Noel Thompson

Noel Thompson

Noel Thompson (born 1957 Belfast) is a Northern Irish news journalist with BBC Northern Ireland. Thompson is the main male presenter of the political series Hearts and Minds. Thompson left BBC Newsline on 10 August 2012. He is now part of the presenting team for BBC Radio Ulster's flagship morning programme Good Morning Ulster.

Thompson began his broadcasting career at the BBC in 1979 as a researcher for Nationwide in Belfast. He progressed through the corporation's internal training scheme, working on Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and Newsround.

In addition to his broadcasting career at BBC Northern Ireland, Thompson has presented Newsnight and BBC Breakfast and occasionally guests on BBC News Channel and BBC News' politics and arts interview programme HARDtalk.

Thompson was awarded Royal Television Society Regional TV Presenter of the Year for two consecutive years: 1997 and 1998. He was also nominated in the same category in 1999. In 2007, Thompson received an Award of Distinction from Belfast Metropolitan College for his services to journalism.

Thompson studied at Campbell College in Belfast and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, reading MML (French and German), then Social and Political Sciences.

Prior to joining the BBC, Thompson worked in a bar at the Europa Hotel in Belfast, and he also managed his brother's restaurant in the West Indies.

Thompson is married to Sharon and has two children, Matthew and Patrick.

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