Lawley, Sue
Updated: 28th November 2024
Sue was born in Dudley in the West Midlands. She graduated with a BA Hons in modern languages from the University of Bristol. Because of peer pressure, Sue changed her Dudley accent to one closer to received pronunciation. In 1967, she began her career …
Holness, Bob
Updated: 26th November 2024
Bob was born in Vryheid, Natal in South Africa. The family moved to Kent when he was seven. They returned to South Africa in the 1950s and he joined a repertory theatre in Durban. In 1955, he took on his first radio presenting job and, a year later, he …
Clayton, David
Updated: 24th November 2024
David was born in Marske, Yorkshire. He began his broadcasting career on hospital radio in Norwich, which he helped launch in November 1974. He applied to BBC Radio Norfolk when they were looking to launch in 1980. He joined the freelance presentation …
Kynoch, Douglas
Updated: 20th November 2024
Douglas was born in Aberdeen. He was teaching English in Germany when he heard about a new ITV station opening in Aberdeen. He was one of the first announcer/programme presenters to appear on Grampian TV when it opened on 30th September 1961. Recruited …
Connell, Miranda
Updated: 14th November 2024
Miranda was born in Stanstead, Essex. She began acting at the age of 18, playing Maria in a 1958 production of Twelfth Night at Stratford. She toured Russia where she met Guy Burgess (former British spy, who was later revealed to be a double agent work …
Stuart, Vivien
Updated: 10th November 2024
Vivien was born in 1957. Following university, she accepted a place on the Broadcast Journalist Training Scheme in 1975, which led to several years working as a studio manager. Her first direct experience of the world of television came a few years ear …
Serle, Chris
Updated: 10th November 2024
Chris was born in Bristol. He was a former actor with the Bristol Old Vic (joining in 1966). His acting credits: Broad and Narrow (ATV, 1965); Dave Allen at Large (BBC One, 1971); Roland Rat: The Series (BBC One, 1988). He moved into radio, as a produc …
Buchanan, Neil
Updated: 7th November 2024
Neil is an internationally acclaimed artist and photographer. He was born in Aintree, Sefton. He attended the Liverpool Institute, now the Paul McCartney-sponsored Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. He was in a heavy metal band called Marseille wh …
Saunders, Michaela
Updated: 3rd November 2024
Michaela studied at the London College of Music. Her first job was with Molinare (1987 – 1989), where she managed a large sound effects and music library and was a client liaison regarding programme requirements, sourcing classical and popular music an …
Castle, Roy
Updated: 31st October 2024
Roy was born in Holmfirth. He was a gifted all-round entertainer and accomplished jazz trumpet player, who could play many other instruments. He was perhaps best known for presenting children’s series Record Breakers (BBC One, December 1972 – 1983 and …
James, Aline
Updated: 27th October 2024
Aline was born in Maryport, Cumberland. She attended Cheltenham Ladies’ College. She was a radio announcer before joining Southern Television in the early 1960s, as an announcer/news presenter. She later appeared on the regional news programme Day by D …
Trethowan, Ian
Updated: 27th October 2024
Sir Ian was born in High Wycombe. He left at school at 16 and joined the Daily Sketch as an office boy. He began his career as a journalist and parliamentary lobby correspondent. He joined ITN, three years after its launch, in 1958 as its deputy editor …
Rippon, Angela
Updated: 26th October 2024
Angela was born in Plymouth. On leaving school at 17, she began her journalistic career in newspapers in Devon. She began her distinguished broadcasting career at the age of 21, when she became a TV reporter/presenter with BBC Plymouth’s regional news …
Greene, Sarah
Updated: 24th October 2024
Sarah was born in London. Her parents were DIY expert Harry Greene and actress Marjie Lawrence. Her younger sister is Laura, a former TV presenter. Sarah graduated with a degree in drama from the University of Hull. She then pursued acting ro …
Grayford, Louise
Updated: 22nd October 2024
Louise was born in South Shields on 6th September (year unknown). She is a voiceover artist, actress and singer, who trained at Newcastle College and graduated with an MA in musical theatre at the Royal Academy of Music (2017). Her TV acting credits in …
Wolfenden, Rich
Updated: 20th October 2024
Rich was born in 1992 (date unknown). He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in environmental science from the University of Central Lancashire (2013). He gained a Masters in radio production from the University of Chester (2018). Whilst a student, he …
Carpenter, Harry
Updated: 18th October 2024
Harry was born in London. During World War II he served as a telegrapher in the Royal Navy. He began his journalistic career in 1946, working as a sub-editor for several national newspapers in Fleet Street. In 1949, he joined the BBC and did his first …
Lavers, Paul
Updated: 17th October 2024
Paul was born in Bristol. He is an actor and has appeared in many stage plays, including Les Blancs at London’s National Theatre (2016); he toured with Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce (2016). He appeared in pantomimes at the Lincoln Theatre Royal and Pa …
Nissen, Brian
Updated: 14th October 2024
Brian was born in Kingston-upon-Thames. His stage career began at the age of 14 in Peter Pan. His formal style became a mainstay of Southern Television’s announcing team from its inception in 1958 until its demise. Brian was on duty during the final da …
Elsmore, Philip
Updated: 10th October 2024
Philip was born in Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire. He is a former actor, director and broadcaster. Following National Service with the RAF in West Germany, he trained as an actor playing minor roles. He spent a year with the Old Vic Company ( …
Gay, Jennifer
Updated: 8th October 2024
Jennifer is the daughter of Molly Gay (actress) and Hugo Rignold (composer). She was only 14 when she began appearing as a BBC Children’s TV announcer from June 1949. In December 1949, she announced the first children’s programmes transmitted from the …
Miles, David
Updated: 8th October 2024
David was born in 1954. He joined the BBC in 1975, working initially as a studio manager in Bush House. He moved to BBC Radio 4 as a producer on Today and went behind the microphone as a trainee announcer (May 1980 – July 1980). He had an attachment as …
Buchanan, Emily
Updated: 7th October 2024
Emily was born in London. She gained a diploma in radio journalism from City University in 1982. She was a continuity announcer for BBC Television (c. 1983) and a reporter on the live, weekly political programme On the Record (BBC One, 1991 – 1992). Sh …
Haynes, Barri
Updated: 6th October 2024
Barri was born in Ventnor, Isle of Wight. After completing National Service with the Welsh Guards in London, he trained as a journalist with Kemsley newspapers and worked on The Western Mail in Cardiff. He began in TV with Teledu Cymru in 1960, present …
Greenslade, Wallace
Updated: 6th October 2024
Wallace was born in Formby, Lancashire. He served for two-and-a-half years as a lieutenant commander in the Royal Naval Reserve during World War II. He later worked as a purser with the P&O Line. In 1945, he joined the BBC, where he began in the Eu …
Bannerman, Graham
Updated: 2nd October 2024
Graham has a wealth of live broadcast experience. After becoming one of BBC Radio 1’s youngest ever DJs at 21, hosting a Saturday evening show, he went on to present the breakfast show at Essex Radio and the global music magazine programme Multitrack 2 …
Schafernaker, Tomasz
Updated: 2nd October 2024
Tomasz was born in Gdansk, Poland. He attended school both in the UK and his home country, where he developed a keen interest in the weather and natural sciences at a young age. Despite his strongest abilities being in the arts, he obtained a BSc (Hons …
Gosney, Kerrie
Updated: 1st October 2024
Kerrie grew up in the Peak District. She graduated in cultural studies, media, film and communication from Sheffield Hallam University in 1998. In May 2000, she joined Granada Media Group as a continuity announcer, based at Yorkshire TV in Leeds. Her c …
Jones, Rick
Updated: 29th September 2024
Born Frederick Joseph Jones in London, Ontario, Canada. Rick worked as a forester and nickel miner and saved up to move to London in 1957, where he trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Terence Stamp was a friend and contempo …
Haigh, Peter
Updated: 27th September 2024
Peter was born in North London. In 1944, he was commissioned into the 5th Battalion, the Welsh Guards. He served in Palestine and Egypt and joined the British Forces Broadcasting in Jersualem. He helped start up the BBC Overseas News station in Mombass …