Channel 4 names two new foreign correspondents

1 July 2022

Channel 4 News is boosting its award-winning foreign coverage with the appointment of two new correspondents.

Secunder Kermani, the BBC’s Pakistan and Afghanistan Correspondent, and Paraic O’Brien, currently a news correspondent at Channel 4 News, will be filling the new roles.

They’ll be joining Matt Frei, presenter and Europe Editor, and Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor, in the Channel 4 News foreign reporting team.

Editor of Channel 4 News, Esme Wren, said: “I’m delighted we’ve secured a rising news star like Secunder and it’s great to confirm Paraic in his new position following his exceptional reporting from Ukraine.

“Strong, insightful foreign reporting is one of the trademarks of Channel 4 News. With Secunder and Paraic joining Matt and Lindsey we have a foreign team that is second to none in terms of analysis, experience and sheer story getting ability.”

Secunder Kermani said: “I’m excited to be joining a programme that I grew up watching and admiring and am looking forward to helping C4 continue its long-established commitment to a truly international agenda by reporting from across the globe.”

Paraic O’Brien said: “This is one small change in job title but one giant leap for this East Galway bog-man! For years I’ve been watching the likes of Jonathan Rugman, Jonathan Miller and of course the legend that is Lindsey Hilsum reporting from around the world with the depth and distinctiveness that epitomises Channel 4 News.

“To be given this opportunity by Esme Wren and Federico Escher is a dream come true for me. To have Secunder Kermani join the team as well will make us an even more formidable journalistic force.”

Secunder Kermani is an award-winning journalist currently working as the BBC’s Pakistan & Afghanistan Correspondent. Over the past year he has helped lead coverage of the Taliban takeover and its aftermath, winning acclaim for unflinching interviews with the group’s leadership and rare access to remote parts of Afghanistan. 

Previously Secunder was a correspondent for BBC Newsnight, where he reported extensively on western recruits to ISIS, as well as the migrant crisis in Europe.

Paraic O’Brien is a multi-award-winning Irish TV journalist. He has brought his distinctive style and eye for detail to all the major global stories over the last 10 years at Channel 4 News. From the refugee crisis to the Syrian war, to the war in Ukraine he endeavours to combine analysis with putting the individual centre stage in all his reporting. His specialist areas include migration, extremism, and populism. 

Channel 4 News Ukraine coverage this year helped increase its audience share by 24% between January-April, and by 43% among younger viewers aged 16-34, when compared with the same period last year.

It is the biggest increase in audience share across all the PSB national main news programmes during the first quarter of 2022.  The strong linear viewing figures are also reflected in the digital growth seen by Channel 4 News, already the biggest UK news programme on social media.

Press contact

Channel 4 News – Lisa Campbell, ITN Director of Corporate Communications, at lisa.campbell@itn.co.uk