BBC News presenter Clive Myrie has opened up about the decision he and his wife Catherine made not to have children, citing fears about the world his nephews, nieces and friends' children are growing up in15:54, 15 Aug 2026BBC presenter Clive Myrie has offered a candid insight into his decision with wife Catherine not to have children, saying the state of the world has sometimes left him feeling grateful they chose not to become parents.‌The 61-year-old has spent much of his career reporting from some of the world's most dangerous regions, including Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo, experiences that have inevitably shaped the way he views life beyond the newsroom.‌Myrie and Catherine, a former publishing executive who now works as a furniture restorer, met at a book launch in London in the early 1990s before marrying in 1998. Their relationship has endured as his career took him around the globe, with Catherine supporting him through years of frontline reporting.‌The couple have previously acknowledged that their careers were among the reasons they decided against having children. However, Myrie has now revealed that watching the world change around him has also reinforced the decision."I have a multitude of nephews and nieces and children of friends around me, and I don't like how this world is turning out for them," he explained.‌"Few job opportunities, a lack of international co-operation, social media which makes the world feel meaner and nastier. I see all this, and there's a big, big part of me that thinks, thank God I didn't have kids."His outlook has been influenced in part by what he has witnessed during a career that has taken him into the heart of wars and humanitarian crises. At one point while reporting in Iraq, the danger was so acute that he wrote a farewell letter to his family in case he did not make it home.‌The BBC journalist has previously spoken about the lasting impact of his work, admitting that some of the scenes he has witnessed remain difficult to forget.Speaking to The i Paper, he said: "I've got better at compartmentalising as I've got older. Some things live with you, obviously. There is no question that some of the images I saw reporting from Ukraine, or some of the more disturbing stories I've had to read on the news, stay with you. But, on the whole, I can shut that out and switch off."Rather than allowing those experiences to dominate his life, Myrie said he has become increasingly conscious of making space for things that bring him happiness.Article continues below"I want my life to be about the good, interesting stuff. I don't particularly want to be thinking about Donald Trump or Keir Starmer on my deathbed. I want to be thinking about art or music or something uplifting," he said.He added: "I try to live a rounded life; I make time to go to galleries and concerts. I have lunches with friends. I make sure that's part of who I am, and part of my routine, because that is what helps keep me going."