Rich Preston

Rich is a senior world news reporter and presenter on BBC World Service radio and on the BBC’s national and international TV news channels, responsible for anchoring live and rolling coverage of major and developing stories.

Rich is experienced at handling important breaking news and anchored the BBC’s coverage of, amongst other things, the assassination of Japan’s former prime minister, the verdict in the trial of Lucy Letby, Barbados losing the British monarchy as head of state and formally becoming a republic, and the fall of Jalalabad to the Taliban – the last major city in Afghanistan to fall to the group before the assault on Kabul.

He is host of BBC Topline – international news briefings for US breakfast radio – and appears regularly on other major international news outlets to be interviewed about world events, including the ABC in Australia, RNZ in New Zealand, and news networks in Singapore, Nigeria, and South Africa.

His coverage of significant global stories includes the Trump impeachment hearings, the overturning of Roe v Wade, waves of anti-government demonstrations across the Middle East, and the death of Queen Elizabeth II and Coronation of King Charles III.  Rich’s report in January 2020 on the death of a man in China from a mysterious new disease was the first TV news piece by an international broadcaster on what became the coronavirus pandemic – a story he then tracked as it spread around the world.

Rich spent two years covering Western Europe during an extremely tumultuous period on the continent, reporting stories including the Scottish Independence Referendum, the Charlie Hebdo, Bataclan, and Brussels attacks, the migrant crisis, and the UK’s Brexit vote.

An experienced event host, Rich has fronted major international technology conferences in Asia and London and hosts an annual awards ceremony for a UK animal welfare charity.

Rich is a member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (“Chatham House”) and the Royal United Services Institute. He cares deeply about journalism being open to all and is a mentor on the BBC’s Global Women in News Scheme and a Senior Fellow for the John Schofield Trust.

In his spare time, Rich enjoys hiking, climbing, traveling, and training his dog. He’s a PADI certified SCUBA diver and a qualified advanced off-road driver. Prior to joining the BBC, Rich served as a police officer in Central Scotland.

Rich holds a BA from the University of Stirling and has recently completed an MA in International Security and Intelligence from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London.

Rich grew up in rural Aberdeenshire and now lives in London.