Krishnan Guru-Murthy
Krishnan Guru-Murthy (born 5 April 1970) is a British journalist. He is the lead presenter of Channel 4 News. He also presents Unreported World, a foreign-affairs documentary series.[1][2]
Krishnan Guru-Murthy | |
|---|---|
Guru-Murthy at Chatham House in 2013 | |
| Born | 5 April 1970 Liverpool, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Hertford College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Notable credit(s) | Newsround, Channel 4 News. |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Geeta Guru-Murthy (sister) |
Early life
Guru-Murthy's father, an Indian consultant radiologist, worked in Blackburn and Burnley. The family lived in Liverpool, then moved to a "gothic folly" in a village outside Burnley.[3][4] Guru-Murthy attended the then-private Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Blackburn, before studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Hertford College, Oxford.[5] His sister is BBC News journalist Geeta Guru-Murthy. His brother Ravi Gurumurthy[6] was formerly Chief Innovation Officer of the International Rescue Committee[7] and is currently Chief Executive of Nesta.[8]
Career
Guru-Murthy's career began in 1988 with the BBC's DEF II discussion programme Open to Question and the youth current-affairs programme Reportage. While at Oxford University he presented BBC2's Asian current-affairs programmes East and Network East. He presented and reported for children's news programme Newsround from 1991 to 1994. He worked as a producer and reporter for Newsnight for three years, and was one of the launch presenters for BBC News 24 in 1997.
Channel 4
Guru-Murthy joined Channel 4 News in 1998 and is the second-longest-serving presenter after Jon Snow. He was also the main presenter of Channel 4 News at Noon between 2003 and 2009. The Royal Television Society Journalism Awards nominated him for its News Presenter of the Year award in 2010 and 2014.
He has hosted Channel 4's coverage of ceremonies at the 2012 Paralympics,[9] 2014 Winter Paralympics and the reburial of Richard III.[10] He presented The TV Show and The Operation: Surgery Live. He has hosted The Event – How Racist are You?, The Autopsy, The Exorcism, the quiz show Number One and two series of Going Cold Turkey.
Guru-Murthy moderated Ask the Chancellors, the first debate between the Chancellor of the Exchequer and his counterparts in the 2010 General Election. He also hosted How to save £100 Billion – Live the night before the new government's Emergency Budget.[clarification needed]
Guru-Murthy became Channel 4's ambassador for its foreign affairs programme Unreported World in 2011 and has made documentaries in Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Iraq, South Africa, and Yemen.[11]
On 19 October 2022, Guru-Murthy was suspended for a week by Channel 4 after calling Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker a "cunt" in an off-air remark.[12] Guru-Murthy later apologised "unreservedly" to Baker. Channel 4 said it has a strict code of conduct for employees and "takes any breaches seriously".[13]
Notable interviews
Guru-Murthy's February 2010 interview with Jim Devine became key evidence when the former Labour MP was prosecuted for expenses fraud. The politician was sentenced to sixteen months in jail.[14]
In January 2013, Quentin Tarantino refused to answer Guru-Murthy's question if there was a link between film violence and real-life violence. The film director's responses included: "I'm not doing this, I'm not taking the bait"; "I refuse your question. I'm not your slave and you're not my master. You can't make me dance to your tune. I'm not a monkey"; "It's none of your damn business what I think about that!" and "I'm shutting your butt down."[15]
Guru-Murthy described his October 2014 interview with Richard Ayoade as "the perfect joke interview".[16] Ayoade's increasingly blunt responses had reduced Guru-Murthy's colleague Jon Snow to fits of laughter off-screen.[citation needed]
In April 2015, whilst promoting the film Avengers: Age of Ultron, Robert Downey Jr. walked out of an interview with Guru-Murthy after the journalist asked about the actor's relationship with his father, drug use, and alcoholism. The interview has been watched several million times on YouTube.[17] Guru-Murthy said the question areas had been discussed in advance with Downey's public relations agent.[18]
Other news media
Guru-Murthy presented a weekly radio programme on LBC 97.3 between 2003 and 2005; hosted UK Leaders Live, interviewing the three main political party leaders in the UK's 2005 election; and presented the series Hindu Lives on BBC Radio 4 in 2005. He used to write a column in the Metro newspaper and the Asian newspaper Eastern Eye.[citation needed]
Other film and television
Guru-Murthy has appeared in a comic documentary about the band Gorillaz,[19] as a guest on The News Quiz and Taskmaster, and in cameo appearances for Bremner, Bird and Fortune, Shaun of the Dead and Dead Set.[20]
Volunteer work
Guru-Murthy is a trustee of Duchenne UK. He founded the Duchenne Dash, a 24-hour cycle ride from London to Paris, in 2013.[21] He was also appointed to the board of trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 2018, and was reappointed for the role in 2021.[22][23]
Personal life
Guru-Murthy suffers from Crohn's disease.[24] Guru-Murthy is married and has two children.[25] He has played in a rock band with Peter Barron and the chief creative officer of Endemol UK.[26] He is a supporter of Liverpool F.C.
References
- ^ . Archived from the original on 26 March 2007.
- ^ "Krishnan Guru-Murthy". The Observer. 14 January 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ^ "Fame & Fortune: TV newsman reports to his mother". The Times. Times Newspapers Limited. 5 January 2003. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ^ Greenstreet, Rosanna (7 July 2001). . Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ^ "Passed/Failed: An education in the life of Krishnan Guru-Murthy". The Independent. 18 March 2010. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ "Ravi Gurumurthy". nesta. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ^ "IRC Staff Leadership | International Rescue Committee (IRC)". Rescue.org. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^ https://www.nesta.org.uk/team/ravi-gurumurthy/
- ^ Tom Sutcliffe (30 August 2012). "First Night: Paralympic Opening Ceremony, Olympic Stadium - Paralympics - Olympics". The Independent. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^ "Week of exclusive live programming for burial of King Richard III - Channel 4 - Info - Press". Channel 4. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^ "Unreported World - Episode Guide". Channel 4. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^ "Krishnan Guru-Murthy taken off air for swearing about Steve Baker". The Guardian. 20 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- ^ "Channel 4's Krishnan Guru-Murthy suspended for insulting minister". BBC News. 20 October 2022.
- ^ "When Jim Devine admitted 'moving money around'". Channel 4. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ^ Nancy Tartaglione (11 January 2013). "Quentin Tarantino Has Heated Exchange With UK Journalist On Film Violence, Says "I'm Not Your Slave": Video". Deadline. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ^ Ayoade: 'Interviewing famous people on their latest project is like commuting for me too' The Independent, 24 October 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
- ^ "Robert Downey Jr full interview: star walks out when asked about past". YouTube. Channel 4 News. 22 April 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ Guru-Murthy, Krishnan (26 April 2015). "Krishnan Guru-Murthy: do stars and news need to go their separate ways?". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ "Gorillaz: Charts of Darkness (2001)". IMDb. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ^ Simon Pegg. "Simon Pegg on why the undead should never be allowed to run | Film". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^ "Duchenne Dash • Trustees". Duchenne UK. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "New appointments to the Board of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew". GOV.UK. 5 July 2018. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ "Krishnan Guru-Murthy reappointed to the board of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew". GOV.UK. 29 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ "Ep 11: Krishnan Guru-Murthy". Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster. 13 February 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ "Krishnan Guru-Murthy: Presenter". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
- ^ "Last weekend: Krishnan Guru-Murthy in London". The Guardian. 29 April 2006. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
External links
- Krishnan Guru-Murthy at IMDb