Cait FitzSimons has announced that she will step down as editor of 5 News later this year. Cait, who has been the editor since February 2018, is one of the longest-serving editors of the programme. She has worked at 5 News for the past nine years and began her career on the programme as a news assistant after its launch by ITN in 1997.
Cait FitzSimons:
“When I was running scripts in the 5 newsroom more than 25 years ago, I would never have dreamed that one day I’d lead the team. It was a newsroom that gave me a springboard to a fantastic career and it’s been a real privilege to continue that tradition of finding and developing young talent, particularly from under-represented groups.
Most recently, Cait has overseen the successful re-launch and expansion of 5 News, which became an hour-long bulletin in November 2021. She secured a new five-year contract with Channel 5 earlier this year. The programme’s total share of viewers was up 12% in February and last year 5 News reached more than 27m people. In addition, 2022 was the programme’s most awarded year ever, seeing the team win two Medical Journalism Association awards and a Society of Editors Award.
In the past five years under Cait’s editorship, the team has covered the pandemic and its aftermath, including extensive reporting on long-covid, the cost-of-living crisis, the political turmoil of the past few years and the war in Ukraine. Dan Walker joined the programme in June 2022 as lead anchor, co-presenting alongside Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije and the hour-long programme has developed a distinctive format. Regular features include ‘5 Things You Need To Know‘ and ‘Around The World‘, which bring to life the day’s headlines, while the 5 Phone facilitates a rich dialogue with viewers.
The programme has championed diversity and inclusion, improving representation on and off air and giving space to stories from under-represented groups. Recent stories have included an exclusive investigation into the under-reported numbers of children born to disabled parents being put into care in the UK.
Cait FitzSimons:
“From my first week in charge, when the Beast from the East swept in and we delivered a two hour, live prime time special in the teeth of the worst winter weather in a generation, it’s been a challenging and relentless period for news. Finding ways to cover the significant events which have reshaped our county – from Westminster to hospital wards – has been a brilliant mix of fun and hard work. I’m lucky to have been supported by a fantastic team, I really couldn’t have done it without them. Now the new contract is signed and the extended programme is hitting its stride, it’s time for me to pass the reins to the next lucky editor. I know the whole newsroom will go onto even bigger and better things and I’ll enjoy watching it all as a loyal viewer.”
Cait first worked on 5 News as a news assistant, she has since worked for Sky News as a producer and then programme editor, before returning to ITN as a programme editor for ITV News in 2008. She became programme editor for 5 News in September 2013, going on to become deputy editor before being appointed editor of the programme in 2018.
Cait will remain in post until later this year, and a recruitment process for her successor will begin in due course.
Rachel Corp, ITN CEO:
“Cait is a formidable editor who has a deep understanding of the 5 News audience. Over the past five years, she has taken the programme from strength to strength and has developed the new hour-long bulletin into a distinctive and engaging format, which stands out from the other evening news offerings. She has also led the team with kindness and compassion during some of the most challenging news stories. We wish her all the best for the future.”
5 News broadcasts week nights from 5-6pm on Channel 5
