Somerville co-presented News at Ten's short-lived analyst segment Focus on Britain in late 1992 until it was dropped from the bulletin.
[5][7][8] She passed a film test and began an intensive news reading course at BBC Television Centre to replace Sue Lawley,[4][9] before starting work in July 1984.
[10] When the Nine O'Clock News was revamped as a two-presenter bulletin on 2 September 1985, Somerville co-presented the programme with either John Humphrys or Andrew Harvey.
[27][28] Somerville was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour in August 1992 and after neurosurgery recovered well to return to work three months later.
[29] She returned to present to co-presented the Lunchtime News along with Nicholas Owen and later with John Suchet, plus 3D, a weekly Yorkshire Television current affairs programme from 1993 to 1998.
[5] Between 1999 and 2001, Somerville presented the daily LBC radio show London Life, a two-hour programme devoted to interviews with diverse artists.
[8] Following Somerville being dropped from her prime time role to younger woman newsreaders and being limited to presenting a daily radio programme, she left ITN in October 2001.
[3] In 1995, Somerville and Dixon were arrested by the Metropolitan Police after sending photos to be printed at a branch of the pharmacy Boots in London.
When Dixon arrived at Boots to collect the prints the police were waiting and later his and Somerville's house was searched but nothing was seized.
[43] In August 2001, 47-year-old David Hughes of north London was convicted of harassment after sending 390 obscene letters and specifically moving close to Somerville over a 12-year period.
[45] Deputy District Judge Javaid Azam subsequently issued an indefinite restraining order banning Hughes from ever contacting the journalist again.