Biography
Alan Jenkins is an experienced journalist who is used to covering big news stories, from Brexit and Covid 19 to the death of the late Queen. His former studies in acting and performance laid down the foundations and prepared Alan for a career in front of the camera, including his current role as Scotland based reporter for Channel 5 News.
Brought up in East Wemyss, Fife, Alan attended Buckhaven High School (now Levenmouth Academy) and then the University of St Andrews, graduating with a degree in English Literature.
“I’d done a lot of theatre growing up and had studied drama and had a real interest in potentially making acting my career. I joined the HNC Acting and Performance course at Fife College’s Kirkcaldy Campus and it gave me a great insight into whether this was something I wanted to do going forward.
I really enjoyed how practical the course was and how everyone who was there had a real interest in the subject. The course lecturers had a vast level of experience and it was great to get their insight into the industry too.
The course really made a difference to my confidence and while I decided not to pursue acting, the performance skills I developed on the course put me in good stead for a career as a broadcast journalist and working in television. The story-telling and skills I was learning as an actor comes in handy still to this day, when covering stories in my role.
I began my broadcast career soon after college when I got the opportunity to intern at CNN in Atlanta, USA. This made me realise that broadcast journalism was where I wanted to be and so I secured a job at Radio Tay in Dundee and then naturally progressed to television including ITV Border and STV. In recent years I have worked for Channel 5 which I really enjoy.
Throughout the years I’ve been very fortunate to have covered quite a few big stories, perhaps the most significant was the death of the late Queen. I was one of only a handful of reporters broadcasting for hours on end outside Balmoral when the news broke. That’s a moment I won’t ever forget.
Long term, I plan to just keep doing what I’m doing, telling interesting and engaging stories that really matter to people.
The job takes you to different places every day at home and abroad, wherever the news is happening and so you need to be flexible. Longer term I plan to just keep doing what I’m doing, telling interesting and engaging stories that really matter to people.
My best advice to Fife College students is to know your own mind and stick to it - it’s okay when things don’t go to plan. Often what feels like the wrong route can actually be the right one.”
Alan was recently portrayed in an exhibition held at Methil Heritage Centre:
Possible Paths, by Fife-based photographer Cate Gillon, celebrated former pupils of Levenmouth Academy as relatable role models while exploring themes of self-esteem, identity, place, and employment.
Photograph: Copyright Cate Gillon Photography
Related Courses
As a student on this course, you will not only participate in varied and exciting practical workshops focusing on movement, voice, and acting, you will also collaborate with others to create dynamic productions to showcase these skills.