Osborn, Hilary

Born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, Osborn graduated with a BA Honours degree in French from Queen Mary College, London University.

Osborn commenced her BBC career in 1958 as a secretary before advancing to the role of studio manager at Bush House in 1960.

Her transition to on-air work came in 1965 when she became a BBC World Service announcer.

Her presenting credits included the pop music programme Let’s Go, Listeners’ Choice, and reporting duties on What’s On in London.

Additionally, she hosted a weekly pop programme under the name “Hilary de Londres” on France Inter, broadcasting in French (1965 – 1970).

Osborn created and presented Woman in Town – a daily 45-minute programme for women on the new station, Radio London (1970 – 1973) – and produced With Women in Mind for BFBS Radio (1973 – 1975).

Throughout this period, Osborn also contributed features to BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour (1969, 1974, 1977 – 1978, 1982 and 1984), Breakaway and The Food Programme.

She presented BBC Radio 4’s Today programme for two weeks during August and October 1978.

Between 1983 and 1993, Osborn served as a BBC Radio 2 newsreader. For the same station, she presented String Sound (1984 – 1986 and 1989 – 1990) alongside other music programmes including Black Magic (1991) and Nightride (1984 – 1985).

Osborn joined BBC Radio 4 as an announcer in 1984.

By 1990, she was combining part-time BBC Radio 2 work with weekend disc jockey duties at The Light FM – Ocean Sound (ILR).

Osborn made broadcasting history as the first in-vision female announcer on the newly created BFBS TV, filmed at LWT studios in Stonebridge Park (1975 – 1982).

She served as an LWT in-vision announcer from 1979 to 1981.

During the early 1990s, Osborn joined TVS, where she delivered the station’s final continuity announcement on 31st December 1992.

The following year brought brief employment in the same capacity for Meridian Television.

Osborn worked as a news presenter at the newly launched BBC World Service TV and also presented at QVC.

She was married to Dan Zerdin, a BBC World Service producer. Their marriage produced two children – journalist Judith and comedian and ventriloquist Paul Zerdin.

Correspondence

Paul R. Jackson got in touch with Hilary in July 2018 and asked about her ITV announcing work.

“At LWT, Michael Grade told me that he thought the Forces’ Sweethearts label could apply to me. 

“Sorry, I don’t remember any colleagues at TVS or Meridian.

“I was given a three-month contract only at the start of Meridian, and was told I didn’t reflect audiences enough, as I evidently sounded too much like a BBC announcer (which TVS had liked!).

“To be honest, out-of-vision announcing filled in gaps in my broadcasting career because it was easy, and paid much better than doing features for Radio 4.

“I was very lucky that there was so much different work available.”

What have you been doing since those TV days?

“I gave up broadcasting and became a Blue Badge driver-guide for rich Americans and French tourists from 1995 to 2005.

“Since 2005, I have given talks on my career to WI, Townswomen’s Guilds, Probus, Church and friendship groups etc – and, at their request, have written a book combining everything I’ve done, for them.”

 

Personal information

Clips of Hilary on The TV Room

Hilary may be featured in video/audio clips on our other websites. Click the links below to display a listing (a 404 error will appear if no clips are found):

Rewind | Clean Feed

Online presence

Acknowledgements