Kirsty Young

Kirsty Young's journalistic career began in 1989, newsreading for BBC Radio Scotland where she also presented its Drivetime show. In 1992 she moved to Scottish Television where she was the presenter of Scotland Today at Lunchtime and Scotland Today - the channel's midday and evening news programmes.

She went on to host Kirsty, a bi-weekly live discussion programme on STV, where she also presented Late Edition, a live, late-night entertainment and music show.

At ITN she presented ITV's News at Ten, ITV Evening News and Lunchtime News. She was the sole-anchor for the live coverage of 9/11 for five hours for ITV.

In 2008, she took over as presenter of BBC1's Crimewatch. Her other BBC credits include presenting and reporting for Holidays Out, Holiday '96 and Film '96 on BBC1, and presenting BBC2's consumer affairs show, The Street.

Kirsty has also stood in regularly for Michael Parkinson and Jeremy Vine on their Radio 2 shows and she has hosted Have I Got News For You on BBC2.

For many years, Kirsty Young was Five's main news anchor, as well as presenter of news specials and documentaries like HRH Zara Phillips and King Constantine of Greece, Are Your Kids on Drugs?, The MMR Debate, The Annual Science Museum/FIVE Science Debate, and The Police Bravery Awards. She also hosted the Big Ideas Philosophy Launch with Professor Germaine Greer.

Kirsty received the prestigious Sir James Carreras Award for Outstanding New Talent of 1997 at the 46th Variety Club Showbusiness Awards. In March 1998 she was named Newscaster of the Year at the Television & Radio Industries Club Awards.

Kirsty was born in Glasgow and brought up in Stirling. She is married and has two daughters.