Anders, Ruth

Ruth was an LWT announcer/newsreader (1982 – 1994).

Pre-1984, Ruth was a senior stage manager, English National Opera (seven years), tour manager, Royal Shakespeare Company (four years) and tour administrator for ENO’s American Tour (18 months).

She later returned to the ENO, as tour director for their tour of Russia and the Ukraine and in the period was project director for Sovereign – an exhibition to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Queen’s accession, designed and constructed by The Royal College of Art (1991 – 1992).

Ruth was head of shows administration at the Royal Horticultural Society (1993 – 2001), responsible for the organisation of 23 annual horticultural shows nationwide, including:

• the Chelsea Flower Show (attendance 180,000 over four days);
• the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (attendance 200,000 over five days);
• the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park (attendance 102,000 over three days).

She moved to Australia and worked for the Bell Shakespeare Company, Australia’s national theatre touring company (2001 – 2012).

Ruth returned to the UK in 2012.

Correspondence

Paul R. Jackson corresponded with Ruth in October 2017, after ex-LWT colleague Trish Bertram kindly put them in touch.

How did you get into broadcasting?

“An actor friend at the RSC, when I was company manager there, showed me an advert in The Stage in 1981 inviting people to audition to join the announcing team at LWT.

“I did a series of auditions, but wasn’t successful in the first instance and the two vacancies were filled by Sue Peacock and the woman who introduces Songs of Praise, Pam Rhodes.

“A while later Warren Breach contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in coming in to voiceover the unsold commercial space on the newly launched Channel 4, which I did.

“Soon afterwards there were some slots to be filled as an LWT continuity announcer and newsreader and I moved across.

“We were in-vision for the first few years and then, mercifully, out!

“I had no experience of announcing when I applied, but knew I had a good microphone voice and having trained and worked extensively as a stage manager in theatre, understood the importance of timing.

“Though when I originally auditioned, I didn’t know why I had a big clock in front of me, can you believe? But I picked it all up pretty fast.

“I also went on to work as an announcer on BBC Radio 4 for a while (1988 – 1990).”

“In 2012, I returned to the UK after 12 years living and working in Sydney, Australia and for the past five years have worked full-time for the RHS back in their shows department.

“We have had the occasional LWT reunion, masterminded by Trish Bertram and another ex-colleague.

“I keep in touch with Trish and recently had lunch with Lucy Booth who was the admin person at LWT, who used to contract me.”

Any funny stories?

“Funny stories – lots I am sure, the worst being when I introduced a programme hosted by Jack Hargreaves called The Old Country and my intro was cut off early by the automatic switcher.

“I’ll leave to your imagination as to what the great viewing public heard me say…

Personal information

Clips of Ruth on The TV Room

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Online presence

Acknowledgements