John Suchet - winner of RTS
Lifetime Achievement Award 2008

The Royal Television Society has awarded John Suchet its highest honour - a Lifetime Achievement Award. At the RTS's 2008 annual awards for excellence in television news, the judges praised John's 35 years as a television journalist, as both reporter and newscaster. They particularly commended him for his willingness to pass on his knowledge and experience to a new generation of television journalists.

John was described as a genuinely modest man with a boundless enthusiasm for his job. A short video was shown at the awards ceremony, showing highlights of John's long career. This included his live commentary on the funeral of Princess Diana, which was described as the most outstanding coverage of a live event in ITN's history. The audience also enjoyed seeing an excerpt from John's camera test in 1975, complete with long sideburns, wide lapels, and tinted glasses.

In his acceptance speech, John stressed that for him the essence of television news is teamwork, and he expressed his gratitude for the help shown to him over the years by camera teams he had worked with as a reporter, and programme editors he had collaborated with as a newscaster. As a surprise, the RTS had invited some of John's old colleagues from his ITN days, and the evening was a memorable and emotional occasion, full of reminiscences and laughter.

For further information contact John's agent,
David Foster Management >>