John Pienaar
Born
John Adrian Pienaar

(1956-10-02) 2 October 1956
Middlesex, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationJournalist
Spouses
Denise Walsh
​
​
(m. 1980, divorced)​
  • Penny Davies
Children4

John Adrian Pienaar (born 2 October 1956) is a British journalist who currently works for Times Radio, previously rising to prominence as deputy political editor for BBC News.

Early life

Pienaar was born in Middlesex.[1] His parents, Eric and Johanna Pienaar, were both born in South Africa. He was educated at Bromley Technical High School, in Keston, Bromley, London,[2] as one of just two black boys at his local technical college.[3] He then obtained his NCTJ training at Highbury College, Portsmouth.[4]

Career

Pienaar began his career in journalism at the South London Press, before becoming an Old Bailey correspondent. He was then a political correspondent at The Independent, the Press Association, and from 1992 the BBC, on a range of TV and radio news and current affairs programmes.

In 2002, he became chief political correspondent at Radio 5 Live, and presented a Sunday morning programme, Pienaar's Politics. He also hosted Question Time Extra Time (a radio supplement to BBC One's Question Time) alongside Stephen Nolan[5] and served as a stand-in host on BBC Two's Daily Politics. From 2015 to 2020 he was BBC News' deputy political editor.

Pienaar started presenting the drivetime programme on the new Times Radio station in June 2020.

Personal life

Pienaar married Denise Walsh in 1980 and they had a son and a daughter. They divorced and Pienaar married Penny Davies, with whom he has two daughters.[2]

He is a fan of Crystal Palace Football Club.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Booking Agent for John Pienaar - Journalist | Contraband Events".
  2. 1 2 3 "Pienaar, John Adrian (born 2 Nov. 1956), Presenter, Pienaar's Politics, BBC Radio Five-Live, since 2010; Deputy Political Editor, BBC News, since 2016". Who's Who & Who Was Who. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U10000539. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4.
  3. ↑ Aitkenhead, Decca. "John Pienaar on Britishness, celebrity and staying calm in a storm".
  4. ↑ "John Pienaar". www.nctj.com. September 2011.
  5. ↑ "BBC – John Pienaar appointed as new BBC Deputy Political Editor – Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. 13 April 2016.
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