Charles was born in London and lived in Glasgow from an early age. He is the son of the Soviet historian Alexander Nove.
…Waddington, Mark
Mark was born in Bradford. He began broadcasting, aged 17, at BBC Radio Leeds, where he presented a series of features about community life called Down Your Street, mentored by producer Peter Byrne.
…Oxley, Mel
Mel was born in South Africa. He was a former DJ with Radio Luxembourg in the 1950s. He later moved into TV and worked as an ITV announcer for Southern TV (1959 – 1961), ATV, ABC Television and Associated Rediffusion. He moved to BBC Television as a network out-of-vision announcer, who also appeared in-vision conducting interviews on BBC Two (1965 – 1972). He presented BBC Two’s Line-Up (1969) and narrated The Curious Character of Britain (1970) and Sights and Sounds of Britain (1971) for BBC One.
…Raymont, Tony
Tony was a BBC Midlands newsreader (1957) and a BBC Radio Light Programme/Home Service/Third Programme announcer (1958 – 1962, 1964 – 1965). He presented BBC regional TV’s Town and Around (1960). He was also a BBC TV out-of-vision network announcer (1966).
…Chiswell, Emily
Emily began her broadcasting work at the University of Bristol where she finally found a place to combine all of her favourite things – performing, chatting and listening to music. She presented and produced her own show on the student radio station Burst and, determined to create a clear identity for her weekly two-hour slot, channelled her obsession for new music into organising live sessions with students and local performers.
…King, Martin
Martin was a former actor, whose distinctive, rich voice was heard as an announcer, first at Southern TV (1973) and then for 16 years on network BBC Television (1973 – 1989).
…Buchan, Josephine
Josephine was born in London in 1955. She presented various programmes for the BBC, including: Take Two (BBC One, 1984 – 1985); Pebble Mill at One (BBC One, 1984 – 1986); Rock Around the Clock (BBC Two, 25th August 1984); A Song for Christmas (BBC One, 1985). She was a reporter for Did You See…? (BBC Two, 1985) and Off the Record (BBC Two, 1985), and guest-supported on Best of Brass (BBC Two, 1986). She also appeared on Canned Carrot (BBC One, 1990).
…Hulland, Louise
Louise was born in Burnley and graduated from Durham University. She is a Sony Award-winning presenter, journalist and documentary maker specialising in presenting programmes on crime and social issues. Since 2014, Louise has travelled round the country presenting for various BBC local radio stations (from Lancashire to London, Devon to Berkshire). She’s also been a news presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music, a reporter for Newsbeat (BBC Radio 1) and The Arts Show (BBC Radio 2), and has spent years behind-the-scenes at BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2, including working with Sir Terry Wogan, Steve Wright, Chris Moyles, Jo Whiley, Sara Cox and The Sunday Surgery.
…Spilman, Nick
Nick joined the BBC as a studio manager in 1979. He was a BBC Radio 4 announcer (1984 – 1985) and a BBC TV network announcer (1985 – 1986). He then moved within the Presentation department, producing trails and later working on new production systems for the new Broadcast Centre. He unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of one of Esther’s news boys in That’s Life! at the old Shepherd’s Bush TV Theatre in 1991. He did radio presenting from the Falklands and is currently the channel voice for Horse and Country TV.
…Barnes, Ruth
Ruth graduated from the University of Cape Town. She was a regular contributor to The Tom Robinson Show (BBC Radio 6 Music, 2009 – 2012) and she presented The Other Woman (Amazing Radio, 2011 – 2015). Ruth was a continuity announcer for BBC One and BBC Two (March 2011 – 2015 and 2017); and since January 2018, she has been heard on BBC Four. In 2014, she began presenting documentaries on BBC Radio 4. And in 2016, she became director of Chalk and Blade, a podcast production company.
…Whitfield, Ashleigh
Ashleigh was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1980. She graduated from the University of Sunderland. In 2001, she won a radio competition to be the traffic and travel reporter at Century FM.
…Gentry, Sarah
Sarah graduated from the Oxford School of Drama in 1991 and after years of living out of a bag as a touring actor, she went into stage management in the West End on The Buddy Holly Story. However, her need to perform came calling again and she landed the job as a BBC TV continuity announcer (April 1999 – November 2010). She was primarily a BBC Two voice but occasionally turned up on BBC One. She could also be heard on BBC Radio 5 Live promotions. She was the launch voice of BBC Knowledge (June 1999).
…Coverdale, Frances
Frances was born in London. She is a former newspaper journalist.
…Courtie, Simeon
Simeon was born in Swindon and grew up in Liverpool. His father was a vicar. He left school in 1986, aged 16, and became a City & Guilds-qualified mechanical and electrical engineer, completing a four-year apprenticeship at Timsons, a printing press manufacturer in Kettering. During this time, he joined the local hospital radio station KHBA and started volunteering at BBC Radio Northampton. In 1990, he began a full-time broadcasting career as a radio car reporter and presenter at BBC Radio Northampton.
…Everard, Martin
Martin’s first on-air role was as a relief announcer with BBC Northern Ireland in the 1960s. From there he moved to London and gradually moved up through the ranks of TV presentation, before moving into programme production. He took some time out from his BBC job to participate in the British America’s Cup Challenge (Lionheart) (1979 – 1980).
…Ward-Lewis, Colin
Colin was born in Lambeth in 1939. He is a former actor and a former member of the National Youth Theatre. Michael Croft (who founded the NYT in 1956) was an English master at Colin’s old school. Colin was working at the De Lane Lea Studios in 1963 when the BBC gave the go-ahead for BBC Two and a friend, Michael Wood said he should apply.
…Empringham, Brian
Brian was briefly a BBC TV network announcer (1971 – 1972). He was also an announcer on BBC Radio 4 (1971 – 1974) and BBC External Services/World Service (1978 – 1998).
…Priestland, Gerald
Gerald was educated at Charterhouse and New College, Oxford. He joined the BBC in 1949 as a news sub-editor. He spent his first six months on a contract, writing obituaries.
…Tidmarsh, John
John was born in Camberwell, south London. He was an evacuee during the early years of World War II and went to three different grammar schools before joining his parents in Bristol for his final school years at Cotham Grammar School.
…Stevens, Julie
Julie is an actress and former ABC contract artist. She was a great children’s favourite on both Play School (1964 – 1978) and Play Away (1971 – 1979) and is remembered for her zany appearances.
…Thomas, Ben
Ben was born in 1955. He is an actor who is perhaps best known as a Play School presenter. He made his debut appearance on the programme on 28th January 1980. Ben was popular with viewers. Who can forget his performance of the classic Wibbly Wobbly song with his elastic body? He later presented Play Away (1982 – 1984); BBC Manchester’s production Knock Knock (1982); All Star Record Breakers (1982); Stop Go! (1983); Up Our Street (1985).
…Peters, Sylvia
Born Sylvia Lucia Petronzio, she was a former musical actress who appeared in revues including one at The Coliseum marking VE Day.
…Lankester, Barry
Barry was a pioneer of regional broadcasting in the West Midlands.
…Hobley, McDonald
McDonald was born in Stanley, Falkland Islands. He began his acting career in repertory theatre, under the stage names Val Blanchard and Robert Blanchard, using his mother’s maiden name.
…Malcolm, Mary
Mary was bought up in Poltalloch, Argyll and was the granddaughter of Victorian socialite Lillie Langley, mistress of King Edward VII.
…Parker, Graham
Graham was born in the East End of London. He was stationed at RAF Coltishall during his National Service.
…Crane, Jenni
Jenni was born in Pontypool, South Wales. She is a Welsh TV producer/presenter and voiceover artist.
…Thomas, Guy
Guy was born in May 1931. He was invited to join Television Wales and West (TWW) in 1959 as the first newsreader/interviewer at their newly opened Bristol studio before becoming anchorman of the nightly news magazine TWW Reports, covering Wales and the West Country.
…Shaw, Clem
Born Clement Murphy-Shaw, he sold antiques and cars before training at the Central School of Speech and Drama.
…Carlton, Amanda
Amanda has voiced English language audio courses (e.g. Linguaphone, Pearsons, Hugo, Longmans, de Agostini) since 1986. From 1988, she voiced trails for Anglia TV, Living, Granada Plus, Disney and TVS. Amanda got an attachment as a BBC TV network announcer (1988 – 1990) and was one of the voices on BBC TV’s Points of View (1987 – 1990). She also voiced BBC TV programme trails (1991).
…Cadzow, Alma
Alma joined the BBC in London in 1964 as a studio manager. She was then known as Alma Bickerton. She later took advantage of the BBC’s attachment system, which allowed staff to gain up to six months experience working in areas that interested them. She spent time as an announcer at BBC Radio 3 in the 1970s, where, she tells us, “her Scots accent provoked protests from the more reactionary listeners”.
…Malhi, Manju
Manju was raised in north west London, surrounded by Indian cultures, traditions and lifestyles. She was a BBC TV network announcer (mainly BBC Two, 1990 – 1999 and 2001 – 2006 (freelance)) and a BBC World Service TV announcer (1992). She provided voiceovers for trails featured on BBC News 24 and she was also an announcer on UKTV’s Good Food channel. She presented the early (4am – 6am) weekend show on BBC Radio 2 (January/February 1997).
…Constantinis, Jayne
Jayne was born in Yorkshire. She has an acting diploma from the Royal Academy of Music and a modern languages degree from Cambridge. She studied journalism at the LCP and has written for publications including Condé Nast Traveller and Good Housekeeping.
…Walker, Patrick
Patrick was born in London in June 1967. His broadcasting career began in hospital/local radio. He then moved to television, working as a network continuity announcer on BBC One and BBC Two (August 1994 – November 1998).
…Moss, Allis
Allis was born in London. She is a freelance journalist and BBC broadcaster. She had a spell as a BBC Radio 4 announcer (1997), where she read the Shipping Forecast. She was also a network BBC TV announcer (1998 – 2000). For more than a decade, she was a regular voice on the BBC World Service, working in news, continuity and promotions.
Allis presented on LBC, and she was a news presenter/sidekick on Danny Baker’s BBC Radio 5 award-winning breakfast show. When Baker took over DLT’s BBC Radio 1 weekend morning slot, Allis joined the show in October 1993. She has contributed to both BBC Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent and Loose Ends. In 2016 and 2017, she was the official announcer at the AELTC Wimbledon tennis championships. She missed 2018 due to illness but will return to Wimbledon in 2019.
Vowels, Phil
Phil graduated from the University of Southamption in 1995. His entire professional career to date has been spent in broadcasting. His first job was with BBC Radio Bristol, where he was a presenter and producer (December 1993 – March 1998). He also presented and produced on BBC Radio Solent (April 1997 – August 1997) and on BBC Southern Counties Radio (May 1998 – December 1999).
…Stewart, Cathy
Cathy was a BBC TV announcer from 1986 until 1991. She also presented on the BBC World Service. She did some announcing shifts on BBC Radio 4 in May and June 1985 and was a reader on Feedback and Stop Press. She provided voiceovers on BBC TV’s Points of View in 1988 and voiced BBC TV presentation trails in the early 1990s.
Adey, Dave
Dave was a BBC TV network announcer in the early 1990s. He was the duty announcer at closedown for the final playout of the BBC One COW (Computer Originated World) symbol in the early hours of 16th February 1991.
…Bacon, Jim
Jim was born in Suffolk. He was employed by the Met Office from 1968 until 1986. His career started in East Anglia at RAF stations in 1968. He later moved to Bracknell for a few years as a programmer on the Met Office supercomputer.
…Speake, Michael
Michael was born in Shrewsbury. His first broadcasting experience was with pirate radio and later, BBC Radio including being the Midland link for Family Favourites.
…Hammond, John
John was born in Bosham, West Sussex, the son of a farmer. After taking an interest in the weather from the age of four, he studied geography at the University of Salford, followed by meteorology at the University of Birmingham.
…Clugston, Kathy
Born in Belfast in 1970, Kathy attended Methodist College and studied French and Russian at Queen’s University Belfast. The degree course included periods in France and Russia.
…Aldred, Ian
Ian was born in Manchester in 1949. He trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. He was on an attachment to BBC Presentation as a continuity announcer for BBC One and BBC Two (1985 – 1987) and was senior presentation announcer, BBC Scotland (c. 1995). He made several appearances as a newsreader in Rab C. Nesbitt (BBC Two, 1994, 1996 and 1998). He also appeared on BBC Radio 4 narrating Seven Days in March (1979) and as a contributor to Naked Radio (1984) and Kailyard Blues (1998) – all produced by BBC Scotland.
…Maine, Michael
(Real name Michael Manning). One of Michael’s first broadcast roles was that of BBC Radio 4 announcer (1973 – 1974). He also worked as a newsreader/announcer at the BBC World Service (1975). He later moved to BBC Bristol as a radio/TV announcer followed by spells in London, Southampton, Manchester and Plymouth.
…Walsh, Kate
Kate is a native Lancastrian with a husky, lilting quality to her voice. She studied at the Central School of Speech and graduated from the University of Birmingham with a bachelor’s in psychology.
…Bower, Stephanie
Stephanie was born in Dundee and went to the University of Glasgow. She initially worked in TV magazines in Glasgow (1996 – 1997) before moving into broadcasting with Granada Sky Broadcasting (1997 – 1999) as an announcer. She moved to a similar role with BBC TV network in 1999. Her time at the BBC included an attachment to BBC London 94.9 (October 2001 – May 2002). She then remained on the BBC TV continuity team until 2006.
…Alagiah, George
George was born in Colombo, Ceylon. His parents moved to Ghana in West Africa in 1961. He read politics at Durham University and whilst there wrote for and became editor of the student newspaper Palatinate; he was also a sabbatical officer of Durham Students’ Union.
…Peters, Andi
Born in Chelsea to Vincentian parents, Andi initially presented CITV’s Free Time (16th September – 23rd December 1988) and briefly provided the continuity links on CITV in summer 1988.
…Ball, Johnny
Johnny made major contributions to children’s TV over 25 years including Play School (545 editions, 1967 – 1984, and occasional appearances until 1987) and Play Away (1972 to 1980), during which time he was the principle comedy writer for the show.
…Giles, Bill
Bill was born in Dittisham, near Dartmouth in Devon. He joined the Meteorological Office at Exeter in January 1957 on leaving the Bristol College of Science and Technology. Later that year, as an 18-year-old, he was sent to Christmas Island to observe the meteorological effects of the H bomb tests and later recalled seeing the “horrendous clouds”. Bill was based in Germany as an observer with the RAF (1961 – 1963) and worked as a lecturer at the Met Office’s training college (1968 – 1970).
…Kirkwood, Carol
Carol was born in Morar. After attending Napier University in Edinburgh, where she gained a BA in Commerce, she initially joined the BBC’s secretarial reserve in London, in 1984.
…Baker, Trevor
Trevor was always affectionately known as Trevor ‘The Weather’ Baker.
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