Royle began her TV career in Hong Kong, where she also trained the voices of radio and TV presenters. On her return to the UK, she joined Tyne Tees Television in 1983 as a weather presenter. She later moved to Central Independent Television as a continuity announcer before working as a weather and travel correspondent for ITN World News covering Europe and, on the evening of the 1987 General Election, the world. After this, she joined ITN as a graduate news trainee.