Anne Davies reflects on her 40-year television career
Anne Davies has been reflecting on her 40-year television career which has included launching a national breakfast show back in the 1990s and now being the main presenter of the weekday East Midlands Today programme.
She celebrated the milestone with a party attended by many of her previous colleagues and friends such as Ross Kelly, movie screenwriter William Ivory and Kay Adams, who now fronts ITV’s Loose Women.
Anne (66), who has lived near Melton Mowbray for many years, started out at Radio Leicester before making her screen debut with Central TV News East after going through the ITN training scheme.
She has seen so many changes in the job and the television working culture from those early years in the late 1980s.
Anne told the Melton Times: “When I started out it was a very male-dominated society and television was a very blokey, drinking type of environment.
“Every manager’s office had a drinks cabinet and everybody automatically went to the pub.
“At Central TV we even had a bar on the floor of the newsroom.
“It was also a much tougher environment. Nobody cared if someone was upset by something.”
She recalled that studios were much busier back then with all-male teams.
Nowadays there are far fewer staff on the studio floor and it is often populated entirely by women.
Outdoor broadcasts involved a three-man crew while reporters do the whole thing themselves now using a mobile phone.
"Regional news plays one of the most important roles in broadcasting because we live in the area, we walk in the same streets, shop in the same shops, send our kids to the same schools and we tell the story from the point of view of where we are,” said Anne, who is also a Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire.
“The BBC regional news wipes the floor with ITV regional news, figures-wise, and that 6.30pm slot on a national level has a higher viewing figures than any other programme. More than Strictly Come Dancing or even Eastenders.
“Our presenters don’t change every two seconds. People think ‘I know her’ or ‘I know him’ so they trust what you say.”
One of the highlights of her career was presenting the first GMTV breakfast show on ITV with Eamonn Holmes in 1993 after it took over from TV-am.
Other presenters included Fiona Phillips, Penny Smith, Lorraine Kelly and Ben Shephard.
Anne recalled: “It was so exciting. To be part of something at a brand new station was terrifying but very exciting and I’m so glad I did it.”
She remembers one particular programme when she and Ross Kelly were interviewing a group of naturists live.
“They were completely naked and the crew spent ages setting up these plants so nothing was revealed,” said Anne.
"I’ve never made such complete eye contact with someone in my life.
"After the stress of doing that, Ross and I laughed hysterically during the whole of the advert break.”
Away from the cameras, Anne runs the Fashanne Awards, championing talented designers and she runs workshops on presentation skills.
She added: “I will continue on TV as long as I can string two words together.
“I’m proud to be waving the flag for older women on TV.”