Christine was born in Birmingham. She attended the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama (1961 – 1963) and the Lucie Clayton Modelling School (spring 1964).
…Prebble, Simon
In 1960, Simon attended Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London and began his acting career in one of Britain’s first television soap operas, Home Tonight with David Hemmings. For the next eleven years he worked extensively on radio and television and in provincial repertory theatre, including a year with Ian McKellen’s Hamlet.
After working as a continuity announcer and newsreader at Southern TV (1970), Prebble joined the newsroom at Capital Radio, the second commercial radio station in Britain, where he hosted London’s Day. He then embarked on a career as a presenter and voiceover, including thirteen years as the promo voice of Thames Television, as well as regular promo work for HTV and Anglia TV. He was also an announcer for Anglia TV. From 1984 he was the announcer for the British version of the phenomenally successful game show The Price Is Right with Leslie Crowther.
In 1990, Prebble moved to New York where he continued doing voiceover work. As well as recording numerous radio and television commercials, he also character-voiced cartoon series, such as Courage the Cowardly Dog; he hosted and presented several television documentary series, notably Target Mafia; and narrated the IMAX film Endurance about the Shackleton expedition. In 1996, he was a lead actor for a year (as villain Martin Chedwyn) on the American daily soap opera As the World Turns.
In the US, he also began narrating audio books. His work has gained him more than eighteen Earphone awards, nine nominations for the Audies (the audiobook Oscars), and in 2005, he was named Narrator of the Year by Publishers Weekly.
Apart from his acting career, in 1967 Prebble designed and produced the ‘executive toy’ called Newton’s Cradle.
In 2003, at Chiswick House London, he married Swedish graphic artist, Marie-Janine Hellstrom. In 2007, along with his wife, he became a US citizen.
Haslam, Pete
Pete joined the Yorkshire Television announcing team in November 1999; he went part-time in late-2000. Based at the northern transmission centre in Leeds, his voice was also heard in the Tyne Tees, Border and Granada regions. Pete also became the voice of all Granada Media Group trailers for Granada, Yorkshire, Tyne Tees, Border, Anglia, Meridian and LWT. Pete’s voice was also heard on the ITV Night Network; he would pre-record the announcements on tape in Leeds; the tape was then despatched to LWT in the overnight van for transmission that particular weekend.
By January 2006, Pete was the last professional announcer in Leeds and he was still voicing regional trailers on a freelance basis.
Pete spoke to Showreel in January 2006 about other projects: “Since leaving YTV full-time, I’ve appeared in several radio plays, alongside Maggie and, in one, with Redvers. I’m currently working on a pilot radio thriller series Into the Shadows as writer, producer and actor, and I’m still around, doing the occasional bit of presenting for music-based radio stations.
“I’ve been in radio since the mid-1970s, starting at Radio City (Nottingham Hospital Radio). After much hard work, I managed to get the green light to form Millside Hospital Radio at the King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield, near Mansfield, in October 1989. Joined Viking FM shortly after that, as commercial producer/writer/voiceover. Also worked on air on YRN’s (Yorkshire Radio Network) Classic Gold AM service.
“I can still be heard throughout the country and abroad, on various commercial radio stations, as voiceover. I also write and voice radio commercials for the Lincs FM Group (in fact I was the first voiceover on air at Lincs FM, on their first ad break on day one, in 1992). Well known for versatility when it comes to commercials, all sorts of voices, from old men (and old women!!!) through to wacky, character sound-a-likes and singers, which keeps me active!!! (It’s also very useful when it comes to radio plays!!!)”
Slattery, Jon
Jon was one of the original team of announcers on the relaunched RTÉ Network 2 in late-1997. By 2000, Jon moved had moved to RTÉ One and was also by this stage voicing many RTÉ One and RTÉ Network 2 programme promotions.
Jon later provided voiceovers for a number of UK TV networks.
Smith, Oliver
Oliver has been a continuity announcer on Turner Classic Movies, BBC America, Sci-Fi Channel and The History Channel. He has also voiced trails for television including BBC, ITV, Sky, UKTV Gold and Zone Thriller.
Moore, Ray
Ray was born in Liverpool. On leaving school his first job was at Liverpool docks.
…Jones, Geraint
Geraint was a BBC Wales TV continuity director/announcer (1970s – 1990s). Although retired, he announced on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru for quite some time later. He also provided snooker commentary and read the classified results for Wales on Saturday – the BBC One Wales opt out of Final Score.
Brittain, Andrew
Andrew was an announcer with Granada from the late-1980s until the late-1990s. He was also the voice of Stars in Their Eyes. He was a daytime newsreader and also a reporter for Granada Reports. In the 1990s, Andrew also narrated some of the later World in Action documentaries. He also did voiceover work for radio commercials and corporate clients.
Lloyd, Helen
Helen was one of the original Central announcing crew. Helen still lives in the Midlands. She’s married to former Bill actor Ben Roberts. Helen moved behind the camera as a documentary producer for Carlton in Nottingham until 2002. She then went freelance as a narrator and producer.
Fox, Andrea
Andrea graduated with BA in English Literature and Media Studies from the University of Sussex. In 2006, she completed work experience at Global Radio on the XFM breakfast show with Lauren Laverne and Shaun Keaveny.
…Pope, Jim
Jim is former radio presenter who was persuaded to move into television by Coronation Street actress Pat Phoenix (Elsie Tanner) when she was interviewed on the station.
…Reed, David
David was a BBC TV (voice-only) network announcer (1968 – 1969). He later voiced BBC TV programme trails (1972). He is the brother of actor Oliver and sports broadcaster Simon.