He was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham, and at Wadham College, Oxford University, where he graduated with a 2:1 (B.A.Hons) in Oriental Studies (Chinese).
He joined the BBC in 1990, as a World Service Production Trainee, and spent five years as a producer, reporter and part-time presenter.
[4] In March 2002 he began a five-year tour of duty as Europe Correspondent, based in Brussels.
His 2008 TV report about witnessing a deadly attack in Jerusalem[12] drew complaints from the public for its graphic nature.
[27][28] In November 2013, Franks secured the first broadcast interview since Lance Armstrong's "limited confession" to doping in January 2013 with Oprah Winfrey.