Kirsty Young’s journalistic career began in 1989 as a newsreader for BBC Radio Scotland where she also presented its Drivetime show. In 1992 she moved to Scottish Television where she was the presenter of Scotland Today at Lunchtime and Scotland Today – the channel’s midday and evening news programmes. From... Read more
Kirsty Young’s journalistic career began in 1989 as a newsreader for BBC Radio Scotland where she also presented its Drivetime show. In 1992 she moved to Scottish Television where she was the presenter of Scotland Today at Lunchtime and Scotland Today – the channel’s midday and evening news programmes.
From 1994-95 she was the host of ‘Kirsty’, a bi-weekly live discussion programme on the week’s hot topics, on STV. For STV she also presented Late Edition, a live, late-night entertainment and music show.
In 1996 Kirsty was a guest presenter of ITV’s The Time, The Place. Her BBC credits include presenting and reporting for Holidays Out, Holiday `96 and Film `96 on BBC1, and presenting BBC2’s consumer affairs show, The Street.
During her time as presenter of 5 News Kirsty has received the prestigious Sir James Carreras Award for Outstanding New Talent of 1997 at the 46th Variety Club Showbusiness Awards. A month later, in March 1998, she was named Newscaster of the Year at the TRIC (Television & Radio Industries Club)
Awards. The programme itself won a Royal Television Society prize, collecting the Team Award at the 1997 RTS Craft & Design Awards.
In November 2003, she guest-presented an edition of Have I Got News For You to critical acclaim, despite not being a comedian. She has, in total, guest-presented four times. She appeared on Room 101 in 2004 during which cowboy boots, Britney Spears and ‘baby on board’ stickers went in. She also had a cameo role in Trauma, a 2004 film starring Colin Firth and Mena Suvari.
In June 2006, it was announced that Young was to be the new presenter of the long-running BBC Radio Four programme Desert Island Discs, replacing Sue Lawley. She began presenting Desert Island Discs on October 1st 2006 and returned to Five News on September 28th 2006 but in 2007, Young announced that she would be leaving Five News in the autumn, following ten years as its head anchor.
On 29 September 2007, it was announced that Young would replace Fiona Bruce as a presenter on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme.
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You can book Kirsty Young through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Kirsty's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Kirsty Young's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Kirsty tailored to your event.
Kirsty Young speaks on a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Kirsty to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Kirsty Young for events worldwide, subject to Kirsty's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Kirsty Young is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Kirsty can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Kirsty Young on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Kirsty can offer.
Kirsty Young delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Kirsty Young's areas of expertise include a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. To get a clear sense of Kirsty's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Kirsty Young can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in a range of business, leadership and industry subjects is relevant. Details of Kirsty's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Kirsty Young is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Kirsty Young, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Kirsty's current availability for your dates.