 He was also secretary of the University's Dramatic Society, OUDS.He joined the BBC in 1967 on a trainee placement at BBC Birmingham, rising to become a presenter of the regional news programmes on television and radio.Early in 1968, Jessel moved to London to join the national radio news programme "The World at One" as one of the so-called "golden generation" of young British journalists, which included 
Roger Cook and Jonathan Dimbleby.