Jeremy Paxman
Jeremy Paxman
Jeremy Dickson Paxmanis an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He has worked for the BBC since 1972 and is known for his forthright and abrasive interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians. His regular appearances on the BBC Two's Newsnight programme were sometimes criticised as aggressive, intimidating and condescending, yet also applauded as tough and incisive. He is the question master of University Challenge, succeeding Bamber Gascoigne when the programme was revived in 1994...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionNews Anchor
Date of Birth11 May 1950
Television bosses should stop insulting the public's intelligence by assuming we are all idiots.
Has there ever been a visitor to Ludlow who hasn't wished they lived there?
I voted against Gerald Nabarro in my first general election, but my defiance made no difference. If you had put a Conservative rosette on a mustachioed hamster, it would have been elected.
It would be unforgivable to use the role I have, such as it is, to inflict my incoherent, half-baked view of the world on people. That would be illegitimate and unacceptable and I should be fired.
I have not a clue why they sent it to me. As far as I know I have not got a reputation as a receiver of stolen goods.
I've always thought you have to live life looking forwards, not backwards. I've had no interest at all in who my ancestors are.
Scepticism is a necessary and vital part of the journalist's toolkit. But when scepticism becomes cynicism it can close off thought and block the search for truth.
It's not just politicians. Any spokesman for a vested interest is well schooled in how to say what it is they wish to say, which may bear no relation at all to what you've asked them.
The early bird may get the worm, but its the second mouse that gets the cheese.
It's incumbent on those of us who work with the media...to at least cut through some of the nonsense.
At work people are expected to be at the beck and call of employers all the time. You have blackberries and other things, and they just don't leave you alone. People have less time just to drop into an art gallery.
I'm afraid I tend to be thinking about things and not paying sufficient attention to one's posture, deportment and general cast of face.
[Cycling] is easily the quickest way around central London, faster than bus, Tube or taxi. You can predict precisely how long every journey will take, regardless of traffic jams, Tube strikes or leaves on the line. It provides excellent exercise. It does not pollute the atmosphere. It does not clog up the streets.
The defining problem of contemporary television is trust: Can you believe what you see on television, does television treat people fairly, is it healthy for society?