BBC News at Six (PatrZDZ's vision)

The **BBC News at Six** is the evening news programme bulletin from the BBC. Produced by BBC News, the programme is broadcast on British television channel BBC One on weekdays at 6:00 pm for 30 minutes, except on bank holidays when it may be shorter and only shown on BBC One. For a long period, the BBC News at Six was the most watched news programme in the UK but since 2006 it has been overtaken by the BBC News at Nine (9:00 pm). On average it is watched by four million viewers. Jon Sopel and Sophie Raworth are the lead presenters for the bulletin.

On 8 May 2017, SBS in Australia began airing BBC News at Six during their English-language news programming segment. It is broadcast at 7:00 am every day on delay from Britain.

## History

The programme launched on 3 September 1984, replacing the early evening news magazine Sixty Minutes and was originally presented by Sue Lawley and Nicholas Witchell. Later Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman was relief newsreader from 10 September. Andrew Harvey, Philip Hayton, and Frances Coverdale were also regular relief presenters in the early years.

On 13 April 1993, the bulletin was relaunched with a more coherent look that was adopted across all BBC newscasts on the same day. A year later, Sissons departed to present the Nine O'Clock News, swapping positions with Martyn Lewis. From 1994 to 1999 the programme was generally presented by Lewis as lead presenter of the programme on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, with Ford taking on the lead role on Wednesday and Thursday, although both would cover each other's absences. Stuart was co-presenter on Monday and Tuesday, Harvey on Wednesday and Dando on Thursday and Friday. Other BBC journalists, in particular Jennie Bond, covered in the absence of co-presenters, with future lead presenters Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce making occasional appearances. Senior journalists, including Witchell, Sissons and John Humphrys would present as lead anchor when both Lewis and Ford were unavailable.

On 10 May 1999, the bulletin was relaunched again, along with the rest of the BBC News programmes and the new presenter was Huw Edwards with Fiona Bruce as the deputy presenter. During Bruce's maternity leave in 2001, Sian Williams, who was special correspondent for the programme at this time, covered as deputy presenter.

On 10 May 1999, the bulletin was relaunched again, along with the rest of the BBC News programmes and the new presenter was Huw Edwards with Fiona Bruce as the deputy presenter. During Bruce's maternity leave in 2001, Sian Williams, who was special correspondent for the programme at this time, covered as deputy presenter. Both Edwards and Bruce left the Six O'Clock News on 19 January 2003 to front the Ten O'Clock News.

On 20 January 2003, as George Alagiah and Sophie Raworth took over, the bulletin was relaunched along with the rest of BBC One's news bulletins. During Raworth's first maternity leave in 2004, Sian Williams stood in for her for over the six months. However, during Raworth's second maternity leave at the end of 2005, Natasha Kaplinsky stood in, originally as a temporary measure.

On 28 January 2008, the programme moved studios, from N6 to TC7, as part of a restructuring across BBC News. On 21 April 2008 the programmes, along with the rest of BBC News, underwent a refresh, taking on new titles and a new set.

On 17 March 2013, the BBC News at Six bulletin presented by Ben Brown and Sophie Raworth was the final programme to be broadcast from TC7 in BBC Television Centre, after BBC Breakfast and Newsnight vacated the studio in 2012. The studio was demolished later in 2013 as part of the redevelopment of the site. On 18 March 2013, the programme moved to Broadcasting House, along with the BBC News 24 and the other BBC One bulletins, and began broadcasting in high-definition.

George Alagiah was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014, and took leave from presenting duties. Jon Sopel and Clive Myrie were the main cover presenters during this time. Alagiah returned in late 2015, but saw his cancer return in 2018, and once again took leave to undergo further treatment. Sopel once again covered Alagiah during his absence, with Fiona Bruce, Reeta Chakrabarti, Jane Hill and Myrie also regularly appearing on the programme. Alagiah returned to his presenting duties in January 2019. He last presented the News at Six in 2022. In July 2023, he died from bowel cancer at the age of 67.

## Presentation

Unlike the other BBC News bulletins that were broadcast from BBC Television Centre, the BBC News at Six was broadcast from TC7, which until 2012 housed Newsnight, Newsround and Breakfast with Frost, most of which moved to Broadcasting House. The programme would occasionally be broadcast from the BBC News 24 studio (N6). Since the move to Broadcasting House the bulletin is broadcast from Studio B. The current set design and titles were introduced in March 2013.

Within the last few minutes of each bulletin, a full national weather forecast is presented by Helen Willetts, Alina Jenkins, Susan Powell or Louise Lear of the BBC Weather centre. The final full national weather forecast on the BBC News at Six, broadcast from Studio TC7, was presented by Nick Miller.

The bulletin ends at 6:30 p.m. before splitting off to regional news programmes, returning at 6:55 p.m. for the main news headlines although Wales Today does not do so.