| Lynda Bryans | |
| Birth Place: | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Occupation: | Television presenter, journalist and producer |
| Children: | Two sons |
| Website: | Webpage |
Lynda Bryans[1] (born May 1962[2]) is a Belfast-born television presenter and journalist from Northern Ireland.
Bryans began her career in the media industry in 1981.[3] Her first job was working as a temporary copy typist for UTV that summer which was immediately followed by a job working as a secretary in the Religious Affairs department at BBC Northern Ireland.[3] [4] She went on to become a newsreader and reporter on BBC's Inside Ulster, as well as reading daytime news bulletins and briefly covering continuity shifts for BBC NI. Bryans' career as a broadcaster began when she applied, as a staff member, for a screen test at the BBC, and she became a continuity announcer and newsreader for the Corporation in Belfast. In an interview with The News Letter, she stated, "I thought I'd apply for a laugh, and ended up being one of six picked out of 100."[3] [5]
Bryans also presented on network BBC programmes. She was a presenter and reporter for the BBC News and Current Affairs series Here and Now,[6] and also co-presented with Rolf Harris on Animal Hospital in 1994[6] and reported for the Holiday programme until its axe in 2007.
Bryans' other television credits include Portrush Sea Rescue,[7] News 40, ITV's recreation of news events from World War II in a contemporary style, and Bethlehem Year Zero and Dateline Jerusalem, recreating the news events at the time of the birth and death of Jesus Christ.[8] From 2001 to 2005, she appeared as an occasional newscaster on the ITV News Channel at weekends.[5]
As well as presenting UTV Live, Bryans and Nesbitt also presented Anglia Television's networked Sunday Morning series from 1999 to 2001[6] and UTV's home and garden series Home Sweet Home in 2004 and 2006.[6]
She was suspended from duty by UTV for a period from February 2010 due to Nesbitt's decision to stand as a candidate in the 2010 general election.[9] In June 2010, it was announced Bryans was leaving UTV after her contract with the station was not renewed.[10] [11] She hosted her final edition of UTV Live on 30 June 2010.
November 2005 saw Bryans become part of the daytime line-up on UTV-owned radio station, U105, hosting the 12.00–15.00 slot, U105 Lunch.[12] She left the station in October 2008.[13]
Bryans attended Carryduff Primary School and Ballynahinch Tech.[3]
She is married to former broadcaster and now politician Mike Nesbitt.[14]
Bryans is a director of the Northern Irish mental health charity Aware Defeat Depression.[15] She is also a patron of the charity Action Cancer,[16] a patron of the Girls' Brigade Northern Ireland,[17] [18] and, along with her husband, is a board member of Youth Lyric.[19]
Bryans co-runs a media production and facilitation company with her husband.
In 2006, Bryans received an award from Belfast Metropolitan College for her contribution to the life of Belfast.[20] She has two children.[14]
She is a practising Christian.[21]