Broadcasting
Sian Williams leaves 5 News as host
Williams to ‘take up a wider role’.
5 News anchor Sian Williams, has decided to leave her daily news presenting role to take up more wide-ranging opportunities, it was announced today ITN has confirmed.
Sian, who is also a Doctor of Psychology, having passed her Doctorate last year, will continue to host her regular one-on-one interview strand, Mind Matters with Dr Sian for 5 News. The weekly mental health segment was part of the successful, hour-long, re-launch of flagship 5 News last November. She will also work with Channel 5 and ITN on special projects and documentaries.
Chief Content Officer, Ben Frow:
“Sian brought a real kudos to 5 News and was instrumental in changing perceptions towards Channel 5. Sian has bought so much to the role, none more so than during the Covid-19 pandemic where she broadcast daily from her own home! We are indebted to Sian’s professionalism and she remains very much part of the Channel 5 family.”
During the last six years on the channel, Sian has worked on a number of series including Secrets of Your Supermarket Food and on 5 News has anchored special news programmes on the pandemic, Brexit, the Royal Weddings, UK and US elections including the election of Donald Trump in 2016, and most recently, the war in Ukraine; fronted a series of documentaries on 5 News called Healing Minds; and conducted the first TV interview with Prince Harry, where he spoke about his mental health.
Sian joined 5 News from BBC Breakfast in 2015.
CEO of ITN, Deborah Turness:
“Sian embodies everything that makes 5 News special. She has brought warmth and humanity with a real ability to connect with our audience and understand what’s important to them. We look forward to continuing to work with her as she shares her experience, knowledge and specialist training with our newsrooms, supporting them during what is a very difficult time.”
In her wider role, Sian’s chaired many television industry panels on mental health and delivered resilience workshops and lectures to staff across ITN. Mind Matters with Dr Sian is the only regular mental health slot in TV news and so far has explored living with ADHD, anxiety, depression, Parkinson’s and autism with Rory Bremner, Max George, Paul Sinha and Christine McGuiness among others.
For the last 15 years, Sian has undertaken her psychology training alongside her broadcasting day-job and has spent the past three years during her doctoral training delivering psychological therapy to families, couples and individuals, in charity and NHS settings. Sian is also an expert in trauma and has spent many years working with journalists covering traumatic news events. She also has an MSc in Psychology, which focuses on Post Traumatic Stress.
Sian Williams:
“I’ve been a journalist for more than 35 years across the BBC and ITN. News will always be one of the driving passions of my life and the latest chapter at Channel 5 and 5 News has been one of the happiest. The past six years have been a wonderful experience and I feel very grateful to everyone who has made it so.
“Broadcasting and psychology are, in some ways, complimentary – in both jobs we’re helping people tell their stories and giving them a voice. I’m excited about continuing to combine these elements, in new and different ways, while also delivering psychological support where it’s most needed.”
