Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2011 | Page 53

INTERVIEW

Kenneth
Kendall
More than just the Nine
o'clock News
Interview by Peter White
Kenneth Kendall was the face and
past 21 years. “When I first started on
a shop window in London’s Regent
voice of BBC News for more than 25
television in 1955 we were not allowed Street, and two women were standing
years. But somewhat surprisingly, in
to mention our names and the viewers
close by. Suddenly one said ‘he looks a
the initial years while he was bringing
were not allowed to know who we
lot older than he does on television’. I
television viewers all the latest stories
were.
felt like bashing them!”
from around the world he had to
“We had people ringing up all the
Kenneth was born in India, where his
remain totally anonymous.
time, asking what my name was, but
father worked as a metallurgist, and
He sat behind his desk in a small
the editor of news didn’t want us to
he remained there until the age of 10
studio at the BBC, becoming
when he came to England
the first newscaster back in
to attend Felsted School
"We
had
people
ringing
up
all
the
1955 to appear in vision
in Essex. He recalls: “My
to deliver the news of the
time, asking what my name was, but parents stayed in India, so
day. But he was not allowed
I had to stay with relatives
the editor of news didn’t want us to during school holidays
to say who he was, and his
name did not appear on the
because this was before the
become personalities".
screen – simply because the
Second World War when it
BBC did not want Kenneth
wasn’t really possible to fly
and his fellow newsreaders in those
become personalities. We were there
easily between England and India. So
early days to become stars of the small
just to read the news and nothing else, quite often I didn’t see my parents for
screen.
so we were not to be named. That
two or three years at a time.
“My, how times have changed,”
lasted at least a couple of years, but
“But those were interesting years for
smiled Kenneth, who celebrated his
it just became so ridiculous. People
me. I went to junior school in 1935
87th birthday at the beginning of
could be told if they were asked, and I
and then senior school in 1938. Two
August, and has been living on the
was asked quite a lot.”
years later, during the war, the army
Island with partner Mark Fear for the
He laughed: “I was once looking in
took over the school and we were all
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