Trevor Phillips is a British broadcaster, writer, and former equalities chief best known for presenting Sky News’ Sunday morning politics show and, more recently, for joining CBS News in the United States. Knighted in 2022 for his work on equality and human rights, he built his reputation over four decades as a journalist, a government adviser, and a commentator who rarely shies away from a difficult conversation. If you’ve searched for “Trevor Phillips” and wondered who he is, what happened to his Sky News show, or details about his personal life, this guide covers it all in one place.
Who Is Trevor Phillips? Quick Facts
Before diving into the details, here’s a snapshot of Sir Trevor Phillips’ career at a glance.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Sir Mark Trevor Phillips |
| Born | Islington, London |
| Known for | Sky News presenter, former EHRC Chair, author |
| Sky News role | Hosted Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips (2023–2026) |
| Current role | Senior Global Affairs Correspondent, CBS News |
| Honours | OBE (1999), Knighthood (2022) |
| Notable past roles | Chair, Commission for Racial Equality; founding Chair, Equality and Human Rights Commission |
Early Life and Education
Phillips was born in Islington, the youngest of ten children, to parents who had emigrated from British Guiana (now Guyana) in 1950. He split his childhood between London and Guyana, attending school in Wood Green, north London, before sitting his A-levels at Queen’s College in Georgetown, Guyana.
That back-and-forth upbringing shaped much of his later interest in race, migration, and identity — themes that would define his broadcasting and public policy career for decades.
How Trevor Phillips Got Into Journalism
Phillips’ route into media started with activism, not a newsroom. As a student in London, he became the first Black president of the National Union of Students, a role that gave him an early platform for public speaking and organizing.
From there, he moved into television at London Weekend Television (LWT), working his way up through its current affairs department:
- Started as a producer and reporter on This Week
- Rose to become LWT’s head of current affairs
- Won Royal Television Society journalism awards in 1988 and 1993
- Picked up the RTS documentary series award in 1998 for Windrush, a landmark series marking 50 years since the arrival of the Empire Windrush in Britain
That documentary work established him as one of the more respected voices covering race and British social history — a reputation he’d carry into public office a few years later.
Sir Trevor Phillips and the Equality and Human Rights Commission
In 2003, Prime Minister Tony Blair appointed Phillips head of the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE). When the CRE was folded into a broader body, Phillips became the founding chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), leading it from 2007 to 2012 — making him the longest-serving head of any UK equality commission.
During this period he also served as an elected member, and later chair, of the London Assembly, giving him a rare combination of media credibility and direct government experience that later shaped his commentary as a broadcaster.
He was awarded an OBE in 1999 for his television work and, in 2006, received France’s Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur for his contribution to community integration and cohesion.
Trevor Phillips on Sky News: The Full Timeline
This is the part most people searching “Trevor Phillips Sky News” actually want to know — how he ended up hosting one of Britain’s flagship political shows.
From Stand-In to Full-Time Host
Phillips first appeared on Sky News’ Sunday politics slot in May 2021, covering for Sophy Ridge while she was on maternity leave. The show was temporarily rebranded as Trevor Phillips on Sunday, and he became the first Black presenter to host a flagship UK politics program.
When Sophy Ridge on Sunday aired its final episode in June 2023 (Ridge moved to front a new weeknight show), Phillips took over the Sunday morning slot permanently. The revamped program, Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, launched on 3 September 2023 at 8:30 am, ran for 90 minutes, and covered UK and global politics.
What Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips Covered
The show built a reputation for direct, occasionally combative interviews with senior politicians across party lines. Recurring elements included:
- Newsmaker interviews with cabinet ministers, opposition frontbenchers, and party leaders
- Panel discussions on the week’s biggest political stories
- Regular contributions from Sky’s political team, including Beth Rigby and Sam Coates
- A “welcoming approach to all sides of the political debate,” as Sky described it at launch
If you’re searching for “Trevor Phillips on Sunday guests today” or wondering about a specific episode’s line-up, the most reliable place to check is Sky News’ own listings page or the show’s podcast feed, since guest bookings change week to week and aren’t fixed content that stays current on any third-party site.
Is Trevor Phillips Still on Sky News Today?
Here’s the update many recent searches are looking for: no, not as a weekly host. In June 2026, CBS News announced it had hired Phillips as its Senior Global Affairs Correspondent, based in New York. He joined the network from Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, where he had been since 2023.
So if you’re checking for “Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips live today” expecting a new UK broadcast, the honest answer is that his focus has shifted to CBS News’ output in the US, including occasional contributions to 60 Minutes.
The Move to CBS News
CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss announced the hire, saying Phillips “cuts through the noise” and praising his depth on geopolitics and history. The appointment came during a period of significant change at CBS, with several long-serving 60 Minutes correspondents departing around the same time.
Phillips described the move as an opportunity to bring “impartial reporting, analysis and journalism” to American audiences trying to make sense of global events. As of mid-2026, he was also reported to be in line for a contributing role on 60 Minutes itself.
Why this matters for readers: it’s a genuine career pivot — from four decades in British public life and broadcasting to a US network role covering international affairs for an American audience.
Trevor Phillips’ Wife and Family Life
Searches for “Trevor Phillips wife” and “Trevor Phillips Sky News wife” are common, so here’s what’s publicly known.
Phillips married Asha Bhownagary, a child psychotherapist, in 1981; the couple had two daughters together before separating in 2008. He has since been reported to be married to Helen Veale. Compared with his public career, Phillips has kept most details of his home life private, and he rarely discusses it in interviews beyond acknowledging its importance to him.
The one deeply personal subject Phillips has spoken about publicly is the loss of his daughter, Sushila, who died in 2021 at the age of 36. He has written about grief and its aftermath in his newspaper columns, using his own experience to highlight broader conversations about mental health and family loss. Out of respect for the family, this article won’t go beyond what Phillips has chosen to share himself.
Other Ventures: Books, Boards, and Business
Broadcasting is only part of the picture. Over the years, Phillips has built a substantial portfolio outside the studio:
- Author: Co-wrote Windrush: The Irresistible Rise of Multi-Racial Britain and Windrush: 75 Years of Modern Britain with his brother, writer Mike Phillips
- Business: Co-founder and chairman of data analytics firm Webber Phillips; chairman of Green Park Interim and Executive Recruitment
- Boards: Non-executive director at Mind Gym; chairman of free-expression charity Index on Censorship; senior fellow at the Policy Exchange think tank
- Corporate governance: President of the John Lewis Partnership Council from 2015 to 2019 (some sources cite 2018)
- Columnist: Regular opinion writer for The Times, shortlisted for Comment Writer of the Year in the 2020 British Journalism Awards
Awards and Honours
| Year | Honor / Award |
|---|---|
| 1988, 1993 | Royal Television Society Journalism Awards |
| 1998 | RTS Documentary Series Award (Windrush) |
| 1999 | OBE for services to broadcasting |
| 2006 | Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (France) |
| 2020 | Shortlisted, British Journalism Awards — Comment Writer of the Year |
| 2022 | Knighthood for services to equality and human rights |
Why Trevor Phillips Divides Opinion
No profile of Trevor Phillips is complete without acknowledging that he’s a genuinely polarizing figure in British public life — which is part of what makes him a compelling interviewer.
Supporters point to:
- Decades of substantive work on race relations and equality policy
- A willingness to challenge politicians of every party equally
- Credibility built on lived experience and documentary journalism, not just punditry
Critics argue:
- Some of his commentary on identity politics and multiculturalism has drawn sharp pushback from other equality campaigners
- His shift toward more provocative opinion writing in later years struck some former allies as a departure from his EHRC-era positions.
Both readings are common in UK media commentary, and Phillips himself has generally welcomed the debate rather than avoided it — consistent with the confrontational-but-fair interviewing style that defined his Sky News run.
FAQs About Trevor Phillips
Is Trevor Phillips still on Sky News? No. He left his weekly hosting role on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips after joining CBS News as Senior Global Affairs Correspondent in June 2026.
What show did Trevor Phillips host on Sky News? He hosted Trevor Phillips on Sunday (2021–2022) and later Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips (2023–2026), Sky’s flagship Sunday morning politics program.
Was Trevor Phillips the first Black host of a UK politics show? Yes. When he took over Sky’s Sunday politics slot in 2021, he became the first Black presenter to host a flagship UK politics program.
What was Trevor Phillips’ role before broadcasting full-time? He chaired the Commission for Racial Equality from 2003 and became the founding chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, leading it from 2007 to 2012.
Is Trevor Phillips married? He has been married twice: to Asha Bhownagary from 1981 until their separation in 2008, and later to Helen Veale. He keeps most details of his family life private.
What does Trevor Phillips do at CBS News? He works as Senior Global Affairs Correspondent, appearing across CBS News programming and contributing occasional stories to 60 Minutes.
When was Trevor Phillips knighted? He received his knighthood in the 2022 New Year Honors for services to equality and human rights.
Trevor Phillips’ career is really a study in reinvention — from student activist to documentary-maker, from government equalities chief to Sunday morning political heavyweight, and now to a US newsroom covering global affairs. Want to keep up with his latest reporting? Follow his CBS News segments directly on the network’s site, or check Sky News’ archive if you’re catching up on his UK political interviews.
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