Black British TV presenters have been at the forefront of delivering news and hosting TV shows on UK TV screens.
Many of them have defied expectations, creating spaces where other marginalised voices can thrive, all while informing and entertaining their audience.
Popular black British TV presenters include pioneers who broke through racial barriers.
You can also find several black on-air personalities who are helping to reshape the media industry while continuing to prove that talent has nothing to do with skin colour.
Below is a look at the top 15 black TV presenters who have changed the game on British TV screens:
1. Sir Trevor McDonald
- Previous jobs: News presenter at ITN
- Education: Naprima College, Trinidad
- Ethnicity: Black (African and Indian ancestry)
- Partner: Josephine McDonald
Sir Trevor McDonald is one of the most recognisable black British TV presenters, famous for being the first black newsreader on national TV.
McDonald did not attend university; he started working as a journalist for local radio stations, TV, and newspapers in Trinidad. He later moved to London, working for the BBC World Service before joining ITN, where he became the organisation’s first black reporter.
Besides presenting news, McDonald also worked as a diplomatic correspondent for ITN. He conducted the first interview with Nelson Mandela after his release from prison and is the only British journalist to have interviewed Saddam Hussein.
He has been recognised widely during his career, including being appointed OBE and knighted for services to journalism.
2. Moira Stuart
- Previous jobs: TV presenter at the BBC
- Education: Attended college in London
- Ethnicity: Black (Caribbean)
- Partner: N/A
Moira Stuart is another trailblazing black TV presenter in the British media. She spent over four decades with BBC News, anchoring news programmes, and is credited as being the first black female news presenter on British TV.
Stuart began her career with the BBC as a production assistant, before moving up the ranks as a continuity announcer, and later, a newsreader for BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4.
She then moved to BBC TV in 1981, staying with the broadcast till 2007, though she returned for a second stint from 2010 to 2018. In 2019, she joined Classic FM, where she presents her show, Moira Stuart’s Hall of Fame Concert.
Like Sir Trevor McDonald, Moira has been widely recognised for her career and was appointed CBE in 2022 for her services to the media.
3. Trisha Goddard
- Previous jobs: Flight attendant and presenter at ITV
- Education: Sir William Perkins’s School
- Ethnicity: Black (Dominican)
- Partner: Allen
Trisha Goddard is another top black British TV presenter, famous for her show “Trisha,” which she hosted on ITV.
She was a flight attendant, a career that saw her begin writing for travel magazines. She then settled in Australia, where she pursued a career in media with broadcasters such as ABC.
Goddard then returned to the UK to host her flagship daytime talk show on ITV, until it was moved to Channel 5 and rebranded as Trisha Goddard. Since then, she has worked with various broadcasters, including Channel 4, BBC, BBC One, and NBC Universal.
Trisha Goddard was diagnosed with breast cancer twice – in 2008 and 2023. Therefore, she has reduced her presenting roles due to health issues, but she remains a regular figure on TV, and most recently appeared as a guest presenter on Good Morning Britain in August 2024.
4. Angelica Bell
- Previous jobs: Presenter at CBBC
- Education: BA in politics at the University of the West of England.
- Ethnicity: Black (Caribbean – St. Lucian)
- Partner: Michael Underwood
Angelica Bell is a British radio and TV broadcaster, known for her roles in various British broadcasters, including the CBBC channel.
She began her career as a reporter for Channel 4 before becoming a presenter of kids’ shows on Cartoon Kids and CBBC.
She then transitioned to adult mainstream programming, joining BBC One, where she presented The Great British Village Show and other programmes.
Bell has also worked for BBC Three, ITV, ITV2, and many others. She also works as a radio show host for Baue Media Group and is the vice president of the TV & Radio Industry (TRIC) Awards.
Besides her work as a TV and radio presenter, she is a regular feature in reality TV shows and is famous for winning the 2017 edition of Celebrity MasterChef
5. Charlene White
- Shows: The Women’s Football Show
- Previous jobs: Professional footballer and pundit for multiple media organisations.
- Education: London College of Communication
- Ethnicity: Black (West Indian heritage)
- Partner: Andy Woodfield
Charlene White is another prominent black British TV presenter. She is a trailblazer, with outstanding achievements including being the first black woman to host ITV News at Ten and being part of the first all-black panel on Loose Women.
White began her career as a presenter and broadcast journalist for several BBC outlets, including BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Look East, BBC London 94.9, BBC Three, and BBC News.
She has also worked for several other radio and TV broadcasters, including Radio 1, BBC Radio 1Xtra, ITV Meridian, ITN, and ITV. She also appeared in the 2022 edition of reality show I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
6. Clive Myrie
- Previous jobs: Reporter at Radio Bristol
- Education: Bachelor’s of Law at the University of Sussex
- Ethnicity: Black (Jamaican descent)
- Partner: Catherine Myrie
Clive Myrie is one of the most prominent British TV presenters. He works for the BBC, where he is one of the chief presenters and correspondents.
Myrie joined the BBC in 1987 as a trainee reporter for local radio. He left briefly to work as a reporter at Radio Bristol before returning to the BBC in 1988, where he reported for BBC Points West, BBC Radio News, and BBC TV.
At the BBC, Myrie has made a name for himself as a foreign correspondent and has covered news in more than 90 countries.
7. Diane-Louise Jordan
- Previous jobs: Actress
- Education: Theatre and arts, and Rose Bruford College
- Ethnicity: Black (Jamaican)
- Partner: Giles Broadbent (Died 2023)
Diane-Louise Johnson is another of the pioneer black British TV presenters, having been the first black presenter on the kids’ TV programme Blue Peter.
Her career in media began on the BBC children’s TV show, Corners, where she was spotted and given the role for Blue Peter. She was on the show for six years before joining Songs of Praise, a religious programme on BBC One.
Johnson has also worked for BBC Radio, presenting Sunday Half Hour and Sunday Hour shows between 2012 and 2017. As an actress, she appeared in the British soap Coronation Street and the 1988 film High Hopes.
8. Ade Adepitan
- Previous jobs: Basketball player and travel journalist
- Education: Lister Community School
- Ethnicity: Black (Nigerian)
- Partner: Linda Harrison
Ade Adepitan is a Nigerian-born British TV presenter. He is one of the most recognisable physically disabled TV presenters in the UK, making him another black pioneer in British media.
He contracted polio as an infant, which severely damaged his legs, requiring him to use a wheelchair. Despite this, he has enjoyed a successful career in media, starting as a travel journalist before becoming one of the BBC’s leading presenters.
Adepitan was also a successful basketball player who was part of the Great Britain team that won a gold medal at the 2005 Paralympic World Cup and a bronze medal in the 2004 Summer Paralympics.
9. Alex Scott
- Previous jobs: Professional footballer
- Education: Degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting at Staffordshire University.
- Ethnicity: Black (Jamaican ancestry)
- Partner: Jess Glynne
Alex Scott is one of the top black British TV presenters in the world of football. She has worked for BBC Sports and Sky Sports as a presenter and pundit, covering the men’s and women’s World Cups, the Premier League, the Women’s Super League, and more.
Scott is a former player who played for several clubs, including Arsenal Women, with whom she won the 2007 UEFA Champions League. She also represented the England Women’s National Team and Great Britain at the international level.
After retiring from football, she went into punditry and has worked with several organisations, including BT Sport, BBC, Sky Sports, CBBC, The Independent, and Morning Star newspaper.
Alex Scott has been widely recognised for her career in football, both as a player and in the media. In 2017, she was appointed an MBE for services to football.
10. Marvin Humes
- Previous jobs: Actor and musician
- Education: Shooters Hill Sixth Form College
- Ethnicity: Black (Jamaican)
- Partner: Rochelle Humes
Marvin Humes is a British singer, songwriter, DJ, and former actor. He is also one of the top black radio hosts and TV presenters in the UK.
He was a member of the British boy band JLS that appeared on The X Factor and sold over 10 million records worldwide. After the band split up in 2013, he pursued a career in media, working with radio stations like Capital Network and One Love Manchester.
His career in TV came soon after, with his first role being a co-presenter on ITV’s This Morning with his wife. Later, he became a reporter and a stand-in presenter for the channel, in addition to presenting several shows on the BBC.
11. Ore Oduba
- Previous jobs: Presenter at CBBC
- Education: Sports Science and Social Science at Loughborough University
- Ethnicity: Black (Nigerian)
- Partner: Portia Jett Culmer (Divorced in 2025)
Ore Oduba is a British radio and TV presenter, renowned for presenting CBBC’s news show Newsround. Besides CBBC, he has also worked with BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC One, BBC 2, and ITV.
He is also a regular stand-in presenter for BBC Radio 2, where he has presented on shows like Claudia on Sunday, Vanessa Feltz, and Steve Wright in the Afternoon.
Besides his career in media, Oduba has also featured in several reality shows, including as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, where he won the 2016 edition.
12. Andi Peters
- Previous jobs: Presenter at CBBC
- Education: Emmanuel School in Battersea
- Ethnicity: Black (Nigerian heritage)
- Partner: N/A
Andi Peters is one of the most prominent black British TV presenters today. He works for ITV, where he presents competitions and shows like Lorraine, This Morning, Good Morning Britain, and more.
He started his career as a presenter for Thames TV and a continuity announcer for ITV’s children’s shows, before joining the BBC, where he presented various CCBC programmes.
Peters has also presented several BBC adult mainstream shows, in addition to working for Channel 4 and ITV2. He was also a stand-in host on Virgin Radio’s The Graham Norton Show and had a minor role in the 1999 film Toy Story 2.
13. Reggie Yates
- Previous jobs: Radio DJ and actor
- Education: Capital City College
- Ethnicity: Black (Ghanaian)
- Partner: N/A
Reggie Yates is another of the most influential black British TV presenters in the modern media industry. He boasts of a successful career as an actor, radio DJ, writer, director, and TV presenter.
He began his career in media on BBC 1Xtra at just the age of 18. Since then, he has risen to become one of the most prominent radio and TV presenters, known for hosting shows like Top of the Tops, The Voice UK, Prized Apart, Only in America, and Release the Hounds.
He is also a successful actor who has appeared in TV shows such as Desmond’s, Doctor Who, Grange Hill, Thunderbirds Are Go (voice), Family Affairs, Stars in Fast Cars, and more.
14. June Sarpong
- Previous jobs: ITV Loose Women
- Education: Sir George Monoux College
- Ethnicity: Black (Ghanaian)
- Partner: N/A
June Sarpong is a British TV presenter known for her work as a panellist on Sky News’ The Pledge and ITV’s Loose Women. She is another black pioneer in the British media industry, having been appointed as the BBC’s first Director of Creativity and Diversity.
Sarpong started her career with Kiss 100 in 1997 before becoming a presenter for MTV’s Dance Floor Chart. She has also worked for ITV, E4, and the BBC, and was one of the female presenters of Channel 4’s daytime teen show, T4.
June Sarpon has been widely recognised for her work in the media industry. She was appointed MBE in 2007 for services to broadcasting and to charity, and OBE in 2020 for services to broadcasting.
15. Margherita Taylor
- Previous jobs: Presenter on Channel 4
- Education: Media and communications at the University of Central England (Birmingham City University)
- Ethnicity: Black (Ghanaian and Trinidadian heritage)
- Partner: N/A
Margherita Taylor is a British radio and TV presenter. She works for the BBC, where she presents BBC One’s Countryfile programme.
She began her career as a radio DJ at a Birmingham-based station before moving to London as a radio presenter. On TV, she was one of the original presenters of Channel 4’s daytime teen show T4.
Taylor has worked as a presenter for ITV, presenting shows like Lorraine, This Morning, and Good Morning Britain. In addition, she has presented other BBC shows like Countryfile Diaries and Escape to the Country.
Margherita Taylor has been honoured for her career in media and was appointed MBE in 2022 for services to broadcasting and diversity.