Newsround (stylised as newsround) is a BBC children's news programme which has run continuously since 4 April 1972. Originally John Craven's Newsround, it was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children. Initially commissioned as a short series by BBC Children's Department, who held editorial control, its facilities were provided by BBC News. Broadcast on CBBC, the programme is aimed at 5- to 15-year-olds.
History Created by Edward Barnes and John Craven and originally titled John Craven's Newsround, it was first presented by Craven from 4 April 1972 to 22 June 1989. Originally, stand-in presenters, such as Richard Whitmore, came from the main BBC News bulletins.
In 1987, the show was renamed Newsround, and was presented by a rotating team including Craven in the dual role of chief presenter and programme editor. The programme gradually developed its own small reporting team, including Helen Rollason, Lucy Mathen, and long-serving space editor Reg Turnill. Other presenters included Juliet Morris, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Julie Etchingham, Chris Rogers, Kate Gerbeau, Matthew Price and Becky Jago. Regular reporters on the programme, who have also presented it, included Paul Welsh, Lizo Mzimba and Terry Baddoo. Also, for most of its first two decades, Newsround drew upon the BBC's network of national and international correspondents such as John Humphrys, Michael Buerk and Martin Bell.
Newsround was the first British television programme to break the news of the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger on 28 January 1986. This edition was presented by Roger Finn, who had only recently joined the programme. The programme was also first in Britain to report an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in Vatican City in 1981 and provided the first reports from the Windsor Castle fire of November 1992.
In February 2002, Newsround expanded from a sole ten-minute programme on weeknights to through-the-day bulletins seven days a week to tie-in with the launch of the CBBC Channel, and was broadcast across BBC One, BBC Two and the CBBC Channel. With this included a new theme, titles and expanded presenting team. The online and schools' offering were also expanded. In the early 00s Newsround was the most watched programme for children in the UK, and also had the highest AI score (a measure of programme engagement and appreciation) of all CBBC programmes. Following the 9/11 attacks, Newsround launched a guide to help children who were worried by news events. As part of the relocation of the BBC Children's Department, Newsround began broadcasting from new studios at Dock10, MediaCityUK in Salford Quays on Monday 21 November 2011.
In July 2020, the 16:20 & 08:15 programmes were axed after being on air since 1972. BBC executives concluded that children no longer turn on traditional television channels when they return home from school, and that the focus would shift to Newsrounds morning edition often used by teachers in school classrooms, and to more investment in the programme's website. The 7:40am bulletin was moved to 7:45am, and would be eight minutes long. However, in the event of serious breaking news such as a Royal Family member's death, some special editions would air at other points in the day.
Newsround moved out of studio HQ5 for undisclosed reasons on 17 December 2023. All production from HQ5 had ceased by 22 December, and the studio had been emptied by 25 January. Newsround shared space with a temporary set in the CBeebies studio until a permanent one was constructed in the future. On 17 March 2025, Newsround moved into their new permanent studio, with Jenny Lawrence being the first person to present from the new studio.
Broadcasting times Every day, Newsround is broadcast on CBBC once a day, with an eight-minute bulletin on weekdays and a six-minute bulletin on weekends at around 7:45am. On Saturday morning, it is also broadcast on BBC Two. Like many BBC News TV bulletins, it is available for 24 hours on BBC iPlayer and the Newsround section of the CBBC website.
Newsround has a break at Christmas time for 2 weeks, in line with the Christmas school holidays in the UK.
Presenters and reporters Newsround has starred a large number of presenters, many of which went on to become further involved around children's television. On occasion, the stand-in presenter (which is Otis Holmes) will appear if required when the then scheduled presenter is cancelled for that bulletin.
The programme also draws on the BBC's global network of correspondents and its sister programme What's New produced by the BBC World Service.
Current presenters Ricky Boleto (2008–present) Jenny Lawrence (2013–present) De'Graft Mensah (2019–present) Shanequa Paris (2020–present) Nina Blissett (2021–present) Otis Holmes (2023–present) (Stand-in presenter)
Former presenters
Year Presenter Tenure 1976–1980 Lucy Mathen (and Reporter) 4 years 1979–1985 Paul McDowell (and Reporter) 6 years 1972–1989 John Craven (and Editor) 17 years 1987–1990 Helen Rollason 3 years 1985–1991 Roger Finn 6 years 1991–1992 Paul Welsh (and Reporter) 1 year 1990–1994 Juliet Morris 4 years 1991–1994 Krishnan Guru-Murthy 3 years 1994–1998 Julie Etchingham 4 years 1994–1999 Chris Rogers 5 years 1997–2001 Kate Gerbeau 4 years 1999–2002 Matthew Price (and Reporter) 3 years May 2002 – October 2002 Adam Smyth (and Reporter) 5 months 2001–2003 Becky Jago 2 years 2002–2006 Rachel Horne 4 years 2003–2007 Thalia Pellegrini 4 years 1998–2008 Lizo Mzimba 10 years 2001–2008 Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes 7 years 2002–2008 Laura Jones 6 years 2003–2008 Ellie Crisell 5 years 2005–2008 Jake Humphrey 3 years 2007–2008 Helen Skelton 1 year 2002–2009 Adam Fleming 7 years 2007–2009 Gavin Ramjaun 2 years 2008–2009 Maddy Savage 1 year 2006–2011 Sonali Shah 5 years 2008–2013 Ore Oduba 5 years 2009–2013 Joe Tidy 4 years 2010–2014 Nel Hedayat 4 years 2013–2018 Ayshah Tull 5 years 2015–2020 Nazia Mogra (Stand-in presenter) 5 years 2009–2021 Leah Boleto 12 years 2013–2022 Martin Dougan (Stand-in presenter) 9 years 2009–2023 Hayley Hassall 14 years 2024–2026 Emma-Louise Amanshia 2 years
Editors
Edward Barnes (1972) Jill Roach (1976) John Craven (1986–1989) Eric Rowan Nick Heathcote (1990–1996) Susie Staples (1996–1998) Ian Prince (editor twice). Roy Milani Sinead Rocks Owenna Griffiths (2009–) Daniel Clark (−2013) Lewis James (2013–present) Paul Plunkett (2019; parental leave cover for Lewis James)
Spin-offs Newsround Specials A variation on the regular format of Newsround is a series of short (typically 15-minute) documentary films, previously broadcast under the title Newsround Extra but now called "specials", which have been a regular feature since the late 1970s. Two or three series of these documentaries air during the year, which replace the regular bulletins on one day of the week (for Extras it was usually Monday, although sometimes on Fridays, particularly during the 1980s).
Newsround Specials in recent years have included: The Wrong Trainers: a series of six animated films dealing with child poverty. The programme won the 2006 Royal award for best children's programme and the 2007 BAFTA children's award for best factual programme. The Worst Thing Ever: a dramatised documentary revolving around a child's experience of their parents' divorce. Newsround on Knives: an animated look at knife crime from a child's point of view. (Bafta nominated) Gone: interviews with four bereaved children. (Bafta nominated) Whose Side Are You On?: a drama on the role of bystanders in tackling bullying, featuring Joe Calzaghe, Aston Merrygold, Patsy Palmer, George Sampson and Gemma Hunt (first shown 16 November 2009) Living with Alcohol: a special about children's experiences with alcohol, presented by Barney Harwood. "Ricky Investigates": a six-part investigative series which began on 28 September 2010 A one-off Newsround Investigates documentary on arson in schools was broadcast in May 2006.
The most recent Newsround Specials: