Jon Sopel (journalist)

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Jon Sopel (born 1959, London) is a leading television presenter and correspondent for the BBC.

[edit] Broadcasting career

Starting his broadcasting career in local radio, he went on to become the chief political correspondent for BBC News 24 and later spent three years as the BBC's Paris correspondent. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Sopel was the BBC's correspondent in Kuwait City.

Sopel has been a presenter on Breakfast, Newsnight, HARDtalk, The Daily Politics and the BBC's evening bulletins. He was given a regular presenting slot in 2005 when he took over from Jeremy Vine as presenter of BBC One's The Politics Show, broadcast every Sunday at noon. Jon has interviewed Tony Blair, David Cameron, Jack Straw and Condoleezza Rice (to name a few).

He currently co-presents BBC News 24 on weekday afternoons alongside Louise Minchin, as well as making occasional appearances on BBC One bulletins - he regularly reliefs for The Six

Sopel also authored a biography of Tony Blair, with the publication of Tony Blair:The Moderniser in 1995, a book that some considered to be designed to ingratiate Sopel with Blair who was at that time already seen as sure to win the next General Election.

[edit] Personal life

The 2007 edition of Who's Who listed Sopel's hobbies as golf, travel and watching football. He is also an ambassador for the |Prince's Trust.

Sopel is an alumnus of the University of Southampton where he was Students' Union President [1]. He met his wife Linda while working at Radio Solent; the couple have a son and daughter and live in North London.