Kay Burley

Kay Elizabeth Burley (born 17 December 1960) is an English broadcaster.

She is a presenter on Sky News and hosts Kay Burley, the breakfast slot on the channel.

She has also worked for BBC Local Radio, Tyne Tees Television, and TV-am.

Born on 17 December 1960, Burley was brought up in Beech Hill, Wigan, Lancashire, the daughter of parents who worked in a cardboard-making factory.

Burley worked for BBC local radio and Tyne Tees Television, before joining TV-am in 1985 as a reporter and occasional newsreader.

From 1987, she presented TV-am's first hour, filling in for Caroline Righton and covering for Anne Diamond during their maternity leave.

Burley was recruited by Andrew Neil, and joined Sky Television, launching the Sky One Entertainment Channel in November 1988 with her own documentary, The Satellite Revolution.

She moved to the fledgling Sky News in 1988.

She attended Whitley High School (closed 1990).

She began her reporting-career at age 17, working for the Wigan Evening Post and Chronicle.

She was part of the team that covered the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, on Sky, breaking the news of the princess's death shortly after 5 a.m. on Sunday 31 August 1997.

She broke the first UK news of the September 11 attacks, shortly after the first tower had been hit.

She fronted Sky News coverage from Sri Lanka following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

In 2005, she was prominent in Sky News's coverage of both the general election and the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.

Burley is an occasional contributor to the tabloid Sunday Mirror, and in the summer of 2006 appeared occasionally on Channel 5's news bulletins.

Burley was a contestant for the second series of the ITV reality television show Dancing on Ice, beginning on 20 January 2007.

She skated for MacMillan Cancer Care, in memory of her mother, who had died of breast cancer.

She gave her appearance fee to the charity.

Burley and her partner, Fred Palascak, went out of the show in the fifth week, after competing against actress Clare Buckfield and her partner, Andrei Lipanov.

In a 2008 interview with the former girlfriend of serial killer Steve Wright, Burley was criticised for asking her whether, if the couple had enjoyed a better sex life, he would not have committed the crimes.

Images from 2008 show Burley appearing to strangle photographer Kirsty Wigglesworth outside the Naomi Campbell hearing, which a Sky News spokesperson explained by saying "Kay Burley was provoked by a hard hit to the face with a camera."

But the Associated Press said: ‘Kirsty is absolutely sure that she’s not the person who bumped Ms Burley with a camera.

She was the victim of an unprovoked and inexcusable attack.’

In February 2010, Burley apologised to guest Peter Andre who "fought back tears" after she aired comments by Dwight Yorke who criticised Andre after he volunteered to adopt Katie Price's first child (Yorke's son and Andre's stepson) Harvey.

Burley wrote in her online blog that Andre consequently "sobbed on my shoulder".

During the 2010 general election, Burley's interview with electoral campaigner David Babbs from 38 Degrees was criticised for "bias and aggressive behaviour".

Burley said, in part: The public have voted for a hung parliament.

We have got exactly what we voted for ... so you marching down past Westminster today will make no difference whatsoever.

... Why don't you go home and watch it on Sky News?

Ofcom rejected any complaints over Sky News coverage of the event, despite receiving 2,800 complaints.

Burley was subsequently heckled by protestors while reporting from College Green, who continuously chanted "sack Kay Burley", prompting Burley to say "Lots of demonstrators shouting 'fair votes now' – not sure what they mean by that" and "They don't like The Sun, they don't like us, they don't like Rupert".

In 2013, she fronted the coverage of the birth of Prince George.

She has stood in for Iain Dale on his Sunday Politics show on London talk radio station LBC 97.3 and joined LBC Radio on 23 March 2014 along with The Sun's managing editor Stig Abell to present a show from 8 to 11 a.m. on Sundays.

She appeared on the second series of Celebrity Hunted, in 2018.

In September 2018, it was announced that Kay Burley would have her own show on Sky News, The Kay Burley Show.

In September 2019, it was announced that Burley would be moving to breakfast time to host Kay Burley @Breakfast.

On 3 October 2019, Burley hosted her final afternoon show on the channel ahead of the first morning slot on 14 October 2019.

On 10 December 2020, Burley was suspended from presenting her eponymous show for six months, because she had breached London's tier 2 coronavirus restrictions.

Before then, she had scrutinised those who had broken the rules over the previous six months.

On 7 June 2021, Burley returned to the channel with a simple greeting, "it's great to be back", before reporting the news headlines.