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. In 1975 she joined BBC Radio Birmingham as a news reporter/newsreader/producer. The then editor of The Archers, William Smethurst, was understood to have named a character after Frances (PC James Coverdale) after seeing a report she filed for the national news, about The Archers.
…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). He worked as a pres/admin officer at the Atlantic Relay Station, Ascension Island (1974 – 1978). He presented a special edition of From Our Own Correspondent on BBC Radio 4, celebrating the BBC World Service’s Golden Jubilee (50th anniversary) on 14th December 2002.
…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. He apparently jokingly wrote his own obituary shortly before leaving the job, for a post as a sub-editor in the news gathering operation. In 1954, he was posted to the BBC’s office in New Delhi, as BBC Radio News foreign correspondent (1954 – 1958) – the youngest person to fill that role (at 26). His next assignment would take him to Washington, D.C. (1958 – 1960) where he was number two correspondent. More foreign assignments awaited: he was Beirut correspondent (1961), and would then go on to spend four years as the BBC’s Middle East correspondent. He then requested a transfer back to London as a television newsreader.
…