Esteemed journalist, broadcaster and presenter Anne Davies is marking an extraordinary milestone: 40 years in broadcasting.
With a career spanning both the BBC and ITV, Anne has become one of the most respected and recognisable faces on British television — and a cherished voice across the Midlands.
Currently presenting BBC’s East Midlands Today, Anne’s impact on journalism and broadcasting has been significant. From her early work on landmark programmes such as GMTV, Panorama and Question Time, to fronting TV specials on fashion, travel and consumer affairs, Anne’s versatility and credibility have earned her both national and regional acclaim – winner of the Midlands TV Personality of the Year 2012 and winner of the RTS Best News Programme in 2013.
From the days of office cocktail cabinets, typewriters and men-only crews in a male-dominated industry, Anne has been part of the enormous change in broadcasting, where television journalists now film their own stories, provide for online and radio, as well as social media, and women take centre stage both in front of and behind the camera. She films on her phone, presents in the studio, and loves being at an Outside Broadcast telling people’s stories and connecting with her audience. She shows that you don’t have to be in the first flush of youth to be relevant and successful. But that’s just the broadcast side of her work.
With her huge love of clothing, she founded Fashanne: Fashion Designers of the Future Programme in 2016. A regional initiative celebrating university design talent and supporting young people into the world of work, it is supported by some of the country’s top retailers alongside celebrities like Patrick Grant, Scott Mills and Rylan, with this year’s live awards show taking place on Thursday 26 June 2025.
Her love of the present, and desire to be part of the future, is reflected in the launch of her own brand of workshops. Based on that forty years of broadcast experience, they specialise in presentation skills, communication and storytelling – helping others take their presentation skills to new heights.
Anne’s contributions have been recognised with honorary degrees from both De Montfort University and Nottingham Trent University, as well as her appointment as a Deputy Lieutenant for Leicestershire. She is also a proud patron of Rainbows Children’s Hospice and LOROS, with her annual fundraising golf event in Scotland raising thousands for charity.
Anne is living proof that experience is priceless and, far from fading away, you can make a difference, connect and be part of the future at any age. As she says – “There may not be another forty years to go – but it sure ain’t over yet.”
