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Wales Online
Wales Online
Politics
Ruth Mosalski

Who is Julie Etchingham, the ITV journalist presenting the leaders debate?

Tonight, Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson will be live on prime-time TV telling voters why they should vote for their party.

Julie Etchingham has said she has spent days in rehearsal with producers "briefed to the eyeballs" pretending to be the two men and in a lot of different modes to get her ready for the debate.

Often praised for her ability to guide politicians back on track, but who is Julie Etchingham?

Where have I seen her before?

Julie Etchingham presents and reports for ITV News at Ten.

She also presents the Tonight programme for ITV and was the first woman to be named Royal Television Society Presenter of the Year in 2010. She won the award for a second time in 2016.

Depending on your age she also presented children's TV news show, Newsround.

Tell me more

A Cambridge graduate, she joined the BBC, presenting Newsround in 1994.

She joined Sky News in 2002 and has presented Five News on Channel .

She has been the ITV News at Ten host since 2008 and replaced Sir Trevor McDonald as Tonight host in 2010.

Is this her first debate programme?

No.

In June 2016, she chaired Cameron and Farage Live: The EU Referendum and The ITV Referendum Debate on ITV and the following year led the channel's election debate.

Earlier this year, she presented a programme called "Britain’s Next Prime Minister: The ITV Debate".

Julie Etchingham hosts leadership debate:

Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson face off in TV debate

And away from the news?

She is married to Nick, a TV producer and they have two children.

She is vice president of the stillbirth charity Abigail's Footsteps.  She is also a patron of the London homeless charity, Caritas Anchor House.

Is there another debate?

The BBC also has a debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn.

Today presenter and former BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson will host two debate programmes live on BBC One, one between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn and another featuring seven GB party representatives.

The BBC Prime Ministerial Debate is on Friday, December 6, is a head to head between Mr Johnson and Mr Corbyn in Southampton.

On Friday, November 29, The BBC Election Debate will be broadcast live from Cardiff on BBC One and BBC Radio 5 live.

It will feature a seven-way podium debate between leaders or senior figures from the seven major GB political parties.

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