Newsreader Suchet joins Five News

Suchet will take over from Young while she is on maternity leave

News anchor John Suchet - who retired from ITN in March 2004 - is to return to TV newsreading in the New Year as a presenter on Five News.

He will host the 5.30pm and 7pm bulletins on Thursdays and Fridays, before taking over full-time when Kirsty Young goes on maternity leave.

"I can't wait to return to the cut and thrust of the newsroom," said the 61-year-old broadcaster.

Suchet worked on the Lunchtime News and News At Ten during his 32 years at ITN.

Award-winning correspondent

"Since leaving ITV News, I've been very fortunate to work on my other big passion in life which is my music.

"But I didn't realise quite how much I missed it until I was offered this opportunity," he added.

The veteran newsreader - who is the brother of Poirot actor David Suchet - was an award-winning foreign correspondent for many years before becoming a studio-based presenter.

He left his television job because he wanted to write his autobiography and concentrate on his passion for music.

Since his retirement last year he has presented a show about composers on radio station Classic FM, reported for ITN on the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings and put in brief appearances on ITV1 daytime show This Morning.