Tom Brook
| Tom Brook | |
|---|---|
|
Tom Brook in 2013 | |
| Born |
16 June 1953 London, United Kingdom |
| Alma mater | Cambridge University |
| Occupation | News reporter |
| Years active | 1976 – present |
Tom Brook (born 16 June 1953) is a New York-based journalist working primarily for BBC News. He is mainly seen on BBC World News and is the main presenter of its flagship cinema programme Talking Movies. He has presented every episode of the show since it was first broadcast in February 1999.
Early life
Brook was born in Ladbroke Grove in London, but went to primary school in Hertfordshire. He completed his secondary education at William Ellis School in north London before going on to Magdalene College at Cambridge University where he graduated with a degree in Economics in 1975. Brook’s parents were Caspar Brook, the first director of the Consumers’ Association in Britain, and Dinah, a former education correspondent of The Observer.
Broadcasting career
Brook joined the BBC in April 1976 as a news trainee and, after working attachments in Belfast, Birmingham, and Manchester, he was appointed as a producer on Radio 4’s Today programme in 1978. In January 1980, he was posted to the BBC's office in New York as a news and current affairs producer. On 8 December 1980 he was the first British journalist to report live from outside the Dakota Apartment building on New York’s Upper West Side the night of John Lennon’s death.
Since 1985, he has reported on the US film industry for the BBC. From 1985 to 1998, Brook was BBC One's US correspondent for the top-rated Film series presented by Barry Norman. In 1999, he began presenting and producing the cinema news programme Talking Movies for the BBC, which, as of 2012, has surpassed 400 episodes. The programme covers cinema news from around the world, as well as delivering reviews of the latest films and exclusive interviews with top Hollywood and international talent. The longevity of the series has also allowed Brook to report from some of the world’s top film festivals, including Cannes, Sundance, and Toronto. He has also covered the Academy Awards for BBC News every year since 1985, reporting live from the red carpet. Over the years, Brook has also contributed to numerous additional BBC programs and outlets, including Breakfast, Correspondent, Front Row, The Late Show, The Six O’Clock News, BBC America, BBC News Channel, Hard Talk Extra, Newshour, and Today on Radio 4.