[Kojak]

In a special program for his 60th birthday on S4C, Huw Edwards credited his early appearances on News 24 as a political correspondent in 1997-99 with his promotion to the 6 O'clock News in 1999.

He was Chief Political Correspondent (i.e., what later became Norman Smith's role) and it was certainly his most senior role at that point, though I'm not sure if that alone would have got him the role. From the mid-90s he was already a semi-regular presenter on the PM programme, One O'Clock News and Weekend News, as well as occasionally presenting Breakfast News and the Six O'Clock News. I believe that he was also (along with George Alagiah) a regular presenter of the early afternoon shift after Krishnan Guru-Murthy quit after only a few months. So I'd say that his decently sized newsreading CV probably helped him too!

He presented Newsnight, too - he and Gavin Esler started at the same time (summer 1997) and between them covered for Paxman and co for pretty much the whole of that summer. I believe this was to get their presenting skills up to standard as they were both set to be regular presenters on the upcoming News 24 channel (gee, wonder what happened to that?!).

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