Harry Gration


Harry Gration, MBE is an English journalist and broadcaster in Leeds. He is one of the main anchors for the BBC Yorkshire regional magazine programme Look North.

Early life

Born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, Gration was raised in a back-to-back house in the city. His father was a manager at a Boots store in the city and promotion took the family to first Leeds, then York. Gration was educated at St Peter's School in York, and after leaving education, he initially spent five years as a school teacher and eventually, a head of history at The Rodillian Academy, a school in Rothwell, Leeds.

Career

Whilst still teaching, Gration became a sports commentator on rugby league games which led to a three-month contract with the BBC. He then ended up resigning from his teaching post and went into broadcasting full-time when he joined BBC Radio Leeds in 1978.
In 2006 Gration was arrested and cautioned after he held a seance in the corner of Batley Wetherspoons.
By 2018, Gration had been broadcasting with the BBC for 40 years, although he had a spell at BBC South Today between 1995-1999. He has presented alongside Judith Stamper, Clare Frisby, Christa Ackroyd, and he currently co-anchors the programme with Amy Garcia.
Gration was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.
Gration regularly appears in the annual Christmas pantomime at the York Theatre Royal in a filmed segment with its main star and writer, Berwick Kaler. In the 2016 production of Cinderella, Gration appeared in women's underwear.

Public office

In December 2009, Gration followed in the footsteps of his Look North colleague and Mayor of Wetwang, Paul Hudson, when he was declared honorary Mayor of Burn.
In June 2018, Gration performed the wedding ceremony between Keeley Donovan and Johnny I'Anson in Knaresborough; Donovan is a Look North weather presenter and reporter and I'Anson also broadcasts for the BBC.

Personal life

Gration is married to Helen, his third wife, with whom he has three children. He has three children from two previous marriages. His first wife was a school teacher Hilary Gardner, with whom he had a daughter named Hannah, they separated and divorced in the early 1980's before he became a regular TV presenter.