Annita McVeigh

Annita McVeigh is a Northern Irish journalist and news presenter, working for BBC News.

Background An only child, McVeigh was raised on a farm on the outskirts of Armagh, and went to school in Dungannon.

Career McVeigh's career in journalism began at the Ulster Gazette and Tyrone Courier. In the late 1990s she began working for the BBC, as a journalist at BBC Newsline.

In 2003, McVeigh co-presented live coverage on the television channel BBC World of the unfolding events in Iraq.

In 2004, McVeigh was a Special Correspondent at BBC News.

In 2006, she began presenting on the BBC News channel.

In 2013, McVeigh began presenting between 6:30pm and 9pm on weekday evenings on the channel.

From 2016 to 2020, McVeigh presented BBC Newsroom Live on the BBC News channel between 11am and 1pm on some weekdays. From 2021 to 2023, McVeigh presented BBC Weekend News, in addition to her other presenting work at the BBC.

In 2024, McVeigh, Kasia Madera, Karin Giannone and Martine Croxall, all high-profile BBC journalists, all began an employment tribunal claim against the BBC, alleging age discrimination, sex discrimination and unequal pay. However, their claim was subsequently denied, and they then subsequently appealed.

Personal life McVeigh married BBC manager Martin Read, from Hartlepool, County Durham in 2005. The couple have two children and live in Watford, Hertfordshire.