Newsworthy career of Sir Trevor

Sir Trevor McDonald pictured with News At Ten co-host Julie Etchingham

Sir Trevor McDonald is stepping down from presenting ITV's News At Ten - but remains one of the UK's most popular television journalists.

Sir Trevor, 69, became ITN's first black reporter in 1973 and went on to win more awards than any other British broadcaster.

He was born in Trinidad, where his father Lawson worked in an oil refinery and raised pigs.

The eldest of four children, Sir Trevor once recalled: "We lived in a terribly small house with cracks in the walls, which we used to paper over with newspaper."

Refined English

Although he had little formal education, he read widely and won public speaking contests after refining his English by listening to the BBC World Service.

Sir Trevor began his career in Trinidad in 1962, working in various branches of the media including local newspapers, radio and television.

He joined the World Service's Caribbean section as a producer before relocating to London in 1969 to work for BBC Radio.

Sir Trevor worked for the BBC World Service's Caribbean section

Moving to Independent Television News (ITN) in 1973, Sir Trevor rose steadily through the ranks.

He served as a news, sports and diplomatic correspondent before becoming a diplomatic editor and newsreader.

By this time Sir Trevor was popular enough to be lampooned on ITV children's programme Tiswas by comedian Lenny Henry, who wore giant glasses, read spoof bulletins and called himself Trevor McDoughnut.

Sir Trevor also became known for quipping "and finally" before reporting a light-hearted story at the end of each bulletin.

He has interviewed such prominent world figures as former US President Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and Saddam Hussein, and won acclaim for his coverage of the 1985 Philippine elections.

Cricket fan

After a stint as diplomatic editor on Channel 4 News, Sir Trevor became the sole presenter of ITN's News At Ten in 1992.

He stepped down in 1999, but was brought back when the programme was revived in January this year.

Sir Trevor was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in 1999 for his services to journalism.

"I was born in a little backwater in Trinidad in the Caribbean and never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be knighted," he said at the time.

He was made a knight in 1999 for services to journalism

The broadcaster has presented ITN's Evening News and late-night bulletins since 1999, and currently co-anchors the ITV News At Ten.

The news bulletin came back with its ubiquitous "bongs", and was pitched directly against the BBC's late night news programme.

Sir Trevor has enjoyed an awards-decorated career.

Among numerous plaudits, he received the Bafta Richard Dimbleby Award for Outstanding Contribution to Television in 1999, and was honoured for his contribution to broadcasting by the Royal Television Society earlier this year.

Sir Trevor has been married twice and has three children.

As a member of Surrey County Cricket Club, he is a passionate cricket fan and has written biographies of cricketers Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd.

He edited two poetry anthologies and wrote his autobiography, Fortunate Circumstances, in 1993.