Dermot Murnaghan is Sky High

With Dermot's ability to move easily between anchoring big breaking news stories and discussing items of everyday popular culture on the BBC Breakfast couch, Murnaghan, who celebrated his 50th birthday on Boxing Day, has established himself as one of Britain's best-known news presenters. He led ITV's coverage of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, for more than 20 hours. Earlier in his career, he anchored an "open-ender" on the death of Labour leader John Smith, which saw him remain on air for much of the day, showing presentation skills which convince Ryley that he is well-suited to a rolling news channel.

As an interviewer, he can lay claim to the scalp of Peter Mandelson, who resigned from the cabinet in 1999 after Murnaghan had questioned him over the way he had filled out the mortgage application on his Notting Hill home. The exchange won Murnaghan the Royal Television Society Interviewer of the Year award.

In his new environment st Sky he will be expected to embrace new technology, reflecting Sky's enthusiasm for engaging viewers through all forms of digital media.

Murnaghan will be allowed to continue presenting his popular BBC2 quiz show Eggheads ("I think quiz shows are credible things for newsy people to do").

Viewers of the news channel will also get a chance to see his vast collection of ties, which famously runs to 1,000.

Dermot Murnaghan presents "Sky News Today" from 9am-1pm, from tomorrow