Jeremy Paxman

Jeremy Dickson Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is an English former broadcaster, journalist and author.

Born in Leeds, Paxman was educated at Malvern College and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he edited the undergraduate newspaper ''Varsity''. At Cambridge, he was a member of a Labour Party club and described himself as a socialist, in later life describing himself as a one-nation conservative. He joined the BBC in 1972, initially at BBC Radio Brighton, relocating to London in 1977. In following years, he worked on ''Tonight'' and ''Panorama'', becoming a newsreader for the ''BBC Six O'Clock News'' and later a presenter on ''Breakfast Time'' and ''University Challenge''.

In 1989, he became a presenter for the BBC Two programme ''Newsnight'', interviewing many political figures. Paxman became known for his forthright interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians. These appearances were sometimes criticised as aggressive, intimidating and condescending, yet also applauded as tough and incisive. In 2014, Paxman left ''Newsnight'' after 25 years as its presenter. Since then, he has done occasional work for ''Channel 4 News''. From its revival in 1994 up until he stepped down from the show in 2023, he presented ''University Challenge'' and its Christmas spin-off from 2011 to 2022. In 2022, he announced he was standing down, as he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Provided by Wikipedia