Background
Her father was a doctor, a neurologist, who, during World World War II was in the Royal Army Medical Corps with the British 14th Army in Burma.
Her father was a doctor, a neurologist, who, during World World War II was in the Royal Army Medical Corps with the British 14th Army in Burma.
She attended the Herschel Girls School, an independent boarding school in Cape Town. She completed her education at the École de commerce in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and at an English college called the House of Citizenship.
Her parents were Scottish and emigrated to South Africa where she was brought up. Foreign a time in London, she worked as a typist at Australia House, then became a temporary junior secretary at the British Broadcasting Corporation. This entitled her to an induction course, where she was taught the British Broadcasting Corporation"s method of working. Returning to South Africa she began her broadcasting career there on the SABC"s English language radio service.
Initially joining the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1967 as a reporter for The World At One, she went on to host Woman"s Hour from 1972 until 1987.
In 1984 she became one of the hosts of British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4"s Today programme, a position she held until 2002. That same year she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to broadcasting.
Sue is a trustee of United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund and was a trustee of the John Ellerman Foundation. She is also on the Chancellor"s Forum for the London Institute and an honorary graduate of several universities, among them the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent and Dundee.
She hosts The Reunion on British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4.
In late 2010, she recorded her final episode as chair of the popular book programme A Good Read, also on British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4. After seven years and approximately 500 book reviews, she is the show"s longest serving presenter.
