It is with much sadness and regret that I have been asked by family and friends to announce the death of Sir Alastair Burnet. He passed away peacefully in the middle of the night at the Beatrice Place Nursing Home in Kensington, where he was being cared for after suffering several strokes. He was 84.
Alastair was one of the greatest journalists of his generation, as much at home in print (he edited The Economist and the Daily Express) as TV news and current affairs, where he was a legendary figure as Britain’s premier newscaster and anchorman.
He played a pivotal role in the rise of ITN as Political Editor, interviewer and newscaster; he launched ITN’s News at Ten, Britain’s first dual-anchored, half-hour newscast — the most successful newscast in British broadcast history; and he will always be remembered for presenting historic live events, from numerous election nights (on BBC and ITV) to US space launches to major royal events.
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