Ulla Terkelsen

Ulla Terkelsen (2019)

Ulla Terkelsen née Staalby (born 15 May 1944, Aarhus) is a Danish journalist who is widely known in Denmark as an established foreign correspondent for TV 2. Now living in Cannes in the south of France, she continues to report on foreign affairs from her balcony.

Early life, education and family

Born on 15 May 1944 in Aarhus, she married Svend Terkelsen, a student of literature and moved with him to Poland where he continued his studies. While there, she gained her first experience of journalism working for the Polish radio's Danish service. After the marriage was dissolved, she returned to Aarhus where she became an apprentice with the local newspaper Demokraten (1967).

Career

Thanks to her talent as a young apprentice, she was honoured with an award from the agricultural organization Landbrugsraadet which allowed her to travel to London. While there she met Guy, also a journalist, who became her husband for the next four years. Together they had a son, Nicholas.

In London, she was a freelance journalist, frequently working for Danmarks Radio. She went on to work from Washington D.C. and Kabul. Since 1987, she has been employed by TV 2 where she helped to create the channel's news programmes.

Today Terkelsen is based in Cannes although she still travels to other news hot spots but now 80, she flies less frequently than she used to. Many of her news reports are transmitted from her balcony in Cannes. In her own words: "I feel that I am still involved in what interests me, namely what is happening in the world, and that I can still translate it into journalism. I consider that to be a very great gift."