Nan Winton — British broadcaster and the BBC's first female television newsreader

Nan Winton (1925–2019) was a British broadcaster who became the first woman to read national news on BBC television in 1960. She later worked for ITV and was a regular panellist on radio programmes.

Nan Winton, born Nancy Wigginton in 1925, was a British broadcaster best known for breaking a gender barrier in television news. On 20 June 1960 she became the first woman to read the national television news for the BBC television service. Her appointment was notable at a time when news presenting was overwhelmingly male-dominated, and it marked a small but visible step toward greater gender diversity in broadcast journalism.

Broadcasting career

Winton's on-screen career included both television and radio work. After her pioneering appearances with the BBC she went on to work for ITV, and she was also familiar to listeners as a regular panellist on the radio panel game Treble Chance. Her range included newsreading, light entertainment and discussion formats, reflecting the mixed schedules of mid-20th-century British broadcasting.

Career highlights

First national television newsreading appearance on the BBC: 20 June 1960.
Subsequent work with ITV in television broadcasting.
Regular panellist on radio programmes such as Treble Chance.

Although her tenure as a national newsreader was relatively brief, Winton's role attracted attention and discussion about the place of women in public broadcasting. Over time her contribution has been remembered as part of the wider history of women entering roles once reserved for men.

Personal life and background

Winton was born in Portsmouth in Hampshire. She was married to actor Charles Stapley from 1948 until their divorce in 1962; the couple had two children. Outside broadcasting she kept a largely private personal life, and later years were spent away from the public eye.

Nan Winton died on 11 May 2019 at the age of 93. Reports indicated she suffered a fall at her home in Dorchester, Dorset and subsequently died of congestive heart failure and hypertension. Her passing prompted obituaries that noted both her pioneering position and the challenges she faced in a male-dominated industry.

Today Winton is remembered as a pioneering figure in British broadcasting: not because she permanently transformed television news overnight, but because her presence on the national bulletin helped open conversations about who could deliver the news to the public and paved the way for later generations of women presenters.