Mary Nightingale (born 26 May 1963) is an English journalist and television presenter, best known for presenting the ITV Evening News since 2001. Education and early career Nightingale was educated at St Margaret's School, an independent school for girls, near the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in Exeter, Devon, and King Edward VI School in Totnes, Devon. She obtained a BA in English from Bedford College, University of London, now merged with Royal Holloway, University of London. Nightingale began her career in journalism as a presenter and writer on World Business Satellite for TV Tokyo. She then went on to work for BBC World's World Business Report as a presenter and writer, covering economic and corporate news. Nightingale also worked for Reuters Financial Television in 1994 as a presenter on the early morning financial programme. TV career 1990s She co-presented Carlton Country, a factual series about life in the countryside, as well as presenting the Holiday programme on BBC One. In May 1994, she became the first presenter of After 5 the London News Network early-evening show. In 1991, she worked as co-presenter on ITV's coverage of the Rugby World Cup in Britain, France and Ireland, and in 1995, presented from the following tournament in South Africa on the regular evening highlights programme. In 1996, Nightingale presented BBC Two's Ski Sunday. Until April 1999, Nightingale was co-presenter with Alastair Stewart of London News Network's flagship news programme London Tonight and was the sole presenter of London Today, Carlton's lunchtime news bulletin. She also presented the daily late news bulletins of London Tonight. 2000s Nightingale anchored ITV's flagship holiday programme Wish You Were Here...? from 1999–2001, and also presented The Really Good Food Show. In 2001, Nightingale was promoted to the ITV Evening News and she left her position on London Tonight. She was also part of the ITN team covering the 2001 general election. In 2002, she broke the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Nightingale has also fronted various ITV programmes including: Holidays Undercover in 2006, The Girl Who Would Be Queen, and Diana - A Service of Thanksgiving in 2007. 2010s Nightingale was an occasional presenter of the ITV Lunchtime News and ITV News weekend bulletins, and previously acted as a relief presenter on ITV News at Ten before the programme's restructure in October 2015. In April 2011, she took over from Mark Nicholas