After her broadcasting career, she became one of the first female directors of a FTSE 100 company, through her appointment to the board of CGNU (formerly General Accident, now Aviva).
She has also held non-executive directorships of other companies such as Trinity Mirror, London Weekend Television and Camelot Group.
Her marriage to the writer and explorer Douglas Botting led to a career break as she gave birth to her two daughters, Anna (now a newsreader with Sky News) and Kate.
Its political influence was highlighted by the fact that, at times, the Prime Minister's office asked to know the proposed content in advance.
In addition to Douglas Deakin Young and London Weekend Television, she served as non-executive director of CGNU (formerly General Accident, now Aviva) and Trinity Mirror.
She also acted as a member of the Top Salaries Review Body between 1987 and 1994, and was rewarded by Prime Minister John Major with a CBE for her work and for services to journalism.