vladimir Putin's favourite bike gang we in in a did a lovely story about this sort of them village basically in Italy which has the highest number of people in their 90s and then to The Pursuit of a really big scientific study.

Why is it that you know so many people in this particular sort of small village in Italy live to be over 90 my friend Dr aseem.

Malhotra is actually written a book about Village fishing in Tanzania

You can watch that we hope gives you little sort of stories that are you know often will go on told but that you know make International Affairs and what's happening in the world accessible another doesn't just have to be mayhem destruction upheaval and sofa just you know you feel like a huge sense of gratitude that you know given that you've seen so much frankly so much human suffering that you know that I can watch one of your reports and then I can be in Starbucks the next day and then there's me from Amy's arguing with a barista, because there's not enough milk in their lot and I think why we really do need to get a grip as a society about how lucky we are as it has this journey changed you as a person in has in many different other ways and yet is kind of just reinforced things as well.

I'm allowed to talk about just what an amazing.

You know it's not just about being optimistic, but you know I walked away Paul from lots of stories thinking when will this

Intrigue never pick itself, you know up.

How can you know you will go home tonight will switch on the TV and then they will see heartrending to report about Siri and Sabina.

I look at university looks like the Dresden you know what are often you think when will when can life ever return in a way that allows people to have positive side of life, but they always do I walked away from lots of different for the dinner Bosnia is now one of the leading tourist destinations in Uno Europe you know Mozambique is Justin remembering the floods in mozambican in 1999 thinking this is going to devastate you know people's ability to sort of Liv and uniform trousers getting better.

You know from when I saw the started your name.

I created to now in a list talk about sort of yunnan Africa you know there's a huge middle class.

Oh, yes, of course there was a you know at a terrible drowsy you know in in Somalia but life.

Spect and see your sort of you know gonna transportation school and you know it is so much that is gonna happen, but don't forget news is that the reporting of the the sudden the extreme the the shopping all this other stuff out of the fact that you know more children are going to school in sub-saharan Africa there are more the highest number of Una dollar millionaires in any African cities in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia you and I when we're going up equated.

You know Ethiopia with a Cortina hunger famine.

You know no I mean I go to Ethiopia now unrecognisable those things don't get reported.

They end up on my head on a notebook.

You know the things that don't get sort of tiredness kind of the things that we were trying to become a stores were trying to tell in fine on a sign of bitumen.

How is it? How is it changed me? I think it's made me realise you know what episode of Charmed or if I should have had how lucky.

Eri have been what you did well.

She went in as well especially in this shouldn't use the world as it is in the moment, but actually there is a lot more things that humanity happy people have in common than they then.

They would care to sort of I realised and that you know progress is not only possible, but is being made in around the world, but we're all getting drawn together as well.

I'm in the art.

You know when I started sorting a journalism getting to in order to get to the the quickest way to get from South Africa where are living in Johannesburg to Nigeria was to go via, London I remember you gotta go.

There's a big story in Nigeria we look to you know and I'll be able to help what's the quickest way to get to get a flight in overnight flight from Johannesburg to London switch and then goes straight down that was quicker than going from Jazz you know that's not the case.

You know anymore always amazes me arriving back.

In London is almost always to be no Heathrow that you sort of a goatee or even going through Dubai you know I mean if I flew through Dubai back to London yesterday and just seen the languages that being said have spoke and the difference would we know faces and it reminds you actually I mean it sounds very sort of you know marshmallow, Ian and small seed to say so but you know I'm I'm left being an optimist about our world even though I've covered a lot of stories that would should make me think otherwise but I'm but I'm not after 25 years of doing it recognised you because you're jealous in the public eye you present the flagship News at Ten can you get the best restaurant tables out life?

And the big bit weird that I mean, it's get the best restaurant tipping.

I don't really Simon said that's my that's my shoulders sensitive moment is is is is cooking a quite like how much would a destress one of things but no seriously I do I do get recognise quite a bit and it's people are always nice as she have not had a look and let you know anywhere download some sometimes.

There are there are funny suit of the things.

I was taking the dog for a walk on time and was walking along as we've times did Sarah towpath you like living in West London and it was a couple of September go to Conkers was sort of all along the sort of them, but the towbar as organizers were kicked in a dog, when after it because it bubble the long and

Over the side and the dog get a just decided to go after the contrast and and it was it was low tide and there was a sort of universe and it sort of you know it quite a drop what it will it wasn't a secret.

It was like a bank was at a slow but I went over and the dog was so they're looking up at me trying to scamper up.

I might come and I was trying to reach the stop coming and it couldn't I couldn't reach it couldn't say reach me and I know these two women who was with jogging along and I said look because my dogs and I can't can you help you know and they said I tell you what let's some you you've just go down will hold your leg, then you just go go over then reached down his two women were holding the voice of leg and I managed to get the son of God thank you so much for getting it.

That's fine because I love you reporting by the way most bizarre moments to get recognised the times when I've been so busy now.

My kids are young I remember taking it taking a call from a rebel group.

They had my number to the been with them travelling back home and it's my turn to go and do the shopping so I was in a 9 of whatever it was you know the song middle of toiletries a nappy.

It's a terrible situation so like looking for the Sudocrem and nappies at the same time.

So you never listen and hear the sense of it is a very strange and weird life that sent the EU literally could be looking for the nappies and you'll get a call from some bloke.

You're saying are rebel positions are under 18 if you think it's just you look at us a report that Jeremy Bowen is doing on on the BBC News at Ten and do you want to be there or do you do you watch as a viewer like? I would I do you because you know behind the scenes deconstructing he's done.

Is not done this but yeah you do I mean definitely because you know you want to see what your Serena friends and competitiveness would have been a doing why the lead with darts of course.

There is a bit of a sort of you know where deconstructing and and so forth and you know you really are my god and your ideas.

He no use of sound in fact in some ways when you're when you're actually doing a television for next time.

You're really really grabs.

You know by powerful sword reported.

Just look back and I bet you it's amazing use of Sound natural sound little things like that, but on the whole you do also sometimes think jammy Pines got in there and you know I couldn't and do you know you know what I mean the time you think I wish I was you know I would so love going down lucky asobi.

You know but it's um yeah.

It's so it's a very competitive field, but at the same time you know it's some people.

Talking to Jamie Barron on release of amazing sort of a journalist, but you know they know that in a nose story is Worth Dying For and I'm sure there been times when you've had sort of lucky.

You know scrapes and other times sadly.

You know we seen a lot of colleagues who for him that road all you know that building you know the choice.

They made they were at the wrong place at the wrong time sometimes it just is is that I mean on the whole I say you know people to a second last week's top trainers all trying to sort it now.

It's it's sun course it is compatible and I will try and help each other at the same time as an enormous amount of soda, you know camaraderie when push comes to shove you know the fact that we all want to be in a safe and help each other is more important than getting on hula remember.

You know what report idle Jeremy did back in the five years ago.

You see what I mean.

You know you that's the other thing is never ever take your yourself so seriously that you should have think that you know story is is absolutely sort of.

Worth putting any real Sword of risk and danger for your Life's orbit Morley the lives of Others are gone for another hour.

This is literally literally Ramon catchphrase are but thank you ever so much spin works been one of the most enjoyable.

I've done a long time.

It's been a pleasure.

Thank you so much right angles podcast in association with big things Media