Ann acquired her first television experience at Rhodesian Television.
…Wilmott, David
Born in Windsor, David Wilmott began his broadcasting career during National Service (1950 – 1952) with the Forces Broadcasting Service in the Canal Zone of Egypt, where he rose to become the station’s chief announcer.
…Kay, Ian
Ian Kay was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, and graduated with a BA (Hons) in acting from the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in Wigan.
…James, Aline
Aline was born in Maryport, Cumberland. She attended Cheltenham Ladies’ College.
…Grayford, Louise
Louise was born in South Shields on 6th September (year unknown).
…Wolfenden, Rich
Rich was born in 1992 (date unknown). He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in environmental science from the University of Central Lancashire (2013). He gained a Masters in radio production from the University of Chester (2018).
…Nissen, Brian
Brian was born in Kingston-upon-Thames. His stage career began at the age of 14 in Peter Pan.
…Buchanan, Emily
Emily was born in London. She gained a diploma in radio journalism from City University in 1982.
…Livingstone, Matt
Matt was born in Newcastle. He moved to Leeds and went to Leeds Beckett University aged 18. He was a digital brand ambassador for the university’s website (2019 – 2020).
…Blake, Dan
Daniel was born in Lewisham. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in music from the University of Westminster (2012).
…Shaw, Roger
Roger Ollerearnshaw was born in Penzance. He did his National Service in the RAF as a physical training instructor and for two years was the RAF’s high-jump champion.
…Richards, Glen
BBC Northern Ireland TV announcer in the late-1970s/early 1980s.
…Masters, Ian
Ian was born in 1940 in Goffs Oak, Herts. He worked at BBC Radio Sheffield at its launch in 1967 and at BBC TV North West in the early 1970s. He was a regional compére on Come Dancing (1972 – 1973) and joined BBC TV’s Look East, where he was a popular presenter for a decade (1973 – 1983).
…O’Keeffe, Meryl
Meryl was born in Nairobi, Kenya and educated in South Africa. In 1950, she began her radio career in the South African Broadcasting Corporation, based in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
…Tomlinson, Peter
Peter was born in Bristol. He began his broadcasting career in 1965, whilst still a student at Oxford University, covering home matches played by Swindon Town FC for the BBC’s Home Service South West. He broadcast live a short report from the linen cupboard of the Goddard Arms Hotel in Swindon!
…Edwards, Adrian
Adrian was born in Windsor. He was an actor/writer with the Cambridge Footlights and a former maths teacher. He was an in-vision Southern Television continuity announcer (1975 – 1980).
…Beccy Wright bows out as BBC TV announcer
Network BBC TV announcer Beccy Wright has bid viewers farewell, as she leaves the BBC after 25 years in the announcer’s booth.
…Simpson, Mark
Mark spent a few years as a newsreader with Cool FM/Downtown Radio before moving to BBC Northern Ireland as a TV continuity announcer/director in 1997. In 2004, he spent six months working for BBC Broadcast as a network director at Television Centre in London. In 2009, Mark was appointed head of presentation, BBC Northern Ireland.
…Twining, Sasha
Sasha was born in Yorkshire. She is a presenter, journalist, conference host and facilitator. She began her career in radio and worked as a DJ for several years at various local and regional radio stations, including BBC Radio Solent.
…Dickson, Peter
Peter was born in Belfast. His name and face may not be as familiar as his voice, which has featured in some of the biggest UK TV entertainment shows.
…Clover, Crispin
Crispin began his broadcasting career as a sports reporter and presenter for BBC Radio Norfolk. He went on to become one of the few younger male announcers on BBC One: announcing everything from the news to Strictly Come Dancing (1998 – 2001). He moved to BBC Radio 1 as a producer, working on the following programmes: the Scott Mills early morning show; The Jamie Theakston Show (Saturday mornings); Dance Anthems with Dave Pearce (2001 – 2003).
…Allen, Glen
Glen is a voiceover artist/presenter who found fame with his knowledgeable introductions to Dr Who, Blake’s 7 and other cult shows on UK Gold.
…Bance, Greg
By passing the 11-Plus, Greg gained entry to his local grammar school in north London, but education seemed to gain little purchase on his mind, which was focussed on tuning around the short wave, discovering the existence of offshore radio and determination to escape as soon as possible.
…Hewer, John
John was born in Leyton, Essex. He was an actor/writer, who was a long-time member of the London’s Players Theatre.
…Scott-Joynt, Hannah
Hannah’s love of radio began in her teenage years. She gained a degree in radio, film and TV at Canterbury Christ Church University. Her first broadcasting job was with BBC Radio in Herts, Beds and Bucks. She moved into television as a network announcer on BBC One and BBC Two (1997 – 2000). She was the launch announcer on BBC Choice. In 2000, she appeared on BBC One’s daytime show Talking TV and showed presenter Vanessa Feltz behind-the-scenes of network control – and Vanessa even did two short daytime BBC One links.
…Bligh, Jasmine
Jasmine was born in London. She was the niece of Esme Ivo Bligh, the 9th Earl of Darnley and a descendant of Captain William Bligh, the commander famously usurped in the Mutiny on the Bounty.
…Nove, Charles
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.
…Macintosh, Alex
Alex was born in Fulham. He was a former actor. His voice was heard on the very first advert for Gibbs SR Toothpaste shown at 8.12pm on the opening night of ITV on 22nd September 1955.
…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).
…Edwards, Tom
Tom was born in Norwich. He began his career as a newspaper journalist on the Eastern Evening News and when Anglia TV opened, he worked on in-house commercials and even had a small role in one of their dramas. He compered a weekly live pop show, Beat on the Border, from Border TV in Carlisle and returned years later to the ITV regional company as an announcer/newsreader.
…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.
…McQueen, Barry
Barry was born in Sydney, Australia in 1932. He originally studied medicine but moved into radio as a commercial announcer (1950 – 1953). For the next six years, he worked in both television and radio for ABC as a newsreader; he also presented Thursday at One (1957), Night Out at Scott’s (1958) and Happy New Year (1959). He worked on commercial TV in Melbourne (1959 – 1960) and presented Today (1960).
…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.
…McGavin, John
Also known as John McGavin Gordon. John was an ABC and ATV London announcer in the 1950s, but had an ambition to become an actor and went to drama school.
…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.
…Redfern, Barrie
Barrie was born in Rotherham. He started out as a student broadcaster, before moving to BBC Local Radio.
…Scott, Avis
Avis was born in 1918, with the surname Scutt. Many people tried to persuade her to alter her name but it was Noel Coward who finally succeeded when he said “my dear, the name Scutt sounds like a great piece of rabbit!”.
…Myers, John
John was born in Carlisle. He was a familiar face on Border TV (1980s), as a continuity announcer and programme presenter. However, it was in that other broadcast medium – radio – where John truly shone. He was a leading figure in the radio industry, with an association with many stations. He also penned a number of reports on radio – for the government and the BBC.
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