John Kay was born on 8 November 1969 in Nantwich, Yorkshire, England to Terry Kay and Tommie Duncan. He is one of four brothers and the family largely lived in Cheshire for much of his childhood.

He joined the BBC in 1992 as a trainee local reporter, working at various BBC radio stations before moving into television reporting for BBC Points West and BBC London News. Over time he became a national correspondent and presenter, covering major stories including UK elections and international events.

Kay has been part of the BBC Breakfast team since around 2010, regularly presenting news on BBC One. In July 2022 the BBC announced he would become the main presenter on BBC Breakfast from Monday to Wednesday, co-hosting with Sally Nugent and others.

Jon Kay is married to Francesca Kasteliz and have three children together. He lives in Bristol with his family and occasionally shares glimpses of family life away from the studio.