Jeremy Paxman

Jeremy Paxman (born 11 May, 1950) is a BBC journalist, news presenter and author. He is most famous for his abrasive and forthright style of interviewing on the BBC's Newsnight programme. Paxman is a well-known public figure, nicknamed "Paxo", which is both a contraction of his surname and a jocular reference to a popular brand of British stuffing mix. Any kind of tough questioning is routinely described as Paxmanesque in recognition of his style.

Journalistic career

Paxman was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire and educated at Malvern College. He read English at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he edited the student newspaper Varsity. His career began on local radio before he moved to Belfast as an investigative journalist. In 1977 Paxman moved to London to work on the BBC television programme Tonight. Two years later he transferred to Panorama. After seven years on that programme, working from locations as diverse as Beirut, Uganda and Central America, he accepted a job presenting the Six O'Clock News. In 1989 he moved to his current job as presenter of Newsnight. Whilst maintaining his spot fronting that show, his career has diversified into the presentation of a number of television programmes, such as the quiz programme University Challenge and You Decide.

Related Topics:
Leeds - West Yorkshire - Malvern College - St Catharine's College, Cambridge - Varsity - Belfast - Panorama - Beirut - Uganda - Central America - University Challenge

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When interviewing, Paxman's line of questioning is often criticised as offensive and irrelevant. However, this is exactly what fans find entertaining, particularly if they themselves do not respect the interviewee. Paxman is occasionally characterised as 'anti-establishment' due to the lack of deference that he shows his interviewees.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On one famous Newsnight occasion (first broadcast 13 May 1997), in an attempt to extract a truthful answer, he put the same question ("Did you threaten to overrule him?") fourteen times to Michael Howard, who until 13 days earlier had been Home Secretary, relating to the sacking of the Head of the Prison Service following a well-publicised jail-break (see below for link to video). Howard evaded the question each time ("I did not overrule him") and never gave a straight answer. This was later revealed to be a stalling strategy by Paxman on being told that the studio was having technical trouble with one of the reports which was to follow. In 2004 Paxman broached the subject with Howard — now Conservative leader — again; Howard laughed the question off, but did say he "didn't" threaten to overrule the Head of the Prison Service. The 1997 exchange has been voted the best Newsnight moment ever by members of the show's production team.

Related Topics:
13 May - 1997 - Michael Howard - 13 days earlier - Home Secretary

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In recognition of Paxman's tough reputation, when in 2003 Prime Minister Tony Blair decided to make the case for the Iraq war directly to the public, he chose Paxman as the presenter of a TV special question-and-answer session with a public studio audience.

Related Topics:
2003 - Tony Blair - Iraq war

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Paxman attracted attention to his robust interviewing of party political leaders during the 2005 United Kingdom general elections. The BBC received complaints from some viewers that in the interviews Paxman was rude and insufficiently deferential.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Paxman's role interviewing candidates on the 2005 election night drew some attention, particularly after a 5am interview with George Galloway. His persistent questioning focusing on the race and sex of the defeated candidate, Oona King, has been criticised by some (including Oona King herself).

Related Topics:
George Galloway - Oona King

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~