News at Ten at 50: Sir Trevor McDonald reflects on some of his 'amazing' highlights
As News at Ten marks 50 years since the first bulletin was broadcast, former anchor Sir Trevor McDonald - who for many is synonymous with the programme - reflects on some of his personal highlights.
Sir Trevor became ITN's first black newscaster in 1973.
He then rose through the ranks to become sole presenter of News at Ten in 1992 until it ended in 1999.
It then returned in 2001 with Sir Trevor presenting the new-look bulletin with Julie Etchingham.
To mark the programme's 50th anniversary, Julie interviewed Sir Trevor, who described his fondest memories of being involved in the programme as well as its continuing legacy.
The 77-year-old - who was knighted in 1999 for his services to journalism - said one such memory was the first time he made it on to News at Ten on his very first day at ITN, interviewing a member of a hard-right political pressure group.
"The competition to get on (News At Ten) was something that I remember to this day. Everybody was vying to be the first to do this," he said.
"There was an interview to be done and nobody else was around and I did it.
"This was somebody whose political views were quite obviously a million miles away from anything that people could believe mine were.
"I made News at Ten, and I’ll always remember that."
Sir Trevor said he had never "aspired to anchor" the news bulletin and when the opportunity arose he experienced "sheer terror" the first time he went solo.
Sir Trevor has experienced numerous highlights over the course of his esteemed career.
But he said his interview with Nelson Mandela following the South African's release from prison in 1990, after 27 years behind bars, was "the moment" of his life.
"The interview itself was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done in that I couldn’t get Mandela to focus on any of the great difficulties that he would encounter getting South Africa on the road to democracy," he said.
"When I confronted him with the problems he would face in doing a deal with the national party, he said: 'If you are prepared to compromise, when you talk seriously, all things are possible.'
"That’s a great political lesson for today," Sir Trevor added.
An interview with former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was another highlight during Sir Trevor's time at News at Ten.
"There were some people who thought ITN should not be doing this interview," Sir Trevor remembered.
"So I felt I had to go in with all guns blazing and he was quite thrown by it.
"Many years later one of his people in London said to me 'you know Trevor, you were very rude to our president. Although he didn’t use the word very!'"
When asked his thoughts on News at Ten's standing as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, Sir Trevor said: "I think it will always have a place in television history. It did break the mould, it was the first half hour news."
"There are now a multiplicity of channels from which we can get our information now and social media.
"But still I think that appointment to view and the way it cornered that market, I think, will always remain," Sir Trevor added.