Katya Adler is an award-winning British German journalist and news correspondent who has served as the BBC’s Europe Editor since 2014. With over three decades of experience at the forefront of storytelling, communication, and analysis, Katya has built a reputation as one of the UK’s most authoritative voices in global media coverage.
Starting her career on the FUNtastic Show for Blue Danube Radio in Vienna, Katya had previously spent time on university work placements at Reuters, NBC in Turkey, and at The Times’ offices in Rome. Following her graduation, her next media role was at the Austrian national public broadcaster ORF, where she reported locally and then internationally. In 1998, she joined the BBC in Vienna, reporting on Austrian and central European affairs before being appointed as the BBC’s Berlin Correspondent. In 2000, Katya appeared as a presenter on BBC World Service, soon landing the role of Madrid Correspondent, where she covered breaking headlines such as the deaths of Pope John Paul II and Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat. By 2006, she was made the BBC’s Middle East Correspondent, reporting from Jerusalem and travelling to Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and more. In 2014, she took on the role of the BBC’s Europe Editor, a position she still holds today, providing expert analysis on European politics, society, and current affairs. She has fronted multiple documentaries, including ‘After Brexit: the Battle for Europe’, which led her to become one of the co-hosts on the podcast Brexitcast. In 2023, Katya began hosting the BBC Proms on television, presenting the two-part series ‘Living Next Door to Putin’ and interviewing French President Emmanuel Macron that same year. Her newest documentary, 'Europe On the Edge', confronts the current political challenges facing the United Kingdom and Europe.
As a result of her incredible media presence, Katya has been the recipient of numerous awards, including Broadcast Journalist of the Year at the Political Society Awards and the London Press Club, News and Factual Award at the Women in Film and TV Awards, and the British Journalism Review and the University of Westminster’s Charles Wheeler Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcast Journalism. In 2019, her podcast won the Listeners' Choice Award at the British Podcast Awards, and the London Evening Standard named her as one of London’s Most Influential People. Katya was also an AIB Winner for the BBC Children of War Series, and her documentary, Spain’s Stolen Babies, was runner-up for an RTS Award.
With unique insider knowledge and perspectives grounded in lived experience, extensive interviews, and expertise in EU-related matters, Katya is an influential figure in the media sphere, renowned for her knowledge, clarity, and passion. Specialising in topics such as Brexit, international relations, and European politics, Katya is the perfect addition to a multitude of events, conferences and engagements with her decades of journalistic acumen engaging with audiences across the globe.
- 2026 - Presented the documentary Europe on the Edge'
- 2023 – Began presenting the BBC Proms on television
- 2023 – Presented the two-part BBC One series Living Next Door to Putin
- 2023 – Interviewed French President Emmanuel Macron
- 2021 – Hosted a three-part radio series examining the meanings of Dante’s Divine Comedy
- 2019 – Brexit Newscast became a regular fixture on BBC One
- 2019 – Won the Charles Wheeler Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcast Journalism
- 2019 – Named Broadcast Journalist of the Year by the London Press Club alongside Laura Kuenssberg
- 2019 – Received the Listeners’ Choice Award at the British Podcast Awards for Brexitcast
- 2019 – Listed in the Evening Standard’s Most Influential People in London
- 2018 – Awarded Broadcast Journalist of the Year by the Political Studies Association
- 2017 – Presented the documentary After Brexit: The Battle for Europe
- 2017 – Became a presenter on Brexitcast
- 2017 – Received an honorary LL.D from the University of Bristol
- 2017 – Received an honorary D.Lit from the University of London Institute in Paris
- 2017 – Named one of Politico’s Top 20 Most Influential Women in Brussels
- 2014 – Appointed BBC Europe Editor
- 2012 – Spain’s Stolen Babies was runner-up for an RTS Award
- 2006 – Became BBC Middle East Correspondent
- 2006 – Became an occasional presenter on HARDtalk
- 2003 – Appointed BBC Madrid Correspondent
- 2003 – Covered the death of Pope John Paul II
- 2003 – Covered the death of Yasser Arafat
- 2000 – Became BBC Berlin Correspondent
- 2000 – Based in London for BBC World Service
- 2000 – Appeared regularly on Deutsche Welle Television
- 1998 – Joined BBC Vienna, reporting on Austrian and Central European affairs
- 1995 – Became a correspondent for Austrian public broadcaster ORF
How to hire Katya Adler
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Katya Adler for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
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