Emma Vardy is a BBC Presenter and Correspondent with extensive experience covering major stories across UK and US Politics, Business, Technology, Sport and Entertainment.
An engaging and versatile broadcaster, Emma regularly appears on the BBC News at Six and Ten, Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live, while her presenting work includes the BBC News Channel, Business News on BBC Breakfast and hosting Newsnight.
As the BBC’s Los Angeles Correspondent from 2023 to 2025, Emma covered the US Presidential Election, the Trump Presidency, LA wildfires, the tech world’s rapid changes, and major Hollywood awards including the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys. She reported on significant moments such as the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race, the world’s biggest tech outage, the wave of college campus riots, and also wrote for The Sunday Times on an exclusive with Celine Dion.
Previously, as Ireland Correspondent, Emma was recognised for reporting on the political complexities of Northern Ireland, and for her “brave and fearless reporting” on paramilitary violence. An award-winning journalist with seventeen years at the BBC, she has reported from Ukraine, Washington DC, and Westminster. Emma holds two Royal Television Society Awards and was named the Political Studies Association’s “Journalist of the Year”.
A passionate sportswoman, Emma has played women’s football and rugby, surfs around the world, and as a mother has explored changing attitudes to sport and fitness through pregnancy. She once described her most daunting moment as answering questions in the famous chair on Celebrity Mastermind.
Emma’s warm and entertaining style makes her a popular speaker and host. Her ability to connect with a wide range of audiences and demystify complex subjects has seen her become one of the BBC’s most well-liked talents. She has chaired events for organisations including the Political Studies Association, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern’s Good Friday Agreement 25th Anniversary, the Royal College of Midwives, Queen’s University, and the Belfast Book Festival.
The conference far exceeded my expectations. It was a great use of time, I learnt a lot, had some inspiring conversations, met several people in real life for the first time, and thoroughly enjoyed the food.