Lucy Meacock quits ITV Granada Reports after 36 years

ITV newsreader Lucy Meacock has announced she is stepping down from Granada Reports after 36 years.

The 64-year-old journalist said in a statement: ‘This has been one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made. But the time is right to move on now. 

‘For me, it has always been the best job in the world, with the best people in the world, in the best region in the world! I am very grateful that I was given this job so many years ago.

‘I have always tried my hardest to make a positive contribution and I hope I will be remembered with some fondness in the years ahead.’

Lucy added: ‘It has been a complete honour and privilege to serve the people of this region and I will always have the interests of the North West at heart.

‘A big thank you to all the people who have appeared on the programme over the years, sometimes when they have been facing some very tough challenges.’

Singing Lucy’s praises, the Head of News for ITV Granada Reports, Lucy West, said of working alongside her for the past decade: ‘It has been a great honour to work with Lucy Meacock who is a broadcasting icon. Her enthusiasm and commitment to the North West has never faltered and we will miss her hugely.

‘As a team, we all have enormous respect for Lucy who we admire for her formidable questioning, great judgement and wise advice. We’ve been through some very challenging times both on and off screen. 

‘Personally,  I will miss her honesty, integrity and determination to deliver the very best for our audiences and the team. We wish her all the very best for the future and know Lucy will remain a good friend of Granada Reports.’

Expressing her gratitude for the role she’s held for over several decades, Lucy said she wishes to ‘say a heartfelt thank you to the wonderful people who [she] has worked with in more than 40 years in TV and thank you to [the] viewers who have been kind enough to invite [them] into their homes.’

‘I have often been overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of our viewers in difficult times, especially when we lost Tony Wilson and Tony Morris. What a joy it was to work with them both – I still hear both of them quoted often and I still have their numbers in my phone!

‘I have certainly been lucky to work with the best of the best.’

Lucy began her broadcasting career at Tyne Tees TV with the Miners strike in 1984. 

Back in the days of Granada Television, Lucy worked on programmes including UpFront, The Late Debate, The Main Ingredient, Origin Unknown, Hearts and Minds, and This Morning from Liverpool.

Having worked her way up, she’s become one of the North West’s most revered presenters, joining Granada Reports in 1988 as a main female host.

Following the announcement of her departure, viewers expressed their sadness, saying they were ‘gutted’ to see her go but wished her ‘the best of luck’ for the future.

Lucy’s exit comes during a real time of change for ITV, as she isn’t the first news presenter to step down.

Last week, ITV News presenter Sascha Williams quit the channel after 21 years.

Meanwhile, over at BBC News, Tulip Mazumdar announced at the end of June that she would be quitting after 20 years.