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Richard Austin Quest (born 9 March 1962 in Liverpool) is a flamboyant British news reporter based in London on the Cable News Network edition CNN International.

Education and early career

Quest studied Law at the University of Leeds, taking his degree in 1985, and was called to the Bar. He had already gained broadcast experience when he spent the 1983–84 academic year at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. As news director for campus radio station WRVU, he built the reporting staff from scratch.

BBC career

Quest then became a Trainee Journalist at the BBC in 1985, joining their financial section in 1987, and moving to New York City in 1989 to become their North America business correspondent.

Quest later worked for the BBC from the USA as part of their then fledgling BBC News 24 channel. He was their business correspondent reporting on, and discussing the world stock market in a regular segment entitled World Business Report usually aired between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m. (GMT), a programme that he presented alongside Paddy O'Connell. He was also an occasional presenter on the BBC's early morning Business Breakfast programme.

CNN career

Quest joined CNN in 2001 for the launch of Business International. Since this time Quest has covered a variety of different events for CNN, amongst others an analysis of the U.S. elections as American Quest and the start of the circulation of Euro banknotes and coins on 1 January 2002. He has also headed up CNN’s coverage of several events involving the British Royal Family.

In addition to anchoring Business International from London, Quest hosts two monthly programs on CNN International called Business Traveller and Quest. Quest formerly anchored the show CNN Today which is geared towards morning audiences in Europe. Max Foster took his place on CNN Today.

Quest was incorrectly reported to have turned down a job offer from the English-language Al Jazeera channel, on the basis that being Jewish and gay he might not be suitable. But there was never any job offer — the story came about after Quest had joked to friends that his religion would have stopped him getting a job with the company.

In other programs, Quest poked fun at his "talents" by recording a pop song, walking a catwalk, dancing the cha-cha for the first time in his life, in front of an audience of 10,000 and sprinting 100 meters.

On Tuesday 8 May 2007, Quest's flamboyant, exaggerated British delivery of his report on the Queen’s visit to the USA was the subject of parody on The Daily Show in a segment where Jon Stewart tortures British-born correspondent John Oliver by playing segments of Quest's report.

Quest visited Bangalore, India, in 2004 to participate in the Art of Living function held by Sri Sri Ravishankarji.

Quest was also featured on Access Hollywood 3 September 2007. Quest's twin sister, Caroline is Managing Director of Innovation and Enterprise, Queen Mary, University of London.

Personal life

On 18 April 2008, Quest was arrested at 3:40am in Central Park, New York City, and charged with "loitering and criminal possession of a controlled substance"..

He reportedly was in possession of crystal meth amphetamine, had a rope around his neck that was tied to his genitals, and also had sex toys in his shoes"..

References

1. "Look east". Guardian Unlimited. 2006-11-13. Retrieved 2008-01-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
2. "Royal Watcher on Daily Show". Comedy Central. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2008-01-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
3. Anemona Hartocollis (2008-04-19). "CNN Reporter Faces Drug Charge". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
4. Philip Messing (2008-04-20). "CNN's Quest a Very Knotty Boy". New York Post. Retrieved 2008-04-20.

External links

• CNN staff biography
• CNN Business Traveller
• CNN Quest
• Report on Quest's police arrest
• NY Post details Quest arrest

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• Living people
• Deaths
• Alumni of the University of Leeds
• BBC newsreaders and journalists
• English television journalists
• English Jews
• Vanderbilt University alumni