Emma Vardy – Award-winning BBC Correspondent and Presenter
Awards Hosts - Television & News Presenters
Emma Vardy is an award winning BBC Correspondent and Presenter, with fifteen years experience reporting and presenting for flagship TV and radio programmes. Emma is the BBC’s Los Angeles Correspondent, reporting on a wide variety of stories from the 2024 US presidential election to Hollywood‘s red carpet awards as well as business and the rapidly evolving world of technology.
An engaging and versatile broadcaster, Emma was previously the BBC’s Ireland Correspondent, best known for guiding viewers through the complexities of politics in Northern Ireland, leading audiences through the twists and turns of Brexit, and for her “brave and fearless reporting” on paramilitary groups and the legacy of the Troubles.
For her broadcasting work Emma has won two Royal Television Society Awards and been named the Political Studies Association “Journalist of the Year”.
She regularly appears on the BBC News bulletins at six and ten as well as Today on Radio 4, the BBC’s Newscast podcast and other BBC programmes. She has reported from the Ukraine conflict, from Washington DC and been a political Correspondent in Westminster, as well as presenting Newsnight and hosting the business news on BBC Breakfast.
Emma began her broadcasting career at Sky Sports and Sky News and reported for the host broadcasters at the London 2012 Olympics, and the Vancouver and Sochi Winter Olympic Games. She is passionate about sport, has played women’s football and rugby and regularly travels the world to surf in far flung destinations.
Emma appeared in the famous chair on Celebrity Mastermind with Clive Myrie, answering questions on “the History of Surfing”. Having become a mother she has also reported on the changing attitudes to fitness in pregnancy.
With Emma’s warm and entertaining style as a speaker and host she brings a fresh approach to a wide variety of subjects.
Her specialism in politics has brought her to the forefront of reporting on high profile news events, while her ability to connect with a wide range of audiences and demystify even the most difficult of subjects has seen her become one of the most respected and well-liked BBC on-screen talents.
Emma has hosted events and chaired panels for organisations including the Royal College of Midwives, Queens University, the Political Studies Association, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern – 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Belfast Book Festival and Libraries NI.
Testimonials
Emma was a superb host of our Good Friday Agreement Anniversary event that we held with the former British and Irish Prime Ministers, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, and a group of 200 young people from across Northern Ireland.
Marc McGonagle,Deputy Chief of Staff to the Rt Hon Tony Blair
Emma conducted this historic session perfectly, keeping it engaging by asking perceptive questions from our two speakers, whilst at the same time enabling the young participants the space and confidence to give their own insights, and importantly also the opportunity to converse with two global statesmen.
It was a momentous event that was guided with truly exceptional professionalism by Emma.
Emma has facilitated both online and in person events and we have been impressed by Emma’s professionalism and ability to conduct interesting and informative interviews with a range or authors. Emma is reliable and personable with an engaging personality and we would not hesitate to engage her again.
Jillian McFrederick,LibrariesNI
Emma Vardy chaired two Annual Lectures for the Political Studies Association. These were major events for us, with leading academics addressing global issues for a diverse public audience.
Professor Roger Awan-Scully,Chair of the Political Studies Association 2020-23
Emma engaged excellently with our expert speakers, and then did a particularly fine job in chairing the Q&A sessions – ensuring that a range of different questions were considered, while also keeping the event firmly on-topic.
Emma brought to our events the presentational skills of a highly-experienced journalist, as well as a lightness of touch and just the right amount of humour.
She very much enhanced the overall quality of our Annual Lectures