David Dimbleby is a major presenter of current affairs programmes and documentaries for BBC television.

He has presented the BBC's general election programmes since 1979 as well as US presidential election programmes and Budget coverage.

He has chaired BBC One's Question Time since January 1994.

Early career

David Dimbleby joined the BBC as a news reporter in Bristol after leaving university and appeared in network programmes from 1962. During his BBC career he has presented Panorama, 24 Hours, People and Power, The Dimbleby Talk-In and This Week Next Week.

He wrote and presented the award-winning TV series The White Tribe of Africa and An Ocean Apart.

More recently he presented How We Built Britain, in which he explored the buildings that define the nation.

Live events

David has also been the commentator for a wide range of special outside broadcast events for BBC television including the State Opening of Parliament, Trooping the Colour and the Remembrance events at the Cenotaph.

He commentated at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, and during the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and for the BBC's programmes to mark the Golden Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth in 2002.

Education

David was born in 1938 and educated at Glengorse School, Battle, and Charterhouse. He learned French in Paris and Italian at Perugia, and studied politics, philosophy and economics at Christ Church College, Oxford, where he also edited the student magazine, Isis.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version