Diana Edwards-Jones dead at 91: ITV News At Ten icon passes away

Diana Edwards-Jones, who was ITN’s first News at Ten Editor, has died at the age of 91. She was one of the founders of the news production company ITN in 1955 and later became the first director of News at Ten when it launched in the 1970s. Described as a ‘trailblazer’ for women in the industry, she was awarded an OBE in the 1987 New Year’s Honours List. 

Newsreader Alistair Stewart paid tribute to her on X and said “RIP #Diana EdwardsJones obe-ej, as she was now, best director especially of big event news tv like general elections- her language put troopers to shame… I adored her and will miss as well all lucky enough to heave met her.”

Rachel Corp, ITV chief executive and chair of the Women in Journalism group also paid tribute to Diana Edwards-Jones and said: “ITN is immensely proud of Diana Edwards-Jones’ legacy and how she supported innovation on many levels by holding a crucial position in broadcast news.”

“She played a hugely significant role at the start of ITN’s journey and showed women were central to the company’s development off-screen as well as on-screen.

“As we prepare for another UK general election in the coming months, I hope that other women will be inspired by her example and continue to push journalism and production boundaries.”

In 1974, Diana  Edwards-Jones became the first woman to helm a TV election special in the UK.  Michael Crick, a founding member of the Channel 4 News team which is produced by ITN, also paid tribute to Diana Edwards-Jones on X and said after hearing of her passing “Very sad news. The amazing ITN studio director Diana Edwards-Jones has died. She was one of the founders of ITN back in 1955.

Michael Crick went on to say that Diana Edwards-Jones was “brilliant, professional, master of the control room, deliverer of the impossible, great sense of humour, and famous for her-how shall I say?-highly colourful language.”