Quick Wiki
- Full Name Catherine Elizabeth Newman
- Occupation Journalist, Presenter
- Nationality English
- Birthplace Guildford, Surrey, England
- Birth Date Jul 14, 1974
- Age 50 Years, 4 Months
Cathy Newman | Biography
Author of a book titled 'Bloody Brilliant Women: Pioneers, Revolutionaries & Geniuses Your History Teacher Forgot to Mention'Newman was a victim of sexual harassment at 16. While attending Charterhouse School on scholarship, she said that she was sexually harassed and humiliated by teenage boys. Newman had just started at Charterhouse when she claims a boy unzipped his flies and forced her to touch his p**is. She also mentioned that the dark experience affected her confidence at a young age. She has stated that she remained silent for years about the sexual harassment and other humiliation she endured.
Cathy Newman is a Channel 4 presenter and journalist who focuses on politics and current events.
Who is Cathy Newman?
Catherine Elizabeth Newman is an English author and journalist born on 14 July 1974 in Guildford, Surrey, England. Her parents, Julia Worsdall and David Newman are both chemistry teachers.
Her father used to teach at Charterhouse School, where she later went to at 16 and faced sexual harassment. Newman also has an older sister named Sarah, a music teacher.
Newman is a 1995 Oxford University graduate with a degree in BA Hons English (1st), English language, and Literature/Letters. She began her journalism career as a newspaper reporter, working for Media Week, The Independent, and The Washington Post.
She subsequently joined The Financial Times in September 1999 at the post of a political correspondent. She eventually got promoted as a chief political correspondent in May 2002 after serving in her previous position for two years and nine months. Newman worked in that position for around three years and nine months before joining Channel 4.
Newman joined Channel 4 in 2006 as a correspondent. She stayed in the position until 2011 and was later promoted to a presenter. During that time, she worked in several stories, such as accusations of abuse against British barrister John Smyth, sexual harassment accusations against Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard, and a 17-year sentence for a British sex offender Simon Harris.
In addition, she was named the first female leading presenter of Channel 4 News. She was also the first broadcast journalist to accompany Angelina Jolie and Foreign Secretary William Hague on a trip to the Congo to fight sexual assault.
Besides, Newman is also an author and published her first book, 'Bloody Brilliant Women: Pioneers, Revolutionaries & Geniuses Your History Teacher Forgot to Mention' in autumn 2018. Then, after two years, she released her second book, 'It Takes Two: A History of the Couples Who Dared To Be Different' on 15 October.
Violin
Newman initially wanted to pursue a career in classical music during her young years. She studied violin with a Royal College of Music professor. However, Newman later quit after knowing that she could not perform as a soloist. She mentioned she didn't want to play at an orchestra's back desk.
Sexual Harassment
Unfortunately, Newman was a victim of sexual harassment at 16. While attending Charterhouse School on scholarship, she said that she was sexually harassed and humiliated by teenage boys.
Newman had just started at Charterhouse when she claims a boy unzipped his flies and forced her to touch his p**is.
She also mentioned that the dark experience affected her confidence at a young age. She has stated that she remained silent for years about the sexual harassment and other humiliation she endured.
She also explained being splashed with water by boys so that they could see her bra while she was wearing a white shirt. According to her, male students also gave her and other female classmates scores for their appearance when entering the school chapel.
Newman only spoke out as the school started to encourage girls to report harassment and bullying.
Husband and Daughter
Newman is married to her husband, John O'Connell, a writer, and arts journalist. The couple met at Oxford University in 2001. They live in London together and have two daughters aged 18 and 13.
Talking about her family in an interview with Independent, she said, "I only see the kids for that half-an-hour over breakfast before heading off to work. I'm really fortunate that my husband is a freelance writer and does the cooking, the shopping, takes the kids to school and picks them up. I couldn't do what I do without him. He'll be wincing as I say that."
Newman has also written about her miscarriage and subsequent choice to abort a second child after discovering that the baby had a unique condition with a high death risk thirteen weeks into her pregnancy.
