Susanna Reid has been crowned newsreader of the year at the Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) awards – days after announcing her move to ITV.
The former BBC Breakfast host beat the BBC's Fiona Bruce and Daybreak's Lorraine Kelly to the gong.
Reid is moving to ITV to launch new show Good Morning Britain. She thanked her former BBC Breakfast colleagues in her first public appearance since announcing her move to ITV.
She said:
Well, it's been a couple of weeks and this is definitely a highlight. Obviously you know things have been changing in my life but this (the award) is all down to one team and that's the team at BBC Breakfast who have been utterly brilliant.
I have the privilege of being the main presenter of the programme since the move to Salford. It's a fantastic team. I have been lucky enough to present with Charlie and Bill (Turnbull).
This award is not about me but is testament to all the work that everyone else puts in… the chemistry you have with your co-presenters… it's a huge thank you to them.
She also thanked Breakfast's "late editor Alison Ford who took a risk on me".
Reid said she would not be out to poach viewers from Breakfast or worrying about whether the new show would take-off, after previous ITV show Daybreak failed to win viewers.
"They offered me a great opportunity and as a news journalist and a presenter it's absolutely amazing to be given the opportunity to create a new programme," she said.
"There's fantastic producers there and great editors, just like at Breakfast. It's lovely to be involved in something different.
Reid said that she did not leave the BBC because of the commute to Salford but that she was given an offer too good to turn down.
"I've always had a great time at Breakfast and getting on the train was never a problem…but obviously there are multiple reasons why you take a new job," she said. "I have to say it was just an offer that was too good to turn down….It is exciting to start something new."
She said of competing with her former colleagues: "My view about breakfast television is that your aim is to grow an audience… not to steal an audience.
"So if you create great content and people love what you do then you hope that viewers will come to your programme but that doesn't necessarily mean competing…you just have to build your own audience."
Asked whether she worried about the new show not being a success, she said: "You can't worry about how it's going to work, you have to aim to do the best you absolutely can do. Our aim will be to create a great programme and invite the viewers to watch."
It has been reported that Reid has been offered a £1m package to move to ITV.
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
