Jeremy Dickson Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is an English BBC journalist, news presenter and author. He is most famous for his abrasive and forthright style of interviewing on the BBC's Newsnight programme. Any kind of tough questioning is routinely described as Paxmanesque in recognition of his style. May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (132nd in leap years). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is about the English as an ethnic group and nation. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Newsnight is a British daily news analysis, current affairs and politics programme broadcast between 22:30 and 23:20 on weekdays on BBC Two. ...

Paxman is a well-known public figure, nicknamed "Paxo", which is both a contraction of his surname and a popular brand of British stuffing mix. Paxo is a well-known brand of stuffing in the United Kingdom. ... In cooking, stuffing, also known as dressing, is usually a mixture of various ingredients used to fill a cavity in another food item. ...

Journalistic career

Paxman was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, and educated at Malvern College and Charterhouse. His father, Arthur Paxman, served on the North Atlantic Fleet. His mother, Joan, was a housewife. Paxman is the eldest of four children and has two brothers and one sister, Jenny Lawrence, who works with him at the BBC. He lives with his partner Elizabeth Ann Clough in Stonor, Oxfordshire. They have three children; Jessica, and twins Victoria and Jack. Leeds is a major city in West Yorkshire, England. ... West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. ... Malvern College is a coeducational English public school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded in 1865. ... Charterhouse School (Originally, Suttons Hospital in Charterhouse) is a famous boys English public school, located in Godalming in the county of Surrey. ... Stonor Park is the location if a historic house and park in Oxfordshire, England, on the border with Buckinghamshire north of Henley-on-Thames. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from the Latinised form Oxonia) is a county in the South East of England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. ...

He read English at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he edited the student newspaper Varsity. His career began on local radio before he moved to Belfast as an investigative journalist. In 1977 Paxman moved to London with the BBC and two years later he transferred to Panorama from the Tonight programme. After five years on that programme, working from locations as diverse as Beirut, Uganda and Central America, he accepted a job presenting the Six O'Clock News, where he was presenter for two years, before moving to the Breakfast Time programme. In 1989 he moved to his current job as presenter of Newsnight. Whilst maintaining his spot fronting that show, his career has diversified into the presentation of a number of television programmes, such as the quiz programme University Challenge and You Decide. Full name Collegium sive aula D. Catharinæ in Universitate Cantabrigiensi Motto   For the wheel! (unofficial) Named after St Catharine of Alexandria Previous names Katharine Hall (1473-1860) Established 1473 Sister College(s) Worcester College Master Prof. ... Varsity is the older of Cambridge Universitys main student newspapers (The Cambridge Student is the other, younger, one). ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Panorama is a long-running current affairs documentary series on BBC television, launched in 1953 and focusing on investigative journalism. ... Tonight is the name of a British television newsmagazine, anchored by Sir Trevor McDonald and produced by the ITV network since 1999. ... For other uses, see Beirut (disambiguation). ... Map of Central America Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. ... Breakfast Time was British televisions first national breakfast show, beating ITVs Good Morning Britain to the air by two weeks. ... University Challenge is a long-running British television quiz show, licensed and produced by Granada Television. ...

Paxman's line of questioning when interviewing is, conversely, often praised as tough and incisive or criticised as aggressive and irreverent.

In early 1980s he described himself as a socialist when he applied to edit the New Statesman magazine. [1]

One of Paxman's most famous Newsnight interviews took place on 13 May 1997, with Michael Howard, who had until 13 days earlier been Home Secretary. Howard was questioned regarding a meeting he had convened with the head of the Prison Service, Derek Lewis, regarding the potential dismissal of the head of Parkhurst Prison. During one continuous sequence Paxman put the same question - "Did you threaten to overrule him?" - twelve times to Howard, who on each occasion gave a qualified or evasive answer.^[1] May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (134th in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Rt Hon. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the whole United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland). ... HM Prison Parkhurst is a prison situated in Parkhurst, Isle of Wight. ...

This was later revealed to be a stalling strategy by Paxman on being told that the studio was having technical trouble with one of the reports which was to follow.^{[citation needed]} In 2004 Paxman broached the subject with Howard — then Conservative leader — again; Howard laughed the question off, but did say he "didn't" threaten to overrule the Head of the Prison Service.

In 1998 Denis Halliday, one of the United Nations' humanitarian aid directors, resigned from his post in Iraq in protest at the UN sanctions imposed on Iraq, calling it "genocide." [2] In the subsequent interview with Newsnight, Paxman asked Halliday, "Aren't you just an apologist for Saddam Hussein?" Denis J. Halliday was born in Ireland and holds an M.A. in Economics, Geography and Public Administration from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. ... United Nations sanctions against Iraq were imposed by the United Nations in 1990 following Iraqs invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and continued until the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. ...

In recognition of Paxman's tough reputation, when in 2003 Prime Minister Tony Blair decided to make the case for the Iraq war directly to the public, he chose Paxman as the presenter of a TV special question-and-answer session with a public studio audience. During this interview Paxman famously asked Blair if he and President Bush "prayed together" to which Blair replied "No, Jeremy....we don't pray together". 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... Combatants Coalition Forces: United States United Kingdom South Korea Australia Poland Romania others. ...

Paxman attracted attention to his robust interviewing of party political leaders during the 2005 General Election. The BBC received complaints from some viewers that in the interviews Paxman was "rude and aggressive". Paxman's role interviewing candidates on the 2005 election night drew some attention, particularly after a 5am interview with winning candidate George Galloway. He began by asking Galloway "are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in Parliament?" (Oona King) (transcript), a line of questioning criticised by many including Oona King herself. However, after Galloway's public fall from grace in the 2006 Celebrity Big Brother debacle, Paxman challenged him (in a recorded message played on the show) to return to Newsnight for a follow-up interview. Galloway has so far declined. The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005. ... George Galloway (born 16 August 1954) is a Scottish politician noted for his far left and socialist views, confrontational style, and rhetorical skill. ... Oona Tamsyn King (born October 22, 1967, in Sheffield) is an English politician. ... Big Brother is a reality show shown on Channel 4 in which a number of contestants live in an isolated house trying to avoid being evicted by the public with the aim of winning a large cash prize at the end of the run. ... Newsnight is a British daily news analysis, current affairs and politics programme broadcast between 22:30 and 23:20 on weekdays on BBC Two. ...

Paxman's often brusque manner is not restricted to his political interviews. When Newsnight decided to broadcast brief weather forecasts instead of financial reports he openly ridiculed the decision on the air (for example "and for tonight's weather - it's April, what do you expect?").

Author

Paxman is also an author of non-fiction books. His first book arose out of a Panorama programme that he worked on with Robert Harris on biological and chemical warfare. Together they wrote A Higher Form of Killing (1982, ISBN 0-09-944159-4) exploring its history; a revised edition completed in late 2001 included a chapter asserting that Iraq possessed both chemical and biological weapons. Working on his own, Paxman wrote Through the Volcanoes (1987, ISBN 0-586-08572-6), about events he witnessed in Central America when working there. He also wrote Friends in High Places: Who Runs Britain? (1991, ISBN 0-14-015600-3) which investigated the labyrinthine connections between those in power in early 1990s Britain. A study of the English nation entitled The English: A Portrait of a People followed in 1998 (ISBN 0-14-026723-9) to considerable critical acclaim. The Political Animal (2002, ISBN 0-14-028847-3), discusses the character traits of those that enter politics. His most recent book is On Royalty (2006, ISBN 0-670-91662-5), a thesis on, and defence of, the United Kingdom's constitutional monarchy. Panorama is a long-running current affairs documentary series on BBC television, launched on 11 November 1953 and focusing on investigative journalism. ... Robert Harris is an English TV reporter and author, born in 1957 in the city of Nottingham. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Other television work

Paxman has presented the BBC quiz programme University Challenge since 1994, bringing to the job his trademark sardonic manner. He is the longest-serving current quizmaster on British television. [3] The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion... University Challenge is a long-running British television quiz show, licensed and produced by Granada Television. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ...

In April 2006 it was claimed by The Sun newspaper that he earned £800,000 for his Newsnight presenting and £240,000 for presenting University Challenge, making his putative total yearly salary £1,040,000. This revelation was one of a series of BBC salary leaks reported in the British tabloid press that sparked an investigation by the BBC.[4] For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... This article is about a British tabloid. ... Newsnight is a British daily news analysis, current affairs and politics programme broadcast between 22:30 and 23:20 on weekdays on BBC Two. ... A tabloid is a newspaper — especially in the United Kingdom — that uses the tabloid format, which is roughly 23½ by 14¾ inches per spread. ...

In a January 2006 episode of the BBC programme on genealogy, Who Do You Think You Are?, it was revealed that he descends from a 14th-century politician from Suffolk, Roger Packsman, who changed his name to Paxman ("man of peace") to impress the electorate. The programme was also notable for showing Paxman's rarely-seen sensitive side when he broke down after discovering an impoverished ancestor had her poor relief application revoked by the parish because she had had a child out of wedlock [5]. For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Genealogy is the study and tracing of family pedigrees. ... Who Do You Think You Are? was a ten part television series shown on the UKs BBC2, in 2004, in which various celebrities go on a journey, in order to try and trace their family tree. ... Suffolk (pronounced ) is a large historic and modern non-metropolitan county in East Anglia, England. ... Former workhouse at Nantwich, dating from 1780 The Poor Law was the system for the provision of social security in operation in England and the rest of the United Kingdom from the 16th century until the establishment of the Welfare State in the 20th century. ... A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ... Illegitimacy was a term in common usage for the condition of being born of parents who are not validly married to one another; the legal term is bastardy. ...

In popular culture

Paxman became a focus of media attention in his own right in October 2000 when the stolen Enigma machine which had been taken from Bletchley Park Museum was inexplicably sent to him in the post. He had it returned to its rightful location.[6] 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The plugboard, keyboard, lamps and finger-wheels of the rotors emerging from the inner lid of a three-rotor German military Enigma machine (version with labels) In the history of cryptography, the Enigma was a cipher machine used to encrypt and decrypt secret messages. ... During World War II, codebreakers at Bletchley Park solved messages from a large number of Axis code and cipher systems, including the German Enigma machine. ...

On the satirical TV show Spitting Image, Paxman's puppet made regular appearances. He was portrayed as extremely smug and deeply in love with himself. Spitting Image was a satirical puppet show that ran on the United Kingdoms ITV television network from 1984 to 1996. ...

• Paxman had a cameo role in the 2004 film Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason [7].

2002 Lincoln cent, obverse, proof with cameo Cameo is a method of carving, or an item of jewelry made in this manner. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is a book by Helen Fielding as well as movie based on the book. ...

Tributes and honours

Paxman was made an honorary graduate of the University of Bradford in December 1999. On 15th September 2006 at the Barbican Centre in London, he received an honorary doctorate from the Open University. Among the invited guests at the ceremony were three members of the Open University team from University Challenge 1999. An alumnus (masculine) or alumna (feminine) of a college, university, or school is a former student. ... The University of Bradford is a university in Bradford, West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Paxman is a Fellow by Special Election of St Edmund Hall in the University of Oxford. He is an Honorary Fellow of his alma mater, St Catharine's College, Cambridge. College name St Edmund Hall Aula Sancti Edmundi Named after St Edmund of Abingdon Established 13th century, (c. ... The University of Oxford (usually abbreviated as Oxon. ... Full name Collegium sive aula D. Catharinæ in Universitate Cantabrigiensi Motto   For the wheel! (unofficial) Named after St Catharine of Alexandria Previous names Katharine Hall (1473-1860) Established 1473 Sister College(s) Worcester College Master Prof. ...

Trivia

• Paxman's brother Giles Paxman is the British Ambassador to Mexico.

• Paxman supports Leeds United Football Club.

Ambassador Paxman Mr. ... An ambassador, rarely embassador, is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country. ... Leeds United Football Club is the only professional association football club in the city of Leeds. ... Peter Snow CBE (born April 20, 1938 in Dublin, Ireland) is a British television and radio presenter. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion... Newsnight is a British daily news analysis, current affairs and politics programme broadcast between 22:30 and 23:20 on weekdays on BBC Two. ... Gavin Esler (born Glasgow, February 27, 1953) is a BBC television presenter. ... Kirsty Wark is one of the presenters of Newsnight, as well as Newsnight Review. ...

References

• BBC Press Office Biography
• BBC Newswatch: " Why we love the 'Paxman problem'"
• Paxman vs Howard interview from May 1997 in RealPlayer and Windows Media format
• YouTube - BBC's best of Paxman - includes the Paxman v Howard interview
• BBC audience complaints
• Jeremy Paxman entry at bfi Screenonline
• Jeremy Paxman on Who Do You Think You Are?

Footnotes