As the UK Editor of ITV News, Paul Brand certainly has a huge range of things to report on. He has uncovered some massive stories, including the Covid-19 crisis in care homes which saw so many residents lose their lives. On top of that, he also brought us the news of parties in Downing Street, when the rest of the country was asked to strictly follow lockdown rules. As well as reporting on massive issues relating to British politics, he has also brought very significant LGBTQ+ stories to the public’s attention. He made many viewers aware of the practice of conversion therapy back in 2018, when ITV News conducted an undercover investigation, showing a church pastor claiming God could fix gay people. Earlier this year, he also revealed a leaked document which showed the government intended to drop a long-promised ban on conversion therapy. Following that, the government partially u-turned on its decision, but fell short in banning trans conversion therapy, something Paul has been at the centre of covering. Another hugely significant LGBTQ+ story Paul has brought to our TV screens was the discovery of “Patient Zero”, the first person to die of HIV/AIDs in the UK, 40 years ago. After months of searching, Paul and his colleagues found that it was John Eaddie, who died of the disease in October 1981. The story was shown both on the news as well as the Tonight programme, the UK’s most watched current affairs show, which Paul recently took over as the main presenter. Even by uncovering some huge LGBTQ+ stories, in this episode of the ITV Pridecast, Paul discusses how he does not want to be typecast as an LGBTQ+ reporter. He says he wants all journalists, no matter their sexuality, to feel like they can report on issues of this nature. Joining Liam McConkey to co-host this episode is Penny James, one of the co-chairs of the ITN Pride Network and a news producer at Channel 5 News. Take a look at some of Paul’s work with ITV News here: https://bit.ly/3al46kd Paul is also a patron of the charity Just Like Us, which goes into schools to champion LGBTQ+ issues through workshops and events. Find out more about the organisation here: https://bit.ly/3wHiUCk