Why ITV Central presenter Bob Warman is retiring after 50 years on television

Warman has presented ITV Midland evening news programme since the 1970s
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ITV Central’s legendary presenter Bob Warman will step down from his role after almost 50 years on our television screens.

Warman, who was born in Walsall, has spent most of his television career at ATV and Central, presenting regional news programmes.

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The broadcaster started his career at his hometown newspaper the Walsall Observer, before joining ITV Central’s predecessor ATV as a reporter in the early 70s.

Warman became a regional presenter on Yorkshire Television from 1976 to 1979, and during this time he presented Britain’s first breakfast programme: Good Morning Calendar, in 1977.

When ATV became Central in 1982, Warman presented the West edition of Central News. In 1989, and he also hosted the Sky TV version of The Price Is Right.

Warman has presented ITV News Central since 2009, and he also presents the later sub-regional edition of Central Tonight from Monday to Wednesday.

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Along with Sameena Ali-Khan, he has presented ITV’s Evening News programme for 13 years.

The experienced boradcaster has covered many vital stories in the region, including the Birmingham pub bombings and the closure of the Longbridge car works.

He will present his last edition of the show on Monday, 4 July 2022.

What has Bob Warman said about his decision?

Speaking to ITV, he said: “I still remember one Telethon where after 24 hours of adrenaline filled broadcasting I ended up singing ‘he ain’t heavy, he’s my brother’, with Allan Clarke from The Hollies.

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“Whether it was viewers ringing in to ask me to stop, or some other reason, I’ll never know, but it raised a huge amount of money for local charities and I am proud of that.

“By any measure it’s been a long stint in front of the camera and I will miss my colleagues and the hundreds of thousands of viewers who’ve remained loyal to ITV News over the years.

Bob and Sameena Ali-KhanBob and Sameena Ali-Khan
Bob and Sameena Ali-Khan

“It’s difficult to know when to call it a day, especially when I do a job I love with colleagues who are special to me.

“But time is running [out] and I have many interests which I want to pursue.”

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West Midlands mayor Andy Street praised Warman for his work in the region over the years, which you can see in the tweet above.

He wrote: “After 50 years of keeping us up to date on all things West Mids, on July 4 we will say goodbye & a massive THANK YOU to Bob Warman West Midlands born and bred, his warmth and humour both on and off screen saw him become a true icon of the region.

“Enjoy your retirement Bob, you’ll be missed.”

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