The Media Show: Dan Walker on leaving the ±«Óãtv, Piers Morgan and being the 'safe choice'
Dan Walker spent six years setting his alarm clock for 3am to host ±«Óãtv Breakfast. He also fronted Football Focus and Match of the Day and, last year, took a turn around the Strictly ballroom. He's now moving to Channel 5, to co-host news bulletins and turn his hand to other TV projects.
Here's what we learned from his Media Show appearance.
Why did Dan leave the ±«Óãtv?
Dan insists it's nothing to do with being able to cancel those 3am alarm calls – "If I’m honest, it's just opportunity."
Alongside presenting the news, Dan's new role will also include making a wider range of programmes. "I've got a creative role in coming up with what that TV is... Everyone who works in TV knows those opportunities don't come along very often."
Although Channel 5 has smaller viewing figures, he's excited by the challenge. "And who doesn't want to get the chance to work where Anneka Rice works," he jokes.
It's not about the money
Although he doesn't want to talk about money, Dan says it's not a deciding factor in why he's moving to Channel 5.
For his first radio job he was working 18-hour shifts and earning less than £8,000. "After six months I got promoted to be sports editor, working exactly the same number of hours with two people working under me. I think my pay went up to just over £8,000! If I was motivated by money, I would have left a long time ago."
His Channel 5 salary hasn't been publicly announced, but he insists that's not what drives him. He explains: "It's always been a real privilege to work in this industry and I don't take it for granted. I'm really thankful to get the chances that I do get."
“Do you worry – in the nicest possible way – it makes you the kind of bland, slightly inoffensive choice…?"
The Media Show's Katie Razzall talks to Dan Walker on his move from the ±«Óãtv to Channel 5.
He turned down Strictly four times
Dan finally said yes last year, after previously saying no to Strictly four times.
"I said yes last year for two main reasons. I'd been talking about Covid for 18 months and I just genuinely just felt like having a bit of fun. And also my kids all sat me down and said 'we'd like you to do Saturday Mash-up and Strictly please'. I'd done Saturday Mash-up so that's one of the reasons why I signed up!" he laughs.
His signature style is 'news with emotion'
"I think the Dan Walker way of doing things is to make it not about you. I've spent a lot of my life trying to get out of the way of the story." Dan describes how he loves to connect with audiences without including too much of his own opinion when he presents the headlines.
"You’re not presenting news in a vacuum," he explains. Instead he focuses on presenting news "in a way which is in connection with your audience. You understand who they are, what they're going through and what the impact of the stories you're talking about will have on their lives."
He's diplomatic about former rival Piers Morgan
When Dan Walker and Piers Morgan were presenting rival Breakfast shows on ±«Óãtv One and ITV, the pair had an ongoing feud on social media and often competed over viewing figures. "While Piers has gently tossed the insults around over the last few years, I've always said that Good Morning Britain did a great job when he was there."
But while he wished Morgan well with his new venture on TalkTV, Dan couldn’t resist one jibe: "The one thing I'm quite proud of is that I never walked off when Carol Kirkwood said anything to me..."
He's leaving the ±«Óãtv on good terms
Dan says he's never felt shackled by the ±«Óãtv and has never been told what he can and can't say: "I've got nothing but nice things to say about the ±«Óãtv."
Although he reflects that there are things that the ±«Óãtv could do differently, he also shared a story of how his ±«Óãtv pass even stopped him getting arrested in China!
Talking of his time at the ±«Óãtv, he explains: "There are some wonderful people that work there. Whether it was sport or breakfast or quizzes or Strictly, I've had the privilege of working with some of the best in the industry there, and it's not over. My bridges have not been burned, I hope to work for them again."
You can listen to Dan Walker's interview in full, as well as the rest of the episode of The Media Show, here.
