ITV has today announced that ITV News UK Editor, Paul Brand, is to take over as the new presenter of Britain’s most-watched weekly current affairs programme, Tonight.

He will succeed ITV News at Ten anchor Julie Etchingham, who decided to step down from Tonight at the beginning of the year to concentrate on News at Ten and other major ITV documentary projects in the pipeline.

Brand has previously led an investigation for the Tonight strand, with a film last November, 'Searching for Patient Zero: Britain's AIDS Tragedy’, which solved the forty-year mystery of the first recorded person to die of AIDS in the UK, John Eaddie.

He will now take over as lead presenter across the entire strand, around 40 editions a year, from April 2022.

Brand will continue in his role as UK Editor at ITV News, where his recent exclusives include the video showing Downing Street staff joking about a Christmas party, described by The Media Show as the “Political story of the year.”. He was named Political Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards 2020 for his work uncovering the Covid-19 crisis in care homes.

Paul will also be taking on other presenting opportunities at ITV, to be announced in due course.

Paul Brand said:

"To present a show previously fronted by two titans of broadcasting - Julie Etchingham and Sir Trevor McDonald - is a huge honour. Having reported for the Tonight programme in the past, I have already had the pleasure of working with many of the enormously talented team behind Britain's most-watched weekly current affairs programme. I am delighted to be making this a weekly commitment, alongside my role as UK Editor for ITV News. At a time when the world often feels as if it is in a perpetual state of crisis, Tonight will continue to play a vital role in exploring and explaining the events around us."

Michael Jermey, Director of News and Current Affairs at ITV said:

"Paul is an excellent journalist with an impressive track record of finding and reporting exclusive stories. He cares about people and how their lives are affected, for good or ill, by decisions taken by those in authority.

Paul's forensic reporting and his natural empathy will both be great assets for the Tonight programme."

Tom Giles, ITV Controller of Current Affairs and Commissioner of Tonight said:

"I'm delighted that Paul will be taking over as the presenter of ITV's Tonight. Though Julie is obviously a very hard act to follow, I know that Paul's combination of journalistic excellence and natural regard and empathy for the stories that matter to our audiences will ensure the programme remains in the best of hands."

ENDS