Derek Watts
is a South African anchor, investigative journalist, sports reporter and talk show host, presenting on South African television since 1985. He is best known as the anchor and presenter on M-Net’s multi award-winning current affairs programme “Carte Blanche” since it launched in 1988. Derek was voted the Best TV Presenter in South Africa in 2004/5/6/7 and won the SAB Environmental Journalist Award and the “Star Tonight Best Actuality Reporter award”. Derek also has a new talk show called “Inspirational Heroes on the Carte Blanche Beat”. Raised in Zimbabwe, he has been a journalist since 1974, when he joined The Rhodesia Herald as a cub reporter and was later one of the first anchors of the SABC program “Top Sport”. Derek also served as a company commander during the Rhodesian ‘bush war’. His passion for investigative reporting stems from the days of not being allowed to report on the war, the security situation, the economy, the government, the banned people and organizations, which he included in his popular corporate presentation ‘You have the right to know it all’. Derek plays an important role in South African charity work and especially supports his daughter’s “Kristy Watts Foundation” for children. Derek lives with his wife in Johannesburg.