Kirsty Young was the news anchor for Five News. Kirsty returned to Five on January 14, 2002 in a two-year deal after spending two years in ITNs ITV newsroom where she presented the ITVs News at Ten, ITV Evening News and Lunchtime News from 1999.

She had previously fronted 5 News for the Channel which she presented since its launch in March 1997. During her time as presenter of 5 News Kirsty received the prestigious Sir James Carreras Award for Outstanding New Talent of 1997 at the 46th Variety Club Showbusiness Awards. A month later, in March 1998, she was named Newscaster of the Year at the TRIC (Television & Radio Industries Club) Awards.

The programme itself won a Royal Television Society prize, collecting the Team Award at the 1997 RTS Craft & Design Awards. Acclaimed as one of television's leading talents, Kirsty fronted 5 News every weekday evening, conducting live studio interviews and reporting on the day's main issues. She also presented various news and current affairs specials for Channel 5.

From January to September 1998, she co-hosted Talk Radio's weekday breakfast programme.

Kirsty Young's journalistic career began in 1989 as a newsreader for BBC Radio Scotland where she also presented its Drivetime show. In 1992 she moved to Scottish Television where she was the presenter of Scotland Today at Lunchtime and Scotland Today - the channel's midday and evening news programmes.

From 1994-95 she was the host of 'Kirsty', a bi-weekly live discussion programme on the week's hot topics, on STV. For STV she also presented Late Edition, a live, late-night entertainment and music show. In 1996 Kirsty was a guest presenter of ITV's The Time, The Place. Her BBC credits include presenting and reporting for Holidays Out, Holiday 96 and Film 96 on BBC1, and presenting BBC2's consumer affairs show, The Street.

She is a regular guest presenter for BBC2s Have I Got News For You and is occasional stand in for Michael Parkinsons Radio 2 Show and Jeremy Vines Radio 2 Show.