Presenter John MacKay celebrates 30 years at STV news

John Mackay
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


After 30 years delivering the news for STV, John MacKay is one of Scotland’s longest serving newsreaders and anchors.

Like Jackie Bird, Sally Magnusson, Shereen Nanjiani and Viv Lumsden, he has become one of the most trusted broadcasters on television.

Over the last three decades John, 58, who is co-anchor on STV’S News at 6 and current affairs programme Scotland Tonight, has guided the nation through devolution, Brexit, the indyref and Covid.

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The Glasgow-born dad-of-two, whose family are from the Isle of Lewis, said it has been an honour and a privilege to bring news into people’s lives and says although, he has lost his hair, the buzz remains.

John, who has been in the presence of royalty, popes and prime ministers, said: “I was just 28 when I started on STV - there were no mobile phones, no internet, no social media, no Scottish Parliament and no Taylor Swift.

John MacKay back in the day
John Mackay back in the day

“But even though so much has changed - including the amount of hair I have on my head - the buzz I get from live broadcasting has never wavered. It really is the best job and Scotland is one of the most exciting news patches.”

John, who is also a published author, added: “When I was a boy I used to watch Mary Marquis, David Scott, Alan Douglas and Viv Lumsden on the television but never dreamed that one day I too would be being beamed into the nation’s living rooms.

“I’ve been told more than once by parents that their baby’s first words were an approximation of ‘I’m John MacKay,’ because they heard me saying it every night on TV. I feel proud to have brought Scotland the news for so many years and hope there are a good few more years left in me yet.”

Here John gives us a run down of some of his top stories of the last 30 years.

Girl Guides Tragedy, September 1994

John said: “A bus load of Girl Guides and leaders were on their way back from a day trip to Butlins when their double decker bus collided with a low bridge in West Street, Glasgow.

“Five died in the tragic accident - three children and two of their leaders. It was just awful. It happened the first day in the STV newsroom and I didn’t even have log ins for the computer system and had to scribble all my notes on scraps of paper. It was like being thrown in the deep end and it’s been like that pretty much ever since.”

Dunblane Shooting, March 1996

John said: “Sixteen primary one children and their teacher shot dead. Running up to the school alongside panicked parents who didn’t know if their child was dead or alive can never be forgotten, no matter how much I want to.

“I saw nothing of the actual horror, thank goodness, but the description by a surviving teacher, Eileen Harrild, at the subsequent inquiry still haunts me.

“It remains the single, most compelling moment of my reporting life. I can’t even think of it without tearing up.

John Mackay with Billy Connolly
John Mackay with Billy Connolly

Billy Connolly, March 2020

John said: “Shortly before Scotland locked down, I did an extended interview with the Big Yin about his art exhibition. Despite his Parkinson’s, the comedy legend was in great form. As well as being very funny, he was also very reflective.

He is my comic hero and I could have just listened to him all day. He is one of those fantastic people who has funny bones.

Will Ferrell, 2013

John said: “Will is an incredibly funny man. He told me if I wanted to be as good an anchorman as him, I would need to grow facial hair and drown myself in cologne. It was good advice but I didn’t take it.

“I don’t suit a beard and I don’t think the guests would be too pleased about being stuck in the studio with me if I was reeking of aftershave.

“Will is definitely one of my top interviewees. It’s not every day that you get to meet the world’s most famous anchorman.”

John MacKay with Will Ferrell aka  Ron Burgundy ahead of the release of Anchorman
John MacKay with Will Ferrell aka Ron Burgundy ahead of the release of Anchorman

George Square Bin Lorry tragedy, December 2014

John said: “The irony was that lunchtime I had just finished recording a voiceover on STV’s review of the year and the producer said that’s a wrap. I said don’t be too sure as big stories have a habit of breaking in December. Within the hour we got a call to say something horrific had happened in Glasgow’s George Square.

“It was a totally bizarre and awful tragedy and so difficult to comprehend especially in the run up to Christmas.”

Madonna’s wedding, Skibo Castle, December 2000

John said: “I was there for two days covering Rocco’s christening at Dornoch Cathedral and then the wedding itself. Every journalist under the sun was standing in the dark outside the castle as no one could get in.

“There was nothing to see but we had to keep talking. Rumours about George Clooney buying cigarettes in a service station near Inverness and Brad Pitt being spotted landing in a private jet turned out to be false.

“I like to say I was at her wedding but in reality I was probably a mile away. It wasn’t top quality broadcasting but it was great fun.”

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