Anne was born in Belfast. In October 1959, aged 19, she joined Ulster TV at its launch, as an announcer. She later presented the local news magazine programme Roundabout.
…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.
…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.
Everett, Kenny
Kenny is a former radio and TV presenter..
…Moore, Ray
Ray was born in Liverpool. On leaving school his first job was at Liverpool docks.
…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.
Farnham, Jane
Jane started out as ‘Pippa Horn’, the travel and breakfast co-presenter at Red Dragon FM in Cardiff. Whilst working on the breakfast show she was approached by HTV Wales to present Time Out, a holiday programme based in Wales. She then went on to present her own drivetime show at Medway FM in Kent, which also involved producing features and organising competitions and roadshows.
In 1998, Jane started work at Metro Networks presenting travel reports for the Chris Evans breakfast show on Virgin FM and she also landed a job on the continuity sofa at ITV 2.
In May 2000, she started working for Earth and Space at NOW – a pioneering convergence channel broadcasting to Asia and worldwide on the web. The work involved anchoring live science programmes, interviewing guest scientists, writing web pages and occasionally working on location for special reports.
During 2001, Jane worked in Holland and Athens for five weeks at a time directing and presenting travel programmes for a new broadband/linear channel called Viewing 4 Leisure.
In 2002, she worked with Ant and Dec on ITV 1 as a regional presenter on Record of the Year.
In 2004, Jane filmed kids show X-perimental for BBC One. Working as the science reporter, it was Jane’s responsibility to get the science across in an unpatronising, no-nonsense, yet easily understood manner.
Also in 2004, Jane worked as a studio/location presenter for TV Travel Shop, which involved a shoot in America filming Go Florida.
Jane has also worked as a continuity announcer on Channel 5 and Challenge (dates TBC).
Jane is currently a freelance presenter.
She has also worked at Price Drop TV, where she had to talk and sell non-stop for three hours at a time. She has guest-presented on QVC. She is also a children’s presenter for British Forces TV.
Haigh, Peter
Ní Ghallchóir, Bernadette
Bernadette was a presenter and continuity announcer on Irish television. She hosted the Irish language show Buntús Cainte in the 1960s. She is probably best remembered for hosting the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest from the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. Her involvement with Eurovision continued, when in 1973 she hosted National Song Contest.
Bernadette was one of a team of three continuity announcers at the launch of RTÉ 2 in 1978. Raymond Maxwell and Roisin Harkin accompanied Bernadette on opening night.
Bernadette retired from television in the 1980s.
Taylor, Shaw
Born Eric Stanley in Hackney, London, Taylor was known professionally by his stage name Shaw throughout his career.
…Rippon, Angela
Angela was born in Plymouth. On leaving school at 17, she began her journalistic career in newspapers in Devon.
…Rhodes, Pam
Pam is perhaps best known as one of the presenters of the BBC’s Songs of Praise. She was a regular in-vision continuity announcer for London Weekend Television (1981 – TBC). Before that she was an announcer, reporter and presenter for Norwich-based Anglia Television; she co-presented on About Anglia (1976 – 1981).
Before embarking on a career as a presenter, Rhodes was a Black and White Minstrels Show girl, where, she says, she danced up to six miles a night! Fellow Anglia presenter Christine Webber was also a ‘minstrels’ show girl.
Kelly, Chris
Chris was an Anglia Television continuity announcer (1963) and programme presenter who went on to front popular children’s shows such as Clapperboard (ITV), holiday must-see show Wish You Were Here? (ITV, 1976 – 1987) and gastronaut’s bible, Food and Drink (BBC).
…Brown, Malcolm
Malcolm trained as an announcer on HTV West in the late-1960s and early 1970s before moving to Granada in 1972. He stayed with the company until 1982 when he moved south to join franchise winners TVS. Malcolm made the very first announcement on TVS on 1st January 1982, and remained as a voice-only announcer after in-vision continuity was dispensed with in the mid-1980s. He also acted as MC for TVS’ final programme Goodbye to All That.
Malcolm was later heard reading letters out on BBC Radio 4’s Feedback. He also spent time as a disc jockey on London’s easy-listening radio station Magic FM.
Tracy, Sheila
Born as Sheila Lugg in Mullion, Cornwall. Sheila studied piano, violin and trombone at the Royal Academy of Music.
…Sherwin, Allan
Allan was a continuity announcer for Central. In 2008, he was the series producer on Through the Keyhole (BBC).
Foster, Charles
Every station has an announcer that everyone remembers and actor Charles Foster performs that role for Granada Television, where he was one of the main in-vision announcers throughout the 1970s and 1980s. One of the old school, the avuncular Foster had great warmth and a terrific on-screen presence. As well as announcing for Granada, Foster also narrated several schools programmes for the company, as well as being the voiceover man on game shows such as Connections.
…Robbie, Sue
Sue was a Granada Television in-vision continuity announcer in the late-1970s and early 1980s. She went on to present a series of networked shows for the company, including Connections, First Post and TX.
Hobson, Derek
Derek was an ATV in-vision continuity announcer who hit the big time as the presenter of ATV’s successful New Faces talent contest (1973 – 1978). This was the role for which he is perhaps best known, but he also hosted several other ITV gameshows over the years, including That’s My Dog for TSW. Derek also presented ATV’s regional news programme, ATV Today.
Derek is also believed to have announced on LWT (TBC)
Mulhern, Stephen
Stephen was a continuity presenter on CITV (1998 – 2002). He also presented a number of programmes for CITV, including The Quick Trick Show and SM:TV Live. He currently presents Big Star’s Little Star (ITV) and Catchphrase (ITV).
…Fox, Liz
Liz is a former actress and continuity announcer at Southern TV, Ulster TV, Tyne Tees TV and BBC Radio External Services. She was also an announcer at Anglia TV and compere for Yorkshire TV’s Stars on Sunday.
Stirling, Iain
Iain is a former CBBC presenter and is now best-known as the voiceover on ITV 2’s Love Island.
Lynch, Sinead
Sinead’s career in broadcasting began as a researcher on TV Three’s Ireland AM in 2003; she was also a reporter for the programme’s lifestyle segment.
In 2005, she took up a researcher position on The Brendan Courtney Show, also for TV Three. During 2006, Sinead performed a similar role on RTÉ 2’s popular Podge and Rodge Show. Production work included children’s shows with Adare Productions and the entertainment show The Panel, with Happy Endings Productions. She was also assistant producer on I Want a Garden – Vision Independent Productions for RTÉ ( January 2007 – June 2007).
In addition to her various other roles, Sinead has been working as a continuity announcer on RTÉ One and RTÉ 2 since summer 2005.
Rogers, Graham
Graham was a staff ITV network announcer (October 2002 – TBC). He is a former Radio 210 disc jockey who fronted TVS’ overnight service, Late Night Late. He joined Meridian from TVS to present the overnight service Nightime. He went on to become one of Meridian’s four duty announcers, also providing continuity for Anglia and HTV West. Graham has also announced for Channel 4.
Additionally, Graham continues to freelance as a presenter and voiceover on programmes for Sky, Channel 5 and ITV 2. He also produced and presented the Exercise Helping Hand documentaries in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Imray, June
June was born in Aberdeen. She graduated with an MA arts degree from the University of Aberdeen and taught for two years in Aberdeen and Somerset.
…Woods, Laura
Laura joined RTÉ in March 2000, working as an announcer on both RTÉ TV channels, although primarily on RTÉ Network 2. In autumn 2002, she started into a new presenting role on the newly launched youth strand ID Two on RTÉ Network 2. She later moved into a mainstream presenting role, fronting RTÉ One’s popular lottery game show, Winning Streak.
Benson, John
John was born in 1928 (date unknown). He was one of ITV’s legendary, long-serving announcers.
…Rocca, Michelle
Michelle was an RTÉ 2 announcer (1987 – 1988). She also co-presented the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest from Dublin, with Pat Kenny.
Before joining RTÉ in 1987, Michelle had a successful modelling career. She was named Miss Ireland in 1980 and was a finalist in the Miss International 1981 pageant.
Rocca attended University College Dublin, where she studied Greek and Roman Civilization and Italian and French Archaeology. She is fluent in several languages.
Michelle is now a psychology and motivational teacher.
Taylor, Alan
Eccentric, jovial, avuncular HTV West continuity announcer and programme presenter on both HTV West and HTV Wales who also found fame on the national ITV network, first as the presenter of one of the many incarnations of Mr and Mrs, and, secondly as Nancy Kominsky’s eager assistant in HTV West’s almost cult-status Paint Along with Nancy. Locally, he was well known for his Tinker and Taylor children’s slots. The Mr and Mrs programme went on to be produced by Tyne Tees Television, and, most famously, Border Television, when the host was Derek Batey.
Former colleague Guy Thomas told us: “Alan was the most popular and best-loved television personality in Wales and the west of England, establishing himself as a versatile, all round entertainer and he was admired as much by his colleagues as by the large audiences he won for the television programmes in which he appeared.
“After working in his family’s Cardiff electricity business and seeing active Navy service in the Mediterranean war zone he began entertaining in amateur variety bills, turning professional by appearing all over the country in pantomimes and music halls, including London’s West End. He joined TWW as an announcer in 1959. His popularity started to rise with an afternoon 10-minute slot for children which he shared with a glove puppet (a kind of not too distant relation of Sooty) for a birthday greetings show called Tinker and Taylor. TWW had a large audience for television quiz shows, most of them the idea of the Canadian TV personality Roy Ward Dickson. Alan became the ideal host for these shows, starting with Three Little Words, Try for Ten and the blockbuster of them all, Mr and Mrs, which ran year after year. It is probably true to say it was the most popular programme series TWW transmitted, rarely missing the number 1 spot in the ratings.
“For HTV, Alan began a series of programmes in which he learned to paint (his interest was already there) called ‘Painting With Nancy’ and the demand for the return of ‘Mr And Mrs’ was so great, the company, which had dismissed the idea of repeating their predecessor’s liking for the quiz show format, bowed to the inevitable. The success was repeated and HTV also brought back, again with Alan, ‘Try For Ten’. In 1982 Alan retired to open an antique shop in Bath and then went to live in Spain where he died in 1997.”
Hampshire, Susan
Susan was an Anglia Television continuity announcer and presenter of The Midday Show (1959 – early 1960s).
Bentley, Marcus
Marcus was a Channel 4 announcer (2001 – 2011). He is better-known as the voice on the Big Brother daily highlights programmes on Channel 4 and Channel 5. When the programme moved to Channel 5 in 2011, Marcus also did some continuity announcing work for the channel.
Leeming, Jan
Jan was born Janet Atkins in Woolwich, south east London. In 1959 she joined the BBC, initially working in the Programme Correspondence Section, and then as a junior secretary in the Science Unit at Broadcasting House.
…Johnson, David
Northern Irish announcer, voiceover artist and presenter. David is currently an announcer on BBC One/Two. He has previously worked as an announcer on the main national ITV channel.
…Johnstone, Iain
Iain is an author and television producer, and former presenter of the BBC TV’s film review series, during the Barry Norman era, when Barry worked on other projects.
…Hunniford, Gloria
TV/radio presenter.
…Scott, Selina
TV presenter.
…Fleming, Tom
Born in Edinburgh, Tom Fleming established himself as a distinguished character actor, making his theatrical debut alongside Edith Evans during a tour of India in 1945.
…Leslie, John
TV presenter.
…Daly, Tess
TV presenter.
…Boulter, Ana
TV presenter.
…Dando, Jill
Born in Weston-super-Mare, Jill Dando’s first job was as a trainee reporter for the local weekly newspaper, the Western Mercury, where her father and brother worked.
…Andrews, Eamonn
Born in Dublin, Eamonn Andrews began sports commentating for Radio Éireann in 1939 and subsequently worked on various programmes for BBC Radio, including Sports Report (1950 – 1962).
On television he hosted the BBC’s parlour game What’s My Line? (1951 – 1963), Crackerjack (1955 – 1964), ABC Television’s World of Sport (1965 – 1968) and This is Your Life until his death in 1987.
He joined Thames Television from ABC in 1968 and was the first anchor of its nightly news magazine programme Today until 1977. At the same time, he was active as a chat show host and children’s programmes presenter, as well as being a keen businessman.
Simmons, Julian
Julian was a continuity announcer with Ulster Television/UTV from the early 1980s until April 2020.
…Adams, Kaye
Kaye was a Central News reporter in the mid-1980s. She joined STV in the late-1980s as a reporter for Scotland Today. She was one of the first reporters on the scene at Lockerbie.
Kaye could also be seen presenting Scotland Today and also presented Scottish Women from the early to mid-1990s for STV.
Kaye was one of the regular faces of ITV daytime in the early 2000s – presenting Loose Women and Live Talk. She also stood in for Fern Britton on This Morning c. 2001.
Other TV/radio credits: The Home Show (STV); Choice Cuts (BBC Radio Scotland).
Anthony, Patrick
Patrick was born in Dublin. With five years of theatre behind him, he began his broadcasting career at HTV Wales, as a newsreader and announcer, and became the first Irishman to read the Welsh news in English!
…Ahmad, Tazeen
Tazeen graduated from university with a 2:1 in communication studies. She started off as a news assistant at ITN and later became involved in various projects for a number of radio stations. At BBC GLR, she presented a live one-hour arts and entertainment show. She presented a weekly three-hour show for BBC Thames Valley radio and later became involved with BBC Radio 5 Live, presenting and producing news, arts and entertainment features.
By the early 2000s, Tazeen was reporting for the BBC Choice entertainment magazine, Liquid News. In July 2001, she became one of the regular presenters of the new BBC Choice news programme, 60 Seconds. She continued to present the programme – and the new News Show – following the launch of BBC Three in February 2003.
Other TV projects: presenter/producer, East (BBC).
Houston, Robin
Well known Thames Television announcer and newsreader (late-1970s – 1992) and LWT continuity announcer. Robin was also a familiar voice to viewers across the ITV network, for his voiceovers at award ceremonies and the Royal Variety Show. Robin has also been heard as the voice of the questions on Channel 5’s 100%. He also presented the channel’s One to Win gameshow.
Kennedy, Sarah
Sarah was an LWT announcer in the 1970s. She also worked as a reporter and newsreader for Southern TV in the 1970s. Sarah went on to become one of the presenters of the BBC’s Sixty Minutes news magazine, and, famously, LWT’s Game for a Laugh. Since then she has presented many television and radio programmes.
Tilling, Roger
Hamilton, Steve
Steve was an in-vision announcer for STV (1970s – mid-1980s). He was later the voice of Scottish TV’s Wheel of Fortune gameshow. He was also the voiceover man on ITV’s Family Fortunes. He also did a stint at Talk Radio as a stand-in presenter for James Whale on the late-night phone-in.
…Haynes, Barri
Barri was born in Ventnor, Isle of Wight. After completing National Service with the Welsh Guards in London, he trained as a journalist with Kemsley newspapers and worked on The Western Mail in Cardiff.
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