Michael Cockerell
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Michael Cockerell is the BBC's most established political documentary maker, with a long, award-winning career of political programming spanning television and radio. Having been a reporter on the flagship current affairs programme, Panorama, he now specialises in in-depth documentaries on the politics and players of Westminster. Most notably, he has filmed biographical profiles of Edward Heath, Alan Clark, Barbara Castle, Roy Jenkins, Michael Howard and David Cameron.
Over the last decade, he has made a series of other widely acclaimed, documentaries. Among them are the "How to Be" trilogy ("How to Be Chancellor", "How to Be Foreign Secretary", "How to Be Home Secretary"); a 3-part series on the history of Anglo-American, Anglo-German and Anglo-French relations; an observational documentary on the workings of Alastair Campbell's press office in "News from Number 10"; and, most recently, a 3-part analysis of Tony Blair's 10 years in office as Prime Minister. Also he has presented a programme on "How to be an ex Prime Minister", broadcast just before Blair's resignation.
Cockerell has interviewed 8 Prime Ministers - more than any other reporter in British political broadcasting. Prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, he interviewed Tony Blair for his documentary on Britain's relationship with the United States, "Hotline to the President". That interview was widely reported on the front pages of British newspapers when Tony Blair accepted that the need to sustain the transatlantic 'special relationship' meant a willingness to 'pay the blood price'.
Michael was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of East Anglia in 2007. His family includes two siblings, seven children and three grandchildren. He lives with his partner Anna Lloyd and three of his children.
