- Mike Nesbitt
-
Mike Nesbitt MLA 
Born Belfast, Northern Ireland Occupation Television presenter, journalist, producer and politician Political party Ulster Unionist Party Spouse Lynda Bryans (m. 1992–present) Children 2 sons (2 daughters from a previous marriage) Michael Nesbitt MLA (born 11 May 1957, Belfast)[1] is a politician, journalist and former broadcaster from Northern Ireland. He is married to broadcaster, and former on-screen colleague, Lynda Bryans.[2]
Contents
Broadcasting career
Nesbitt worked as a sports reporter at BBC Northern Ireland and progressed to presenting Good Morning Ulster on BBC Radio Ulster from 1986 to 1990.[3] Nesbitt joined UTV as a presenter and reporter in 1992, being joined by his wife Bryans to co-present evening news programme UTV Live in 1996.[4]
Nesbitt and Bryans also co-presented weekly religious series Sunday Morning for Anglia Television from 1999 to 2001,[5] and two series of home and garden series Home Sweet Home for UTV.[6]
Nesbitt also hosted Counterpoint[7] and made a guest appearance in comedy programme Everything You Know Is Wrong in 1998.[7]
In 2006, Nesbitt announced he was not renewing his presenting contract with UTV.[3] His final edition of UTV Live was broadcast on 10 February 2006.[8]
Political career
In January 2008, Nesbitt was announced as a Commissioner of Victims and Survivors,[9] a Northern Ireland Assembly role designed to promote the interests of victims of the Troubles.
Nesbitt resigned from the post on 17 February 2010 to become the parliamentary candidate for the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force in the constituency of Strangford.[10] He lost out to the Democratic Unionist Party's Jim Shannon in the election.[11]
In the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2011, Nesbitt was elected in Strangford.
Personal life
Nesbitt attended Campbell College, Belfast[12] and studied at Cambridge.[3]
Since giving up broadcasting, Nesbitt and his wife set up their own independent media services company. Nesbitt worked for a public relations company between his careers at BBC Northern Ireland and UTV.[3] In April 2010, Nesbitt revealed that he had 2 daughters from a previous marriage with whom he has had no contact since his divorce from their mother.[13]
Nesbitt has four children.[2]
References
- ^ Mike Nesbitt's profile on u.tv WebArchive.org: captured 11 July 2002; accessed 5 April 2009
- ^ a b "'I could see myself getting old with Mike'" Belfast Telegraph, 29 February 2004; accessed 6 February 2009
- ^ a b c d "Nesbitt quits UTV over contracts row" Belfast Telegraph, 2 February 2006, accessed 5 April 2009
- ^ Lynda Bryans' profile on u.tv WebArchive.org, 11 July 2002, accessed 5 April 2009
- ^ Michael Nesbitt's filmography BFI Film and TV Database: accessed 5 April 2009
- ^ "Home Sweet Home" BFI Film and TV Database: accessed 5 April 20/09
- ^ a b Mike Nesbitt's filmography BFI Film and TV Database: accessed 5 April 2009
- ^ UTV Live Special - Mike Nesbitt's last day UTV Today; accessed 5 April 2009
- ^ "Victims' posts details revealed" BBC News, 28 January 2008
- ^ "Nesbitt is UUP election candidate" BBC News, 17 February 2010, accessed 17 February 2010
- ^ Strangford: Jim Shannon keeps Iris seat for the DUP BBC News, 7 May 2010
- ^ "My hopes for 2006" Belfast Telegraph, 28 December 2005, accessed 5 April 2009
- ^ Nesbitt: My secret family Sunday Life, 25 April 2010
External links
- Mike Nesbitt - Strangford election website
- Mike Nesbitt and Lynda Bryans' media services website
- UTV Today: Images of Mike Nesbitt's last day on UTV Live
Northern Ireland Assembly Preceded by
Simpson GibsonMLA for Strangford
2011 -Succeeded by
IncumbentCategories:- Living people
- Television presenters from Northern Ireland
- Journalists from Northern Ireland
- Radio personalities from Northern Ireland
- People from Belfast
- UTV
- Ulster Unionist Party politicians
- 1957 births
- Northern Ireland MLAs 2011–
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