Kirsty Wark (born 3 February 1955, in Dumfries, Scotland) is a Scottish journalist and television presenter best known for fronting the BBC's current affairs programme Newsnight. She is married to the television producer Alan Clements. Together they founded the TV production company Wark-Clements in 1990, which in May 2004 was merged with the Muriel Gray's Ideal World to form IWC Media. In December 2005, it was announced that IWC Media has been bought out by RDF Media, with both Wark and Gray severing connections with the company.
Wark joined the BBC in 1976 as a researcher for BBC Radio Scotland, and, in 1982 moved to television, eventually becoming a presenter, including presenting Breakfast Time. In 1990, Wark demonstrated her shrewd and formidable line of questioning in a memorable interview of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Wark was a presenter on BBC 2 arts programme The Late Show.
Since 1993 she has presented Newsnight. TV and radio programme Dead Ringers often parodies her rather brusque presenting style, comedienne Jan Ravens portraying her introducing Newsnight with lyrics from songs, such as, "He was a skater boy, she said see you later boy, he wasn't good enough for her. More on that story later."
Donald Dewar, former Scottish First Minister, a close friend, appointed her to the Scottish Parliament Design Selection Panel, which chose the design for the new parliament. When quizzed at the Fraser Inquiry, set up to investigate the rising costs of the building, she said that "there was no way that we were making a decision on economically the most advantageous tender; you would have ended up with a shed . . . it was getting a building which was the most exciting, innovative building . . ."
In January 2005, she became embroiled in a controversy that followed an invitation to the family of Scottish First Minister and Labour MSP Jack McConnell to stay at Wark's Majorcan holiday home over the New Year period. McConnell, a long-time friend of Wark and husband Clements, was cleared of any improprieties when the Scottish Parliament standards committee deemed he received no financial benefits from the holidays.
Wark's editor on Newsnight offered his support, stating, "Many people in the media have friends who have gone on to hold office. The important issue is your ability to ask tough questions and that is not a problem with Kirsty Wark or anybody else on the programme."
