Edward Stourton (journalist)
The measured, inquisitive voice of Radio 4's Sunday, he has spent decades examining the knotty intersections of faith, ethics, and politics.
Born 1957 (age 69)·British broadcaster and journalist, born 1957·Birthday: November 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Edward Stourton's career embodies the thoughtful, slightly patrician tone of BBC Radio 4, where he has been a familiar voice for over thirty years. After cutting his teeth as a foreign correspondent, reporting from hotspots like Bosnia and Rwanda, he settled into the studio as one of the main presenters of the 'Today' programme, his interviews marked by a courteous but persistent rigor. His true niche, however, has been the exploration of moral and religious currents. As the longtime presenter of the flagship religious affairs programme 'Sunday,' Stourton has guided listeners through papal elections, ethical debates, and the complexities of global faith with a calm, analytical clarity. This intellectual curiosity extends to his writing; he is the author of several books on history and personal reflection, his most recent being 'Confessions,' a memoir. His is the voice of the established, questioning middle ground, seeking understanding in an increasingly polarized world.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Edward was born in 1957, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Edward Was Born
The biggest hits of 1957
#1 Movie
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Edward's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1957Born
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962Started school
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1970Became a teenager
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Could drive
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1975Could vote
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Turned 21
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1987Turned 30
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 40
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 50
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 60
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 69 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He was one of the main presenters of BBC Radio 4's 'Today' programme for a decade.
- He has been the lead presenter of Radio 4's 'Sunday' programme since 2006.
- He authored 'Auntie's War,' a history of the BBC during the Second World War.
- He served as the BBC's Paris correspondent and Chief Political Correspondent for ITN.
Did You Know?
Stourton is a direct descendant of the 17th-century diarist John Evelyn.
He is a committed Catholic and has written about his faith in his book 'Confessions.'
He was a contestant on the BBC celebrity ballroom dancing show 'Strictly Come Dancing' in 2009.
He attended Ampleforth College, a Benedictine boarding school.
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