Back on-air
BBC News star announces shock return to screens after months off air – admitting to viewers he’s ‘incredibly nervous’
He's been giving fans a glimpse into his personal life since taking a break
A BBC News star is making a shock return to screens after taking some time off-air following the birth of his baby.
Popular TV news journalist Rich Preston, 39, surprised viewers back in July when he announced he would be taking a "few months" off for his “next adventure”.
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Four months on, he is now back from paternity leave and gearing up to return back to our screens.
This week, the star posted on social media: “FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! I’m back at work today after being off on parental leave for a wee while.”
Rich has worked for the BBC for more than 16 years and is currently an anchor and presenter across the BBC News channel and the BBC World Service.
The announcement about his break came as a surprise to viewers as he kept the news of his impending fatherhood quiet until that moment.
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At the time, the TV favourite was flooded with dozens of congratulatory messages with one writing: "Congratulations and good luck!"
Writing on his X page yesterday, Rich Preston revealed he was feeling “incredibly nervous” about returning to work.
He wrote: “I feel very out of my depth not being across what’s happening in the world, and I work in a very fickle industry - not being on-air in four months brings its own fears with it!”
The BBC star also highlighted some of the challenges he’s faced as a new parent over the last few months.
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“Society is woefully inadequate when it comes to being baby-friendly,” he wrote.
“Public transport is a nightmare. So many changing facilities are either broken or disgusting.
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“I’ve been in so many women’s bathrooms recently because they’re the only place where I’ve been able to change my baby.”
“We make women do more by forcing dads to do less. One shop I went in had a baby feeding/changing area but with signs everywhere saying *strictly* no men allowed. I literally wasn’t allowed to feed or change my baby. Want dads to be more involved as parents? Then allow them to.
He also highlighted how there’s a lot of “checking up on mum” but dads are made to feel “invisible”.
Earlier this year, the TV star was faced with a difficult few weeks after the death of his neighbour.
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Rich recalled the terrifying moment he had to help save them by performing CPR before they ultimately died.
"I spent 45 minutes doing CPR on a neighbour this morning," he wrote on social media.
"Sadly, they didn't make it."
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The presenter then encouraged his followers to train in CPR - saying he was alerted about his neighbour's condition by London Ambulance Service.
"I arrived just as a response paramedic did and the two of us were able to work together to do our best for the person," Rich continued.
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