Rebecca is a former BBC America announcer. She has also voiced trails for BBC One, BBC Radio and ITV 2.
Leeson, John
He was born John Ducker in Leicester. He is an actor who is best known as the much-loved voice of computer dog K9, trusty sidekick to Doctor Who (1977 – 1981, 1983, 2006 and 2008).
…Labey, Russell
Russell was a Channel Television continuity announcer (1980s). He moved to Plymouth to front BBC South West’s Spotlight. After a long career as a presenter, Russell returned to the theatre and worked as a director and writer. He worked as resident director on the 2001/2002 UK Tour of Sunset Boulevard and he directed Hardcore at the 2003 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. A production of Russell’s play, New Boy, opened in Broadway in October 2002. Russell was also commissioned to write a new play by the Theatre Royal, Plymouth.
Nunan, Michael
Michael was a BBC Northern Ireland TV continuity announcer in the 1970s and 1980s. He also announced and read the news on BBC Radio 4 Northern Ireland and BBC Radio Ulster. He retired from broadcasting c. 1988.
McLean, Kerry
Formerly Kerry Turner. Kerry joined the BBC in 1993, and during her first six years there, she worked on some of the corporation’s flagship news and current affairs radio programmes: Good Morning Ulster on BBC Radio Ulster; Good Morning Scotland on BBC Radio Scotland; and the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. That was followed by stints in various sections of the BBC World Service, before returning home to Northern Ireland and to BBC Radio Ulster, where she worked on the John Bennett programme.
She had a brief foray into television – six months as a BBC Northern Ireland TV continuity announcer/director, starting in late-September 2003. Beyond that, she occasionally provided voiceovers for local programme trails. Back on BBC Radio Ulster, she presented Weekend Extra. In 2014, she was given her own afternoon slot (Monday to Thursday), 3pm – 5pm.
Kerry is married to BBC Northern Ireland presenter Ralph McLean. They have three children.
Birley, Michael
BBC TV continuity announcer (1968 – 1969).
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.”
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.
Ross, Pam
Pam is a former BBC Scotland Tv announcer.
Cresswell, Ian
Ian was a BBC Wales TV continuity director/announcer (1994 – 1998). He had previously worked at the BBC World Service. He later moved into management in the BBC Wales TV scheduling department.
Willis, Simon
Simon was a Central TV continuity announcer (dates TBC). He moved to BBC Newcastle’s Look North (1983). By the early 2000s, Simon was a correspondent for BBC Scotland’s Newsnight Scotland.