Martin Stanford leaves Sky News after 25 years

Martin Stanford has announced he is to leave Sky News after 25 years with the broadcaster.

“So it’s farewell to Sky News after 25 years. It’s been fun,” Martin said on Twitter this evening.

“Now, as President Bartlett liked to say, “What’s next?” #watchthisspace”

Martin joined Sky News in 1990 at the height of the Gulf War, and presented Sky News’ flagship Sky News at Ten and the Nine o’clock News before moving to Sky News Today.

He has fronted the channel’s coverage of some of the biggest breaking news stories, including the September 11th terrorist attacks on the US, the subsequent bombing of Afghanistan, the Iraq War, the death of Diana, Princess of Wales and the subsequent funeral, the trial and later acquittal of Michael Jackson and the bombing of the Boston marathon.

Fellow presenter, Stephen Dixon, tweeted: “Mr S. This has come as a shock! GOOD LUCK. Hope everything goes well x”

Former Sky News presenter, Hannah Vaughan Jones, said “Best of luck Martin! I promise you there is life on the other side ?. A big loss to Sky but hopefully a big gain for you x”

Martin started out presenting news, phone-in and discussion programmes for BBC local radio stations in Oxford, Northampton and Cambridge before moving to the bi-media world of BBC Southampton where he worked for both South Today and BBC Radio Solent.

In 1989, he moved to the start-up BSB News service and later joined Sky News, after working as a Field Producer in Amman, Jordan during the first Gulf War.

As a tribute , here's @martinstanford from BBC South Today almost 27 years ago… pic.twitter.com/PfELVJKKgR

— TV Live (@tvlive) April 4, 2016