ITV News At Ten icon dies as Alastair Stewart leads heartwrenching tributes
The late ITN director has been described as a "brilliant professional" and "a master of the control room" in heartfelt tributes on social media.
Diana Edwards-Jones discusses the launch of ITN in 1977
Alastair Stewart has announced the death of his close friend and former ITV News at 10 director Diana Edwards-Jones OBE, who made her mark at ITN. Taking to his X page on Monday, the broadcaster shared a throwback of the pair laughing in each other's company alongside the caption: "RIP #Diana EdwardsJones obe - ej, as she was how, best director especially of big event news tv like general elections- her language put troopers to shame……. I adored her and will miss as will all lucky enough to have met her."
Michael Crick has shared a statement on the social media platform, writing: "Very sad news. The amazing ITN studio director Diana Edwards-Jones has died." He went on to call her a "brilliant professional" who was also a "master of the control room, deliverer of the impossible, great sense of humour, and famous for her - how shall we say? - highly colourful language." Another described the late director as "a formidable lady" in response to the news.
A spokesperson for ITN has since confirmed Diana's death to Express.co.uk as they praised her for "pushing journalism and production boundaries" during her time at the company. They shared: "ITN is immensely proud of Diana Edwards-Jones’ legacy and how she supported innovation on many levels by holding a crucial position in broadcast news.
"She played a hugely significant role at the start of ITN’s journey and showed women were central to the company’s development off-screen as well as on-screen. As we prepare for another UK general election in the coming months, I hope that other women will be inspired by her example and continue to push journalism and production boundaries.”
Diana was the director of ITV News At Ten when it first hit the screens back in 1967.
She went on to make history as the first woman in charge of a televised General Election special back in 1974.
During her time behind-the-scenes, Diana also helped launch Alastair Burnet's broadcasting career after he initially joined as a political editor.
Following his death in 2012, his wife Lady Burnet revealed he had left £100,000 to Diana in his will after she supported him throughout his career and Dementia battle.
According to his wife, as his illness progressed he only felt comfortable in the company of family and close friends which included Diana.
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Addressing his generous endowment, Lady Burnet told Mail Online: "Diana got that money because she was a very dear friend.
"When my husband suffered from dementia she would come and visit him. Diana would sit with him and it gave me some time off.
"He didn’t want to see many people because he could not hold proper conversations, so it was only close friends."
"But Alastair was so old that there were not many of those left. Diana was one of these friends and she would sit and talk to him."
Alastair's wife went on to praise the late director for giving her spouse his career opportunities on ITN, adding: "We wanted her to have the money because she was such a good friend to both of us."
Additionally, Diana was behind the Queen Elizabeth II: 60 Glorious Years back in 1986.
