Evan Davis urged viewers not to compare him to his predecessor ahead of his Newsnight debut today, saying he was “so not Jeremy Paxman”.
The 52-year-old left Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday after six and a half years and starts as anchor on the BBC2 show today.
He asked critics to give him time “to get into the groove” before passing judgment, saying he had “big shoes to fill” following Paxman’s departure.
“I’m just not Jeremy Paxman,” he told the Daily Telegraph, “and it would be worse if I was trying to be Jeremy Paxman. I’m so not Jeremy Paxman.”
He added: “I just want to see whether Newsnight is going to work. I know there is a small possibility that some people will think my face doesn’t fit.
“You’ve got to give me time to get into the groove, but I think we will know the answer to that fairly quickly. We will probably know by Christmas if it’s a big disaster, and I’ve made a terrible mistake.” Davis, who lives with his civil partner Guillaume, a landscape gardener, between a flat in west London and a house in north France, admitted Newsnight “was not the plan”.
He explained: “It was definitely my choice [to go to Newsnight]. But I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that the powers that be wanted me to do it.
He added: “I’d advise people not to watch the first week, because I imagined I’d have a little bit more preparation time. I’ve done live, I’ve done presenting, I’ve done TV, but what I’ve never done is that configuration all at the same time.”
