Baroness Bakewell

Baroness Bakewell, known professionally as Joan Bakewell, is a British journalist, broadcaster, and Labour peer. A prominent figure in British media for over six decades, she is celebrated for her work on programmes such as Late Night Line-Up and Heart of the Matter. Appointed to the House of Lords in 2011, she has been an active campaigner on issues including the arts, public service broadcasting, and humanism.

Early life and education

Joan Dawson Rowlands was born in Stockport and grew up in Heaton Chapel. She was educated at Stockport High School for Girls before winning a scholarship to Newnham College, Cambridge, where she read history. At Cambridge, she was a contemporary of figures like Derek Jacobi and Margaret Drabble, and became involved with the Footlights dramatic club. Her early ambition was to become an actress, but she turned towards journalism and broadcasting after graduation, taking a traineeship with the BBC.

Career in broadcasting

Bakewell's broadcasting career began in the late 1950s with regional news for BBC North West. Her national breakthrough came as a presenter on the groundbreaking arts discussion programme Late Night Line-Up on BBC Two, where she became known for her intelligent interviewing style. She later presented the ethical debate series Heart of the Matter and reported for Newsnight. In the 1990s, she hosted My Generation for ITV and presented the Radio 4 series Belief. She has also presented documentaries on subjects ranging from Titian to old age, and served as a trustee for institutions like the National Portrait Gallery and the British Museum.

Political career and peerage

A long-standing supporter of the Labour Party, Bakewell was created a life peer in the 2011 Political Honours and took the title Baroness Bakewell, of Stockport in the County of Cheshire. She sits on the Labour benches in the House of Lords, where she has spoken on issues including broadcasting, social care, and arts funding. From 2011 to 2017, she served as President of the British Humanist Association (now Humanists UK), advocating for secularism and humanist values. She has been a vocal critic of policies affecting the BBC Licence Fee and has served on committees related to digital media and communications.

Personal life and honours

Bakewell was married to television producer Michael Bakewell from 1955 until their divorce in 1976; they have one son, the journalist Matthew Bakewell. In 1978, she married the writer Jack Emery, who died in 2001. She was appointed a CBE in 1999 for services to broadcasting and was made a Dame in the 2008 Birthday Honours. In 2014, she was awarded the Royal Television Society's Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a patron of several charities, including Age UK and the Alzheimer's Society.

Publications and media appearances

Beyond broadcasting, Bakewell is an author of several books. Her works include the memoirs The Centre of the Bed and Stop the Clocks: Thoughts on What I Leave Behind, and she has written for publications such as The Guardian, The Times, and The Independent. She made a notable cameo appearance in the Mike Leigh film Mr. Turner and has been a guest on numerous programmes including Desert Island Discs and Question Time. Her later media work includes presenting the Radio 3 series Inside the Ethics Committee and writing a regular column for the New Statesman.

Category:1933 births Category:Living people Category:British television presenters Category:Labour Party (UK) life peers Category:Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge Category:People from Stockport