From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sian Williams with co-presenter Dermot Murnaghan on the set of BBC Breakfast

Sian Mary Williams (born 28 November 1964 in Eastbourne, Sussex) is a television presenter for the BBC.

Prior to her career in television journalism, Williams spent over a decade with BBC Radio after joining the corporation in 1985. She worked in BBC Local Radio in Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester before becoming a producer and reporter in Liverpool. She later joined BBC Radio 4 as a producer on The World at One and PM programmes. Williams spent the next few years editing live news programmes on the station and its sister BBC Radio Five Live.

Williams' first foray into television news came when she joined digital channel BBC News 24, which was soon to launch, as an output editor. During screen tests for potential presenters, one became unwell and Sian was asked if she would be willing to try for the role. When she did, producers were so impressed that they offered her the position alongside Gavin Esler presenting between 4 and 7; a key presenting time on the channel.

She remained with the channel for nearly two years before joining the Six O'Clock News in 1999 as their Special Correspondent. During this time she also began filling in for the programme's then presenters Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce as well as regularly presenting the BBC's network news bulletins at weekends.

She joined the BBC's Breakfast programme in January 2001 as one of its regular presenters, initially presenting each Friday-Sunday first with Darren Jordon, then with Bill Turnbull as well as deputising for Sophie Raworth and later Natasha Kaplinsky at other times of the week.

In April 2006 Sian was confirmed as the main female presenter of the programme. She now presents with Dermot Murnaghan each Monday-Thursday.

Sian still acts as a regular relief presenter on the Six O'Clock News, even taking on the role full-time during the summer of 2004 when Sophie Raworth was on maternity leave, and also the One O'Clock News. She also occasionally presents on Radio Five Live and regularly presents programmes for BBC Wales (One Show, with Aled Jones, and the Big Welsh Challenge, where she spent a year learning Welsh) as well as presenting BBC One daytime programmes including Now You're Talking and City Hospital.

Although born and raised in England, Williams is Welsh by heritage, her family hailing from Llanelli. She has two sons from her marriage to Neale Hunt, a former director of the U.S. advertising firm McCann-Erickson, now head of his own media company, Media Therapy.

Williams' son, Seth, was born in October 2006. Following maternity leave, she returned to work on the BBC Breakfast programme on Monday 2007-03-05.

• BBC Presenter Profile
• Sian Williams at the Internet Movie Database