October 2001

• Darren Jordon – Former Captain Turned BBC News Presenter

• Alert

• Jamaica Prepares for Royal Visit

• National Honours and Awards

• Exercise French Commando

Darren Jordon – Former Captain
Turned BBC News Presenter

Capt. Darren Jordon served in the JDF between 1979 and 1986, as an Infantry officer in the 1^st and 2^nd Battalions, Jamaica Regiment.  He also saw active service during Operation Urgent Fury, the Joint US/Caribbean Peace Keeping Force invasion of Grenada in 1983. Darren retired his commission from the JDF in 1986 and returned to England, where he is now the main news anchor for the BBC’s Breakfast News programme on weekends.

Darren’s rise through the BBC has been nothing short of meteoric to say the least, and often attributes his success to the experiences he gained whilst in the JDF. His is a familiar face throughout Britain, and apart from presenting Breakfast News, also presents, the BBC’s One O’Clock News, and also the weekend National News bulletins. Darren has another journalistic string to his bow, he reports for the BBC Holiday programme, travelling to far flung places to sample the delights of vacation hot spots. This year he has been to Turkey, Dubai and Jamaica, and next month ventures to Cyprus.

His foray into journalism started in South Africa when he emigrated from the UK in 1994. “It was an amazing experience moving to South Africa, which was going through so much change – changes of epoch-making proportions” says Darren.   “South Africa was very kind to me – they embraced me with open arms. I think the ability to adapt to changes of environment from my army days helped me to slot in so easily”. Darren initially went to South Africa in 1994 to set up the Satellite TV Advertising Sales Department for M-Net ( a local pay TV station).  He also set up Channel O, Africa’s answer to MTV, and presented sports on Supersport, M-Net’s 24 hour sports channel. It was his experience in sports presenting that took him back to the UK in 1998. “ I wanted to move to a bigger pond and spread my wings a bit” says Darren. “South Africa was great, but it was time to move on”. By this time, Darren’s wife Mandy had given birth to their daughter Holly-May. They now have a son, Benjamin as well.

In October, 1998, Darren joined BBC Sport as a broadcaster. He very soon caught the eye of BBC TV news talent spotters who drafted him onto the news team as the Special Correspondent for the One O’clock News. During this time he also anchored news programmes on BBC World, which can be seen in Jamaica.   “My dad used to tune into BBC World and watch me. It was remarkable having friends and family in Jamaica who knew me as a dare-devil JDF officer, now watching me front the BBC’s highly rated world news channel”.  Darren earned his field spurs as a special correspondent, producing a mix of specialist reports for the lunchtime news. He says the highlight of his role then was travelling to Majorca, Spain to investigate a hotel that had been making dozens of Britons sick. When his report was aired, the hotel finally closed its doors to ensure a bacteria-infested swimming pool was promptly cleaned.

In October 2000, Darren was promoted to anchor the weekend BBC Breakfast News bulletins – a plumb job that had been eyed up by top talent within the BBC presenter ranks but which went to him.   “I didn’t even apply for the job – they called me in and told me the job was mine. I was thrilled!!” Darren says he’s the luckiest man in the world. “I get to interview leading politicians and international figures, and press them on tricky matters.  I’ve even interviewed a man who’s met Osama Bin Laden.”

 Darren fronted the BBC1 lunchtime news the day after the September 11^th terror attacks. “I’ve seen those pictures a thousand times” says Darren, but says nothing prepared him for the enormity of those tragic events. My job was to be fair and unbiased, and to present the facts with gravitas and authority.

Darren is now vacationing in Jamaica, after having anchored several BBC News programmes over the last 3 weeks, leading with the terror attacks. “It was time to take a break, and head home. Jamaica is my cooling-out spot, and I will always be back here”.

Darren says he often gets asked if his military background has helped him in Journalism.   “My time in the JDF taught me the value of being prepared, and of taking time out to assess people and events. Live TV news is like parachuting, and I’ve done plenty of that. Relax for one second and you’re in trouble!”

Darren goes back to the UK with yet another challenge ahead of him. Before leaving the UK, he was told by BBC bosses that he will be anchoring the BBC’s Six O’clock news programme on Fridays.   “I was overjoyed! The Six O’clock News is big time stuff – no margin for errors!”. With America having now retaliated for the September 11^th attacks, Darren says he’s sure he will be kept very busy for some time yet.