Editing David Dimbleby

{{short description|British commentator and presenter (born 1938)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = David Dimbleby
| image        = David Dimbleby 01.jpg
| image_size   =
| caption      = Dimbleby in 2007
| birth_name   =
| birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|1938|10|28|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[East Sheen]], [[Surrey]], England
| nationality  =
| other_names  =
| education    = [[Charterhouse School]]
| alma_mater   = [[Christ Church, Oxford]]
| occupation   = Television presenter, journalist, political commentator
| years_active = 1962–present
| employer     = BBC
| known_for    = BBC ''[[Question Time (TV programme)|Question Time]]'' Presenter<br />BBC UK General Election Night Anchor/Commentator<br />BBC National Events Anchor/Commentator
| spouse       = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Josceline Dimbleby|Josceline Gaskell]]|1967|1993|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Belinda Giles|2000}}
}}
| partner      =
| children     = 4; including [[Henry Dimbleby|Henry]] and [[Kate Dimbleby|Kate]] 
| parents      = [[Richard Dimbleby]]<br />Dilys Thomas
| relatives    = [[Dimbleby family]]
| agent        = Rosemary Scoular at United Agents
| module       = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=David Dimbleby BBC Radio4 Desert Island Discs 24 Feb 2008 b0090g5l.flac|title={{center|David Dimbleby's voice}}|type=speech|description={{center|[[:File:David Dimbleby BBC Radio4 Desert Island Discs 24 Feb 2008 b0090g5l.flac|Recorded February 2008]] from the BBC Radio 4 programme ''[[Desert Island Discs]]''}}}}
}}

'''David Dimbleby''' (born 28 October 1938) is an English journalist and former presenter of [[Current affairs (news format)|current affairs]] and political programmes, best known for having presented the BBC topical debate programme ''[[Question Time (TV programme)|Question Time]]''. He is the son of broadcaster [[Richard Dimbleby]] and elder brother of [[Jonathan Dimbleby]], of the [[Dimbleby family]]. Long involved in the coverage of national events, Dimbleby hosted the BBC Election Night coverage from [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]] to [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017]], as well as United States presidential elections on the BBC until 2016.<ref name="Williams">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/apr/03/today-programme-women-presenters-bbc|title=When Newsnight got a wife|first=Zoe|last=Williams|work=The Guardian|date=3 April 2010}}</ref> He has also presented and narrated documentary series on architecture and history.

==Early life and education==
Dimbleby was born in [[East Sheen]], [[Surrey]],<ref>GRO Register of Births: MAR 1938 2a 180 SURREY NE – David Dimbleby, mmn = Thomas</ref> the son of the journalist and [[Second World War]] [[war correspondent]] [[Richard Dimbleby]], by his marriage to Dilys Thomas, from Wales. He had three siblings: two brothers, [[Jonathan Dimbleby]], also a television current affairs presenter, and Nicholas (died 2024), and a sister, Sally.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1&xml=/portal/2007/02/03/ftnick03.xml | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070327112731/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1&xml=/portal/2007/02/03/ftnick03.xml | url-status=dead | archive-date=27 March 2007 | work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] | location=London | title=Family detective | first=Nick | last=Barratt | date=3 February 2007 | access-date=1 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Obituaries |first=Telegraph |date=2024-02-25 |title=Nicholas Dimbleby, scion of the broadcasting dynasty who made his name as a sculptor – obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2024/02/25/nicholas-dimbleby-sculptor-motor-neurone-obituary/ |access-date=2025-02-16 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dimbleby |first=David |date=2022-09-24 |title=David Dimbleby: If I were a politician, I would pick daily fights with the BBC |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/biography-books/david-dimbleby-bbc-tried-push-question-time-old/ |access-date=2025-02-16 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> David Dimbleby was educated at two independent schools, the [[Battle Abbey School|Glengorse School]] in [[Battle, East Sussex]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Battle Abbey School|url=http://www.battleabbeyschool.com|access-date=10 February 2008}}</ref> and [[Charterhouse School|Charterhouse]] in [[Godalming]], Surrey, where he was a contemporary of the journalist [[Adam Raphael]]. The two younger Dimblebys both made their television débuts in the 1950s in the BBC's first holiday programme ''Passport'', at a time when the whole family would visit resorts in Switzerland or [[Brittany]]. A holiday programme for the home counties, called ''No Passport'', was also broadcast.

After learning French in Paris and Italian in [[Perugia]], Dimbleby read [[Philosophy, politics and economics]] at [[Christ Church, Oxford]] and graduated with a third-class degree. While at Oxford he was President of the Christ Church [[Junior Common Room]], a member of the [[Bullingdon Club]] – a socially exclusive student dining and drinking society – and also editor of the student magazine ''[[The Isis Magazine|Isis]]''.

==Career==

===Early career===
Dimbleby joined the BBC as a news reporter in [[Bristol]] in the 1960s and has appeared in news programmes since 1962, early on co-presenting the televised version of the school quiz ''[[Top of the Form (quiz show)|Top of the Form]]'', and was a reporter on the BBC's coverage of the [[1964 United Kingdom general election|1964 general election]] with his father as linkman.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiUkyAS-fSs&&t=6m10s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/QiUkyAS-fSs |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=1964 General Election Part 1|date=20 July 2013|work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Richard Dimbleby died the following year.

On 24 July 1967, Dimbleby was one of seventy signatories to an advertisement in ''[[The Times]]'' advocating the decriminalisation of [[cannabis]] use, which had been written by campaigner [[Stephen Abrams]].<ref>Jonathon Green ''All Dressed Up: The Counterculture and the Sixties'', London: Pimlico ed., 1999, p.181-84</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1992-07-21 |title=Twenty-five years gone up in smoke |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/twentyfive-years-gone-up-in-smoke-1534696.html |first1=Dina|last1=Rabinovitch|first2=Emily|last2=Green|first3=Andrew|last3=Brown |access-date=2021-11-23 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> An incident in 1969 led to Dimbleby, then freelance, being called in by the BBC's Director of Television. During U.S. President [[Richard Nixon]]'s visit to the UK, a reference by Dimbleby to UK and US government heads' "expensively hired" [[Press secretary|press secretaries]] "whose job is to disguise the truth" was given much attention by the British press.<ref name="Summerskill">{{Cite web|title=The Observer Profile: David Dimbleby &#124; Comment &#124; The Observer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/observer/comment/story/0,6903,539025,00.html|access-date=2021-11-23|website=www.theguardian.com}}</ref>

Dimbleby became involved in a number of projects that combined his established role as presenter and interviewer with documentary making. An early example of this was ''[[Yesterday's Men (TV programme)|Yesterday's Men]]'' (1971), a film which the BBC recognises "ridiculed" the Labour opposition and led to a major conflict between the Corporation and the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]];<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/resources/bbcandgov/yesterdays_men.shtml "Yesterday's Men 1971"], The BBC Story (BBC website)</ref> Dimbleby had his name removed from the credits because of the concessions that were made.<ref>David Wilby [https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/resources/bbcandgov/pdf/yesterday.pdf Yesterday's Men 1971"], BBC 2006</ref> In 1974, he became the presenter of ''[[Panorama (British TV programme)|Panorama]]'', which had been presented by his father.

===Coverage of elections===
Dimbleby anchored the BBC's overnight coverage of the [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979 general election]], and continued in this role until the [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 general election]], for a total of [[List of United Kingdom general elections|ten general elections]].<ref name="Williams"/><ref name="Duguid">{{Cite web|title=BFI Screenonline: Dimbleby, David (1938–) Biography|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/1093826/index.html|access-date=2021-11-23|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref> In addition to election coverage, he also hosted BBC [[Budget of the United Kingdom|Budget]] specials, and was a presenter of the BBC early evening weekday current affairs series ''[[Nationwide (TV programme)|Nationwide]]''. During the same period (beginning in 1979), Dimbleby has also been the anchor for the BBC's [[European Parliament election]] results programmes and in 2008 and 2012, anchored the BBC's coverage of the [[US election]] night.

Dimbleby was the main presenter of the BBC's political series ''This Week Next Week'' (1984–88),<ref name="Duguid"/> broadcast on Sunday early afternoons, as a competitor to ITV's established ''[[Weekend World]]'' series. As early as 1987, he was a contender for the position of [[Director-General of the BBC]] (losing out to [[Michael Checkland]]).<ref name="shortlisted">{{Cite web|date=2001-08-10|title=Dimbleby 'shortlisted' for top BBC post|url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/aug/10/broadcasting.bbc1|access-date=2021-11-23|website=The Guardian|language=en|last=Wells|first=Matt}}</ref> ''This Week Next Week'' was replaced in 1988 by the ''[[On the Record (British TV programme)|On the Record]]'', a political series presented until 1993 by his younger brother, [[Jonathan Dimbleby]].<ref>[http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/d/13521/Jonathan+DIMBLEBY.aspx "Jonathan Dimbleby Esq"], Debretts</ref> Meanwhile, he continued to work in documentaries, including ''The White Tribe of Africa'' (1979), an award-winning four-part history of South Africa's [[Afrikaners|Afrikaans community]] and the rise of [[apartheid]], ''An Ocean Apart'' (1988), an examination of the history of [[Anglo-American relations]], and ''Rebellion!'' (1999), a history of Britain's troubled relations with [[Zimbabwe]].

By this time, Dimbleby was established as the anchor for the BBC's coverage of events of national importance, such as the [[State Opening of Parliament]], the [[Trooping the Colour]], and the [[National Service of Remembrance]] service at the [[Cenotaph]] in [[Whitehall]].

Dimbleby served as chairman of the BBC's Thursday evening topical debate programme ''[[Question Time (TV programme)|Question Time]]'' from 1994 until 2018. One of the most memorable moments from ''Question Time'' was when Dimbleby accidentally referred to [[Robin Cook]] as "Robin Cock", to which Cook responded by jokingly referring to Dimbleby as "David Bumblebee".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3623988/Just-answer-the-question.html|title=Just answer the question|first=David|last=Dimbleby|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=15 September 2004}}</ref>

===2000s===
In 1999, Dimbleby opened ''[[2000 Today]]'', the BBC's coverage of the millennium celebrations, from [[Greenwich]], England.<ref name="Duguid"/> He commentated on the funerals of [[Diana, Princess of Wales]] in 1997, [[Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother]] in 2002<ref name="Duguid"/> and former [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Margaret Thatcher]] in 2013,<ref name="thatcher">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22151589|title=Baroness Thatcher funeral as it happened|date=April 2013|work=BBC News|access-date=12 November 2013}}</ref> as well as the state visit of [[US President]] [[George W. Bush]] to the UK in 2003. In 2002, Dimbleby hosted the [[Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II]] coverage. A profile by [[Ben Summerskill]] for ''[[The Observer]]'' in 2001 quoted an unnamed former Cabinet Minister who had observed Dimbleby's career for many decades: "I suspect he has an almost medieval view, that the Queen governs through Parliament... There are a few quarrels among the subjects – over which he presides very capably – but they have very little to do with what Britain is really about."<ref name="Summerskill"/> Dimbleby, though, has himself criticised what he sees as archaic elements of the State Opening of Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2003-11-26|first=John|last=Plunkett|title=Dimbleby sidesteps State Opening|url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/nov/26/broadcasting.bbc|access-date=2021-11-23|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref>

David Dimbleby was chairman of the Dimbleby Newspaper Group, former publishers of the ''[[Richmond and Twickenham Times]]'', acquired by the [[Newsquest Media Group]] in 2001 for a reported £12,000,000.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2001-04-10|title=Dimbleby sells his newspapers|url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/apr/10/newsquest.pressandpublishing|access-date=2021-11-23|website=The Guardian|language=en|first=David|last=Teather}}</ref>

There were reports in 2004 that Dimbleby was shortlisted for the [[Chairman of the BBC|chairmanship of the BBC]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1044739.ece | work=The Times | location=London | title=Headhunters look outside the box for Dyke successor | first1=Adam | last1=Sherwin | first2=Raymond | last2=Snoddy | date=13 March 2004 | access-date=1 May 2010}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> However, the position was eventually awarded to [[Michael Grade]]. Dimbleby was a contender for the chairmanship in the corporation's tumultuous period following 2001,<ref name="shortlisted"/> which went to [[Gavyn Davies]]. He has instead remained, according to Mark Duguid for the BFI's screenonline website, best known for his "gravitas, journalistic integrity and consummate professionalism" and as "a paragon of impartiality"<ref name="Duguid"/> as a narrator and moderator, of British politics.

In 2005, he hosted a BBC One series, ''[[A Picture of Britain]]'', celebrating British and Irish paintings, poetry, music and landscapes. In June 2007 he wrote and presented a follow-up, the BBC series, ''[[How We Built Britain]]'', in which he explored the history of British architecture by visiting a region of Britain and its historic buildings each week. David Dimbleby also presented a new series on [[BBC One]], ''[[Seven Ages of Britain (2010 TV series)|Seven Ages of Britain]]''. In early editions of the programme, he looked at the [[Bayeux Tapestry]] and exhibits to do with [[Thomas Becket]].

On 12 November 2009, Dimbleby missed his first [[Question Time (TV programme)|''Question Time'']] in over fifteen years, having been taken to hospital as a precaution after being briefly knocked out by a [[Rear (horse)|rearing]] [[Cattle|bullock]] at his farm in [[Sussex]].<ref name=BBC8356943>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8356943.stm |title=David Dimbleby injured by bullock |work=BBC News |date=12 November 2009 |access-date=12 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091115091634/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8356943.stm |archive-date=15 November 2009 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }}</ref>

===2010s===
Dimbleby hosted the third of three [[2010 United Kingdom general election debates|televised election debates]] featuring the leaders of the three main political parties held in the run-up to the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 general election]].<ref>{{cite news | title = Brown to face three televised election debates | publisher = [[BBC News Online]] | date = 21 December 2009 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8425280.stm | access-date = 21 December 2009}}</ref> On the night of the 2010 general election, Dimbleby hosted the BBC coverage, along with [[Jeremy Vine]], [[Jeremy Paxman]], [[Nick Robinson (journalist)|Nick Robinson]], and [[Emily Maitlis]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8662141.stm | title=BBC News Article – BBC Election Coverage 2010 | date=6 May 2010}}</ref> Presenting from [[BBC Television Centre]] Studio 1, he was an anchor, and involved in commentary contributions, guest interviews and introducing live outside broadcasts. In 2013, Dimbleby presented ''[[Britain and the Sea]]'' and a year later, he presented ''[[The European Union: In or Out]]''. In 2015, Dimbleby hosted the first [[BBC]] [[2015 United Kingdom general election|general election]] debate, in spite of the fact that neither [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[David Cameron]] nor [[Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Nick Clegg]] took part.

Dimbleby hosted the [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|EU referendum]] results show on [[BBC One]], [[BBC News]] and [[BBC World News]] overnight on 23–24 June 2016, when the UK became the first and only country to vote to leave the [[European Union]]. In this programme, he made the following quote to the country when the BBC released its forecast for a Leave win at 04:40 [[British Summer Time|BST]]:

{{cquote|Well, at twenty minutes to five we can now say the decision taken in 1975 by this country to join the Common Market has been reversed by this referendum to leave the EU. We are absolutely clear now that there is no way that the Remain side can win. It looks as if the gap is going to be something like 52 to 48...so a four point lead for leaving the EU, and that is the result of this referendum which has been preceded by weeks and months of argument and dispute and all the rest of it. The British people have spoken and the answer is: we're out!}}

On 20 April 2017, the BBC announced that Dimbleby would host their coverage of the [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 general election]], despite having previously said that the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]] would be his last.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39657843|title=General election 2017: David Dimbleby to host programme|work=BBC News |date=20 April 2017}}</ref> On 17 June 2018, the BBC announced that Dimbleby would leave ''Question Time'' after 25 years at the end of that year.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44513442|title=David Dimbleby to leave Question Time|work=BBC News |date=17 June 2018}}</ref> On 7 December 2018, the BBC announced that [[Fiona Bruce]] would take over presenting duties from January 2019. Since his retirement from ''Question Time'', Dimbleby has presented occasional documentaries for the BBC.

===Post-''Question Time''===
In 2019, and in some of his first work outside the BBC for decades, he presented an acclaimed series of podcasts on the life of media mogul [[Rupert Murdoch]] entitled ''The Sun King''. This focused on various key moments in Murdoch's professional career such as his takeover of newspapers around the world, [[Fox News]], his battles with print unions and the [[phone hacking scandal]]. It also attempts to examine Murdoch's personal motivations and his political influence.

In 2020, Dimbleby continued his foray into podcasting, presenting a series on the lead-up to the [[Iraq War]]. The series examined the events in the lead-up to the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 invasion]] asking whether it was justified at the time, and whether it could have been avoided. It also closely analysed the relationship between [[George W. Bush]] and [[Tony Blair]], with Blair being interviewed as part of the series.

In October 2020, Dimbleby said he was again considering putting his name forward for chairman of the BBC.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54480272|title=David Dimbleby may bid to be BBC chairman|last=Fleming|first=Adam|date=9 October 2020|access-date=10 October 2020}}</ref>

In September 2022, Dimbleby came out of retirement to commentate on the [[Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II|state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II]] for the BBC, in particular for the committal service at [[St George's Chapel, Windsor]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/sep/19/david-dimbleby-echoes-father-to-lead-bbc-coverage-of-queens-committal|title=David Dimbleby echoes father to lead BBC coverage of Queen's committal|work=[[The Guardian]]|first=Vivian|last=Ho|date=19 September 2022|access-date=19 September 2022}}</ref> In 2023 and 2024, he also continued his long standing role as BBC narrator of the [[National Service of Remembrance]] at the [[The Cenotaph|Cenotaph]].

In October 2022, Dimbleby stated that the BBC does not appropriately question the power of the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|royal family]]. He said that the BBC would not address controversial topics to do with the monarchy, such as its ability to change tax legislation, or the fact that the [[Duchy of Cornwall]] does not pay [[capital gains tax]], and stated his disagreement that such matters were not examined. He also stated his shock over the amount of control the monarchy have over broadcasting covering them.<ref>{{cite news |last= Lewis |first= Isobel |date= |title= David Dimbleby says BBC is too scared to 'properly examine' royal family's power |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/david-dimbleby-bbc-royal-family-b2197618.html |work= The Independent |access-date= 10 October 2022}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Although the brothers presented election coverage on competing channels, when asked in an interview about rival [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]'s plans to include a riverboat party with the likes of [[Kevin Spacey]] and [[Richard Branson]] in their 2005 election broadcast, Dimbleby commented, "They've got Jonathan Dimbleby, what do they need Kevin Spacey for?".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.davidrowan.com/2005/04/interview-david-dimbleby-bbc-question.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061029222557/http://www.davidrowan.com/2005/04/interview-david-dimbleby-bbc-question.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 October 2006|title=David Rowan: Interview: David Dimbleby, BBC Question Time (Evening Standard)|date=29 October 2006}}</ref>

Dimbleby has three children with his first wife, [[Josceline Dimbleby]], a cookery writer: Liza, an artist; [[Henry Dimbleby|Henry]], a chef and co-founder of the fast-food chain [[Leon Restaurants|Leon]]; and [[Kate Dimbleby|Kate]], a jazz and folk singer.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-08-23|title=Observations' One To Watch: Kate Dimbleby, Singer, 39|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/observations-one-to-watch-kate-dimbleby-singer-39-8076600.html|access-date=2021-11-23|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref>

In 2000, Dimbleby married Belinda Giles, a granddaughter of [[Herbrand Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr]],<ref>Mosley, Charles (ed.) ''[[Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage]], 107th edition.'' (volume 1) Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. Pages 1076&ndash;1077.</ref> with whom he had a son, Fred, in February 1998.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/david-dimbleby-profile-britains-tv-master-of-ceremonies-on-election-night-10219831.html|title=David Dimbleby profile: Britain's TV master of ceremonies on election night|first=James|last=Ashton|date=1 May 2015|work=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-08-18|title=David Dimbleby's son set to follow in father's footsteps at Oxford|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/david-dimbleby-s-son-set-to-follow-in-fathers-footsteps-at-oxford-a3323591.html|access-date=2020-10-07|website=Evening Standard|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Dimbleby|first=David|title=The Truth Shall Set You Free, Episode 1|url=https://www.podplay.com/en/podcast/454819/the-fault-line-bush-blair-and-iraq/episode/44325906/1-the-truth-shall-set-you-free|access-date=2020-10-07|website=The Fault Line podcast|language=en|archive-date=11 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011010841/https://www.podplay.com/en/podcast/454819/the-fault-line-bush-blair-and-iraq/episode/44325906/1-the-truth-shall-set-you-free|url-status=dead}}</ref> Dimbleby lives in [[Folkington]], near [[Polegate]], [[East Sussex]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/05_may/18/britain_six.shtml|title=BBC – Press Office – How We Built Britain: Programme Six Modern South|work=bbc.co.uk}}</ref> and [[Pimlico]], [[London]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barber |first=Lynn |date=2022-09-23 |title=David Dimbleby: 'Liz Truss's behaviour was unbelievable' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/biography-books/david-dimbleby-liz-trusss-behaviour-unbelievable/ |access-date=2025-02-16 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> He previously had a home in [[Dittisham]], near [[Dartmouth, Devon]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Stamp, Rory|title=Anchor man|journal=The Lifeboat|volume=587|pages=46–7|date=Spring 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-22 |title=John Suchet on his love of his Devon home |url=https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/magazines/devon/24796230.john-suchet-10-oclock-news-anchor-now/ |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=Great British Life |language=en}}</ref> He is a supporter of [[Tranmere Rovers F.C.|Tranmere Rovers]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3524808.stm|title=Which Dimbleby?|work=BBC News|date=19 March 2004|access-date=19 May 2016}}</ref><ref name="Twitter 9 March 2013">{{cite web | title= Willing @tranmererovers, my team since I was ten, to gain promotion to the championship |url= https://mobile.twitter.com/daviddimble/status/310524585709805568| last= Dimbleby| first= David| date= 9 March 2013| website= mobile.twitter.com |publisher= [[Twitter]]| access-date= 26 June 2018 }}</ref>

==Honours==
Dimbleby was made an [[Honorary degree|honorary graduate]] of the [[University of Essex]] in 2005,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.essex.ac.uk/vc/hongrads.shtm|title=Honorary Graduates of the University of Essex, UK|date=20 December 2005|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051220140442/http://www.essex.ac.uk/vc/hongrads.shtm|archive-date=20 December 2005|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and is the President of the [[Institute for Citizenship]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citizen.org.uk/about_us/trustees.html|title=Institute for Citizenship|work=citizen.org.uk|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808232041/http://citizen.org.uk/about_us/trustees.html|archive-date=8 August 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 2019, he received the Special Recognition Award for his services to news and current affairs at the [[24th National Television Awards|National Television Awards]] in London.

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Journalism|Television|United Kingdom|England}}
*[[List of former BBC newsreaders and journalists]]
*[[List of longest-running British television presenters]]
*[[List of Have I Got News for You presenters]]
*[[List of Today programme guest editors]]
*[[List of alumni of Christ Church, Oxford]]
*[[List of University of Oxford people with PPE degrees]]
*[[List of Old Carthusians]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* {{IMDb name | id=0227229 | name=David Dimbleby}}
* {{Screenonline name|id=1093826|name=David Dimbleby}}
* {{C-SPAN|21252}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-media}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Peter Sissons]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Regular Host of ''[[Question Time (TV programme)|Question Time]]''|years=1994–2018}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Fiona Bruce]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Alastair Burnet]]|as=host until [[October 1974 United Kingdom general election|1974]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Host of BBC Election Night Coverage|years=[[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979]]–[[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Huw Edwards]]<ref>{{cite web|first=Jane |last=Martinson |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/feb/24/huw-edwards-general-election-david-dimbleby |title=Huw Edwards to take over BBC general election role from David Dimbleby |work=The Guardian |date=2016-02-24 |access-date=2017-01-17}}</ref> |as=host from [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{National Television Award for Special Recognition}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dimbleby, David}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford]]
[[Category:BBC newsreaders and journalists]]
[[Category:Bullingdon Club members]]
[[Category:Dimbleby family|David]]
[[Category:English reporters and correspondents]]
[[Category:English television presenters]]
[[Category:Fellows of King's College London]]
[[Category:People educated at Charterhouse School]]
[[Category:People from East Sheen]]
[[Category:People from Polegate]]
[[Category:Television personalities from Surrey]]