Caroline Froggatt (Ch, 1992)

Whilst I was at College, I announced to my mother that I might wish to be a journalist. She quickly dismissed the idea because in her view a journalist was a ‘busybody’.

I chuckle at this now; what I most love about my work is the quest for information, truth and accountability as well as the opportunity to offer a platform to others who would otherwise not have a voice.

I’ve been at ITN for nearly 20 years. The newsroom is a dynamic place where teamwork is critical, and leadership is key. Television news is not just communicating accurate information but it’s storytelling with picture too. Creativity and resourcefulness are essential especially if you are in a far- flung place, a war zone or other hostile situation. Shooting, scripting, editing and feeding reports from stairwells, deserts, and the back of vans are all part of the job.

(Image above caption: Caroline and the ITN team in the Sahara desert)

I have been fortunate to travel with work and lucky to meet presidents, prime ministers, royals, movie stars, and entrepreneurs but alongside such people I have also met the extraordinary ordinary; campaigners, refugees, people who have suffered unimaginable loss, those with meaningful and sometimes difficult stories to tell. It is both a responsibility and a privilege.

(Image above caption: Harry & Bryan Adams at the 2014 opening of ‘Wounded: The Legacy of War’ at Somerset House)

(Image left caption: Caroline filming with Sir David Attenborough and ITV’s Julie Etchingham)

In 2013 my first book was published with singer and photographer Bryan Adams, titled ‘Wounded: The Legacy of War’, which we launched at The National Portrait Gallery. I wanted to highlight the courage and resilience of wounded war veterans to show not just what they had lost but also what remained and how they adapted. The images and edited text from the book were exhibited at Somerset House the following year. It raised nearly £1,000,000 for veterans’ charities.

In 2018 I produced the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for ITV, followed by a special programme in 2020 marking the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. I also produced ITV’s open-ended coverage when Queen Elizabeth II died last autumn. This culminated in the broadcast of Her Late Majesty’s funeral. It was an unprecedented time, and poignant for me as less than a year previously I had produced the Queen’s Christmas Broadcast which would be the last she would deliver.

(Image above caption: Caroline and the ITV team off air after the 2018 royal wedding)

In May, I produced His Majesty The King’s Coronation for ITV. I am acutely mindful that these were defining moments in history; capturing the essence and emotion of these occasions and getting the tone right was paramount, and to be there, amongst it all, was incredible. Now I’m looking ahead to the UK and US elections next year. My Mum wasn’t wrong; a busybody, I might actually be.