Esme Wren: Where is the Ex-BBC Editor Now?

of Esme Wren: Where is the Ex-BBC Editor Now? Kriti Mehrotra
April 5, 2024
Image Credit: Esme Wren/Twitter

As a biographical drama living up to its title in every way conceivable, Netflix’s Philip Martin-directed ‘Scoop’ can only be described as equal parts baffling, entertaining, and intriguing. That’s because it’s a dive into precisely how the women of BBC’s ‘Newsnight’ secured the now-infamous 2019 interview with Prince Andrew regarding his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Amongst those to thus be a significant part of this narrative is actually Editor Esme Wren — in real life too — whose sheer presence as well as support to her team made all the difference.

Who is Esme Wren?

It was reportedly back when Esme was merely a young girl that she first developed a keen interest in both journalism and politics, only for it to continue expanding as the years passed. She hence chose to enroll at Bristol University to study the latter as soon as she’d graduated from Portsmouth Grammar School, following which she expanded her wings with broadcasting. In fact, she attended City University for a degree in broadcast journalism before ultimately kickstarting her career in 1999 as a Producer for BBC’s renowned evening program ‘Newsnight.’

As per records, Esme actually served there for around six years before moving on to become Deputy Executive Editor of Sky News’ ‘The Sky Report’ in 2005, where she also garnered managerial skills. It thus comes as no surprise she gradually rose the ladder to hold a number of senior editorial roles, soon culminating in her landing the title of Head of Politics, Business, and Specialist department. So, of course, she appeared perfectly content for a while, that is, until she was given an offer she simply couldn’t refuse by her previous employer — BBC secured her as Editor of ‘Newsnight’ in 2018.

“It is a great honour and privilege to be returning to Newsnight to lead this exceptional team of award-winning and creative journalists,” Esme had candidly asserted back then. “There couldn’t be a more exciting time to edit this programme that leads the way in cutting through the constant noise of political, social, and global change. The last 12 years at Sky News could not have been better. I’ve been given the opportunities to grow and develop that have prepared me to now take on one of the best jobs in British journalism.” Though she still could’ve never expected she’d get the highlight of her career within a year by not just managing to give the show an all-woman lineup but also getting the exclusive, explosive Prince Andrew interview.

Esme Wren Has Since Moved On

Despite Esme’s incredible success at BBC, she parted ways with the organization in November 2021 so as to step foot into the role of Editor of ‘Channel 4 News,’ produced by ITN for Channel 4. “Editing the show over the past three years has been the greatest privilege of my career, working alongside some of the best talent in the industry, too many to mention,” she said at the time. “They are one of the most committed, tenacious, creative teams in the industry and I will miss them greatly along with all my BBC colleagues who work relentlessly hard to deliver the best content for their audience.”

As for the reason Esme moved on with ‘Channel 4 News’ in particular, she conceded that it “has a rich history of reporting from across the globe, lea ding some of the most significant investigations of our time. I will look forward to further growing its audience across all platforms and build on its strong heritage of speaking to young and underserved audiences.” The truth is she actually replaced the very well-loved Ben De Pear as this show’s boss, so ITN has since understandably revealed she won the job following “a competitive process that attracted applications from across the industry” to see who’d be the best fit.

ITN’s Chief Executive even added that Esme’s “passion for the brand and her understanding of the spirit of Channel 4 News really made her stand out… [She] is an inclusive, collaborative newsroom leader, who will nurture talent and support the team to deliver their world beating best.” Moreover, it’s imperative to note that Esme is managing her professional life while also juggling a hectic personal one, full of chaos yet joy thanks to a life partner, two daughters, plus a fur baby. As if this isn’t enough, it’s been reported that whenever the family woman is not dedicating every bit of herself at home or at work, she prefers to spend her time outdoors rather than just staying in. Her hobbies thus include cycling, running, surfing, plus other similar physically exerting activities.

Read More: Where is Sam Mcalister Now?

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