Philip – born in 1959 – served with the Royal Navy as a forecaster (1984 – 1994). His broadcasting career began in 1996 with The Weather Network, based in Birmingham. Within months he moved to London to appear on The Weather Channel. He joined the BBC Weather Centre in April 1998 and became a BBC TV national weather forecaster in March 1999. He appeared on BBC TV’s Breakfast News and international TV channels, BBC Prime and BBC World.
Jensen, Rebecca
Rebecca is a former BBC America announcer. She has also voiced trails for BBC One, BBC Radio and ITV 2.
Elwes, Polly
Born Mary Freya Elwes and known as Polly. She attended the Central School of Speech and Drama, now part of the University of London.
…Whitting, Robin
Robin was a BBC Radio announcer (1971 – 1979), and a BBC TV network announcer (1979 – 1987). After starting at the BBC in the Gramophone Library in 1966, Robin trained as a BBC studio manager working in network radio, local radio and the World Service.
He tells us: “I had been graded A1 vocally whilst training, and after some pretty intensive sessions with Peter Fettes and Aileen Macleod – the two BBC voice coaches – I was allowed to begin working relief announcer duties on the World Service in 1971, which I did for three years before moving to Southampton. After a short time in Radio Solent, the local BBC station, I resigned my staff post and moved to Television Centre in London, on a two-week contract, as a network announcer on BBC One and BBC Two.
“Initially, I covered the Trade Test Films, Schools programmes and children’s daytime transmissions, including subsequently, the early, single-handed Open University transmissions, before graduating to the full daytime and evening announcer duties. After over seven years of network announcing, an internal attachment to production as an assistant presentation producer/director, allowed me to make trailers, vision mix and direct live programmes including, The Weatherman and Points of View. Towards the end of the 1980s I was presented with a personal award for services to the BBC, and two years later, partly as a result of medical problems, I took the decision to leave the BBC, eventually forming my own production company.
“These days, at the time of writing this some ten years later, I am still performing voiceovers, mainly for specialist video narrations and advertising, as well as producing video programmes. I vision mix for giant LED screens at cricket and rugby events covered by Sky Sports and I am very actively involved in a voice alarm company producing state-of-the-art fire and security products.”
Birley, Michael
BBC TV continuity announcer (1968 – 1969).
Robbie, Christopher
Christopher was an announcer for Associated Rediffusion, Southern, Anglia and Thames TV. He had a friendly air and a great screen presence. He presented Southern’s final programme, It’s Goodbye from Us with great panache, and was one of only two continuity announcers featured, the other one being veteran colleague Brian Nissen. After Southern lost its contract, Christopher popped up from time-to-time as an announcer on TVS, before going into theatre.
He later went on tour with a one-man play about Charles Darwin. He trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. In the theatre he has achieved notable success in the plays of Shakespeare, Ibsen, Lope de Vega, Calderon, Euripedes and Miller. For four years he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, during which time he played the title role in King Lear. On television his portrayal of the Cyberleader in the Doctor Who adventure The Revenge of the Cyberman won him a cult following. Christopher has also worked as a director and designer and his play The Sirens of Eroc, was written under the nom-de-plume of James Alan. As an artist he has held successful exhibitions of his photographs.
Bolger, Lucy
BBC TV network announcer in 1995.
Burn, Christine
Christine was born in Birmingham. She attended the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama (1961 – 1963) and the Lucie Clayton Modelling School (spring 1964).
…Clews, Maggie
Maggie was a BBC TV network announcer (1965 – 1968) and a presenter on the BBC Light Programme (1967).
Phoenix, Nicola
Nicola has a soft Northern Irish accent. She was a BBC TV network announcer (mid-2000s).
Thomas, Linda
Linda was a BBC Radio 2 announcer (1981 – 1982) and a BBC TV network announcer (1982 – 1983). She also worked as a Channel 4 and TVS announcer (late-1980s). She voiced BBC TV programme trails (1988).
Everett, Kenny
Kenny is a former radio and TV presenter..
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