John was born in 1928 (date unknown). He was one of ITV’s legendary, long-serving announcers.
…Lines, Verity
Verity was a continuity announcer and newsreader with Anglia TV (1980s – early 1990s). She left to get married and is now known as Verity Spencer.
…Newman-Sanders, Sandy
Sandy was one of the first announcers/newsreader/presenters on Anglia, from 1959. His full name was Cecil Walter Newman-Sanders but he was known as “Sandy” at Anglia. He joined Anglia from the London Planetarium. His previous employment included teaching, fishing and work as a cartoonist! He was Anglia’s first newscaster.
Famous people he interviewed included King Hussein of Jordan, Alf Ramsey, and Morcambe and Wise. He left the newsroom at Anglia in 1965 to become their education officer, and retired c. 1983, aged 74. His hobbies included golf and amateur radio.
Sandy died in 1993, leaving three children, 10 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.
Ashley, Philip
Former Southern Television announcer.
Bacon, John
Probably Anglia Television’s best-known newscaster, Bacon began his stint at the About Anglia newsdesk – and as a continuity announcer – in 1964. He stayed with the company until the mid to late-1980s. He often shared this duty with colleague Caroline Raison. After retiring, Bacon moved to sunnier climes – Greece.
Gay, Jennifer
Jennifer is the daughter of Molly Gay (actress) and Hugo Rignold (composer).
…De Stains, Ian
Ian was born in Yorkshire. He was a student of RADA in 1968, alongside Leigh Lawson, David Bradley, Timothy Dalton and Jonathan Meades.
…Bannerman, Graham
Graham has a wealth of live broadcast experience.
…Callan, Ronan
Ronan joined RTÉ as a radio continuity announcer in 1977. He became a continuity announcer for RTÉ 2 in the early 1980s. He left the TV announcing role in 1987.
Craddock, Gemma
Gemma joined RTÉ as a TV announcer in 2007. She worked mainly on RTÉ One.
Curran, Helen
(Formerly Helen Leonard; married in July 2005). Helen has a BA in Irish and Information Technology from UCD. During her university studies she also worked behind-the-scenes on various RTÉ shows including Don’t Feed the Gondolas, The Den and Podge and Rodge.
In 1997, she moved into a continuity announcer role on RTÉ Network 2, presenting many of her links in-vision. Her continuity links are now largely confined to RTÉ One.
In June 2003, Helen joined the station’s team of weather presenters.
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.
Larmour, Roy
Roy worked at BBC Northern Ireland (1978 – 1988) as a newsreader on TV and radio. He also spent a while working in TV continuity (early to mid-1980s). In 1988, he moved to the BBC World Service as a newsreader. He left the BBC in 2018.
Wray, Linda
Linda was born in Bangor, Co Down, and attended the Bangor Central Primary School and Glenlola Collegiate School, Bangor. She started out as an actress, before taking up a news presenting role at BBC Northern Ireland in the 1970s. Although the majority of her time with the BBC was in radio, she did also present the news on screen in the 1970s and 1980s. She was also a TV continuity announcer in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Linda retired from broadcasting in 2010. She read her final news bulletin on BBC Radio Ulster on Saturday 13th March 2010.
At the time of her retirement, colleagues paid tribute. Kathleen Carragher, editor radio news, BBC Radio Ulster, said: “Linda has one of the best voices in broadcasting. She has been a wonderful person to work with over the years and has always been a valued member of the BBC Radio Ulster news team.
“She has worked on some of the busiest news days in Northern Ireland covering the Troubles, the peace process and the return of devolution.
“Throughout this she has delivered her bulletins with an unwavering warmth and clarity. She has become a very familiar voice to our listeners over the years and I’m sure they will miss Linda every bit as much as we will. We wish her every success and happiness in the future.”
Peter Johnston, controller BBC Northern Ireland, commented: “For many, Linda’s voice has been one of the most enduring and familiar on BBC Radio Ulster. She has been on air for many of the pivotal events in Northern Ireland and has always kept her calm and her professionalism. She has played a key role in BBC Radio Ulster’s history and I wish her all the best for the future.”
Mason, Alex
Alex was a BBC TV network announcer (1995 – 1996).
Bruce, Ken
Yes, the BBC Radio 2 favourite was once a BBC Scotland announcer. Ken started off doing the Scottish opt outs on BBC Radio 4 in the mid-1970s and later became a staff announcer. He mostly worked on radio, but his warm, rich, friendly voice was heard from time-to-time behind the BBC One Scotland globe.
Smith, Derek
Derek’s broadcasting career began in 1999 at The Travel Channel where he was a continuity announcer. He was a member of the original team of announcers (and ‘the Scottish voice’) at the Biography Channel when it launched in the UK in 2000. Also in 2000, Derek took on a newsreading role at Radio Forth in Edinburgh; he remained there until joining Living TV as a continuity announcer in 2003.
Derek headed back north and joined the SMG continuity team in 2005, providing announcements on Scottish and Grampian TV (later rebranded as STV). He performed the first live announcement from STV’s new studios at Pacific Quay on Saturday 22nd July 2006.
Derek still finds time to fit in his other gig – travelling the world as a BA cabin crew member – which he has been doing since 1985.
Goldman, Fiona
Fiona was a TVS announcer (early 1990s) and then a Carlton Television (London) announcer (1993 – 2002). She was also the voice of cable channel Carlton Cinema.
Williams, R.
A former Granada TV announcer.
Austin, Dan
Dan was an announcer on BBC One and BBC Two network from the mid-1990s. He also worked on BBC Prime and BBC Knowledge. He left BBC TV in early 2002, turning up soon afterwards on BBC Radio 2, announcing and reading the news.
He moved to BBC Wales TV in August 2002, taking up a continuity director/announcer position there.
Bailey, Roger
Roger attended Cardiff High School for Boys and Harrow County Grammar School. He studied Welsh for seven years.
…Hearle, Duncan
Duncan’s broadcasting career began in Singapore just before World War II. When the colony fell, he was imprisoned and made to work on the notorious Burma railway. In 1946 he applied to the BBC for an announcing job. He got it and was posted to Belfast in January, where he remained for the next thirty years.
Duncan worked mainly on radio during his time with BBC Northern Ireland, becoming known as the ‘Voice of Radio Ulster’. He presented over 20,000 local news bulletins. He read his last news script during the 8.55am bulletin on BBC Radio Ulster on 21st September 1976.
Duncan then retired from broadcasting and moved to Wales.
During his time with BBC Northern Ireland, Duncan also performed some television announcing duties.
Every, Anne
Anne is a former Associated Rediffusion announcer.
Cunningham, Fiona
Fiona is a former Border Television continuity announcer (1970s – early 1980s).
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.”
Straker, Richard
Richard Straker was born in November 1943.
…Scott, Anne
Anne was a Grampian TV reporter, newsreader and co-presenter of North Tonight in the 1990s. She then joined BBC Scotland as a TV continuity director/announcer. She also announced and read the news on BBC Radio Scotland (until c. 2006).
Stuart, Arlene
Arlene was a popular Grampian in-vision announcer (1980s and early 1990s). She moved to the BBC Scotland TV as a continuity director/announcer. She later presented the mid-morning show on Forth 2. Arlene continued with television work as presenter of The River – a Grampian programme which followed the River Dee from its source to the sea traversing Braemar, Lochnagar, Balmoral, Glen Tanar and Banchory. She has also guest-presented for Scottish Passport.
Finighan, Rob
Rob is a former BBC Wales TV continuity director/announcer (dates TBC).
Stephenson, Kate
Kate was a Channel 4 announcer (mid-1990s – TBC).
Crowest, Richard
Richard started his broadcasting career as a researcher and reporter with BBC Radio Humberside, after which he moved on to run the audio arm of a corporate communications company in his native Norwich. His voice skills were spotted by Anglia Television where he spent eight years as a continuity announcer (1990 – 1998). During these years he also wrote for BBC Radio 4, produced a pilot for a radio game show and edited guide books for Jarrold Publishing.
In 1998, he moved into the area of heritage interpretation, attending an MA course at St Mary’s College, Strawberry Hill, where he went on to graduate with distinction. Since then, he has worked for the likes of the National Trust and the British Library.
In 2003, Richard co-founded Corvidae – an internet venture focusing on the museum and heritage sector.
Stein, Gary
Gary combined in-vision continuity for Grampian with radio presenting for Northsound 1, having previously done in-vision work for the local cable distributor in Aberdeen. When Grampian was taken over by STV he was left with only the radio work and subsequently left Aberdeen to join Clyde 1. He later reportedly left Clyde to go into radio management.
Hampshire, Susan
Susan was an Anglia Television continuity announcer and presenter of The Midday Show (1959 – early 1960s).
Donald, Margaret
Margaret was a Grampian Television (relief) in-vision continuity announcer (1980 – TBC).
Thomson, Kennedy
Kenny was a senior, long-serving Grampian TV in-vision announcer and programme producer. Kennedy died in 1997, just before the takeover of Grampian by SMG.
Saunders, Michaela
Michaela studied at the London College of Music.
…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.
Burke, Rodney
Rodney was a BBC East TV announcer (mid-1970s – late-1970s).
Graham, Dick
Dick was an ATV (London), Anglia Television and LWT announcer who went on to voice programme trailers for the BBC in the late-1960s.
Develin, Mark
Mark graduated from Rhodes University and initially worked for SABC in South Africa. In a broadcasting career spanning just over twenty years, he worked in various roles: a broadcast journalist, programme producer, news bulletin editor/presenter, programme presenter, television announcer, interviewer and trainer.
…Gamble, Mike
Mike began his BBC career as a station assistant at BBC Radio Merseyside. In 1970, he presented Youthwise and Homeward Bound.
…Stevens, Lorna
Lorna was an HTV West and Thames TV continuity announcer who moved to the HTV weather department when in-vision announcing was axed in 1993. She was regularly seen as a weather presenter on both HTV West and HTV Wales, but recently left when weather presentation was centralised in Birmingham. Lorna is also believed to have announced for HTV Wales.
A former professional model who worked with The Bluebell Girls first in Barcelona, Spain, and then in Paris, she started her broadcasting career on her return to the UK with local ILR station Radio 210 in the Thames Valley. She went on to work as an announcer for BBC Radio 4 and was a network announcer on BBC TV (1984 – 1986), before embarking on a career as a freelance announcer/presenter for several ITV companies and also on BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting). Lorna also worked as an announcer on Westcountry Television in Plymouth for around 18 months from 1993 with colleague Peter Griffin.
Harvey, Amanda
Amanda currently works as a continuity announcer/director on BBC One Scotland. The role previously also covered BBC Two Scotland but that channel was replaced by the network version of BBC Two, just prior to the launch of the BBC Scotland channel. Although the dedicated Scottish content channel has its own team of announcers, some BBC One Scotland voices can also be heard on the BBC Scotland channel.
Sheppard, Roy
Roy was a BBC Wales TV continuity director/announcer (1980s). He also read Wales Today bulletins.
…Gibb, Claire
Formerly Claire Dickinson. Claire has been the female voice of Film4 since 2006, when the channel was relaunched. She also announces on Channel 4, More4 and E4. Prior to her career at Channel 4, Claire was a presenter on XFM.
Claire had a baby son, Laurence, in March 2009.
Bond, Sidonie
Sidonie is a former ABC Television and Southern Television announcer.
Seed, Paul
Paul was a staff ITV 1 announcer (October 2002 – TBC). Before that, Paul was stationed at Southampton providing continuity to Meridian, HTV West and Anglia Television. Paul used to host the breakfast show on Gloucestershire’s Severn Sound radio station.
Brighting, Kevan
Kevan was a Central TV continuity announcer (mid-1980s – late-1980s). He went freelance as a voiceover artist and was regularly heard on ITV Central.
McLaughlin, Jack
Jack started his broadcast career on pirate radio. He had stints with Radio Scotland, Britain Radio and Radio 270. In the late-1960s and early 1970s, Jack was an announcer with Grampian Television. He then moved to Scottish TV.
McKenna, Cameron
Cameron’s broadcasting career began in 1990, as a presenter with Eastend Radio. During his career, Cameron has interviewed a number of big name celebrities including Dame Shirley Bassey, Nichelle Nichols (communications officer Lieutenant Uhura, Star Trek), Paul Young, Darius, the stars of Star Wars and Marty Pellow to name but a few. Cameron has also worked alongside Dirty Dozen actor Tom Busby.
Other radio credits include: co-presenter of the 96.3 QFM breakfast show with Gary Marshall.
Cameron worked (freelance) for Scottish Television as an announcer (dates TBC); his voice was also heard in the Grampian TV region for a number of years prior to its rebranding as STV. He is currently a continuity announcer with BBC Scotland TV.
Mead, J.M.
Former Granada announcer.
Wilson, Gerry
Gerry is a former RTÉ 2FM DJ. In 1994, he also took on an announcing role for RTÉ One and RTÉ Network 2. He also voiced promotional trails for the TV channels. Gerry gave up the TV announcing post in 1997. In June 2001, Gerry left RTÉ to go full-time with his voiceover business. Over the years, clients have included: Intel, Microsoft, The Times Newspaper UK, Polygram, EMI, Universal Music, Virgin Music, BBC, LiveIreland.Com, The National Lottery, City Jet, The Mirror, Falcon Holidays, Wrangler, Heinz, Aer Lingus, Esat, The Economist, British Midland, Skoda, CMS, Gaiety Theatre and Blockbuster.