At the age of 19, McAndrew worked as a researcher in the
House of Commons, transferring to
The House Magazine which she went on to edit between 1995 and 1997 before becoming a
freelance political journalist in the House of Commons
Press gallery. In November 1999, McAndrew became a
press secretary to the
Liberal Democrat Leader,
Charles Kennedy. Following the
2001 general election, McAndrew decided to develop a career in broadcasting, making regular contributions across television and radio and presenting
Channel 4's lunchtime political programme,
Powerhouse. In January 2003, using her maiden name, Daisy Sampson, McAndrew came to national prominence as a
BBC News presenter co-hosting the weekday lunchtime
Daily Politics with
Andrew Neil, and presenting
Yesterday in Parliament on
BBC Breakfast. In 2005, from January to August, she presented the weekday drive-time radio show for London's
LBC 97.3. In September 2005, McAndrew joined
ITN as Chief Political Correspondent for
ITV News, and in June 2008 became ITV News Economics Editor after returning from maternity leave. She occasionally acted as a
newscaster of
ITV News weekend bulletins and the
ITV Lunchtime News, from 2006 to 2007 and again 2010–2011. In August 2011 she began working under the new title of special correspondent. In December 2012 she left ITN. McAndrew was an occasional news reviewer for the
ITV daytime programme
This Morning. In January 2006, it was alleged that McAndrew was responsible for the
ITV News story that led to
Liberal Democrat Leader
Charles Kennedy being forced to reveal that he was a recovering alcoholic. Kennedy's party colleagues chose to capitalise on what was already low-key public knowledge, and this forced his resignation and triggered a
leadership election. Having served as Kennedy's personal press secretary, McAndrew's role in this story was widely questioned; some broadcasters and journalists aired the view that she had turned on her former employer, and dubbed her "the blonde assassin". Since 2013, she has worked for several
Television channels as a freelance reporter, journalist and presenter and currently has a British Royal Family Commentator contract with
NBC that originated from April 2021. ==Personal life==