Martine Croxall

Croxall grew up in Stoke Golding, a village in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, where her father ran Croxall Hosiery.[2] She attended the independent Bablake School in Coventry[3] and studied Geography at the University of Leeds, gaining her BA in 1990.[4]

Croxall began with the BBC on work experience at BBC Radio Leicester in 1991. She followed this working at East Midlands Today, the BBC regional news programme for the region. Since that she has also worked at Newsroom South East (1997) and UK Today, a filler programme on the digital version of BBC One in England which was discontinued in 2002 when regional services were established on digital platforms.

She is a regular news presenter on BBC News between 18:30 and midnight, alternate Thursdays, Friday–Sunday. She occasionally hosts Afternoon Live on BBC News and has presented on both BBC World News and World News Today.

On 13 November 2015, she was the BBC's main presenter on the November 2015 Paris attacks. Emmy Award-winning former CBS Network News correspondent David Henderson wrote of Croxall's handling of the Paris attacks coverage:

Despite the unspeakable carnage and utter chaos across central Paris, a no-nonsense BBC World News presenter brought level-headed clarity to the attacks and horror in Paris with an understated, professional style that was a reflection, I believe, of television's great news anchors, like Walter Cronkite, Peter Jennings, and Dan Rather.

Her name is Martine Croxall, whose regular shift is to present late-night newscasts for BBC News. But, Friday, November 13, was different.

As BBC's massive global series of networks – largest in the world – were harnessed together, Ms. Croxall calmly yet credibly informed us from BBC studios in London of the fast-developing events in Paris. She was live to a global television audience of millions … nonstop, for two and a half hours. Her demeanour was extraordinary, free of the drama, showbiz hype, and tawdry behaviour we endure from many television newscasters in America.

She listened intently to remote reports from BBC News correspondents on the scene in Paris, and on occasion, politely corrected something said that could be misunderstood as speculation or not substantiated.

It's been decades since I've witnessed such a high level of journalistic professionalism. Downright exciting. And, I have every hope and belief that Martine Croxall's star will shine even more brightly at BBC News.

And, here's a most interesting caveat – not once did Ms. Croxall tell us her name, not once did BBC World News super her name during the hours she was on camera. She and they made it about communicating a world event.[5]

Croxall is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.[6]