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.

Between 17th December 1952 and 12th June 1954, Polly was ASM in a production of For Better for Worse, which ran for 618 performances at the Comedy Theatre (re-named Harold Pinter Theatre in 2011).

Amongst the cast were: Leslie Phillips, Geraldine McEwan, Dandy Nichols and Patsy Smart. Polly also played the part of Jane Debenham, along with Shelia Grainger.

She acted in:

• Party Manners (BBC TV, 1950);
• For Better for Worse… (BBC Home Service, 1953);
• Stage by Stage: The Wonder – A Woman Keeps a Secret (BBC TV, 1954);
• Aladdin on Ice (BBC TV, 1954).

Polly entered the world of television after she wrote to producer Cecil Madden, suggesting a programme for people who had a birthday only every four years, as her birthday was on the 29th February.

Afterwards she presented afternoon programmes and was a BBC TV in-vision network announcer (1957 – 1960).

Other TV appearances included:

• Looking and Leaping (BBC TV, 1956);
• Back-Room Boys within Mainly for Women (BBC TV, 1956);
• People Behind the Scene within Mainly for Women (BBC TV, 1956);
• Mainly for Women (BBC TV, 1956 – 1957);
• Commentator, Ceremony at Sunset (BBC TV, 1958);
• Reporter, Tonight (BBC TV, 1959 – 1962);
• Panellist, What’s My Line? (BBC TV, 1959 – 1960);
• Floralies Internationales (BBC TV, 1959);
• Contributor on Remembering Summer (BBC TV, 1960);
• Rooms in View (BBC TV, 1961);
• A Woman’s Place (BBC TV, 1961);
• Domestic Forum (BBC TV, 1961);
• What’s Fashion within Home at One-Thirty (BBC TV, 1961);
• Panellist, Juke Box Jury (BBC TV, 1962 – 1964);
• Reporter on Children’s TV’s What’s New? (BBC TV, 2nd January 1962 – 25th June 1963);
• The Private Landscape (BBC TV, 1962);
• Guest on Kitchen Party (BBC One, 1964);
• Panellist, Call My Bluff (BBC Two, 1966);
• Short Course (BBC Two, 1966);
• Reporter, Wheelbase (BBC Two, 1967 – 1969);
• The Carl-Alan Awards 1966-1967 (BBC One, 1967);
• Thirty-Minute Theatre: Invasion (BBC Two, 1969);
• Narrator, The Extravagant Story of the Motor Car (BBC One, 1969);
• Storyteller, Jackanory (BBC One, 1970);
• Hosted Let’s Face It (Thames TV, 1972).
• Panellist, Where in the World (BBC One, 1972);
• Panellist, Face the Music (BBC Two, 1972 – 1974 and 1976);
• I See What You Mean (BBC One, 1975 – 1976).

On radio, she presented:

• Week’s Good Cause (BBC Home Service, 1960, 1963 and 1966; BBC Radio, 1968, 1974 and 1977);
• Panellist, Play the Game (BBC Light Programme, 1960);
• In Town Today (BBC Home Service, 1962 – 1963);
• Family magazine series Home This Afternoon (BBC Home Service 1964 – 1967; BBC Radio 4 1968 – 1970);
• Melody Fare (BBC Light Programme, 1964);
• South-East Special (BBC Home Service, 1964);
• Guest on Treble Chance (BBC Home Service, 1964 and 1965);
• Listening Post (BBC Home Service, 1965);
• British Legion’s Haig Fund (BBC Home Service, 1966);
• That Takes Me Back (BBC Home Service, 1966 – 1967);
• A Choice of Paperbacks (BBC Home Service, 1967);
• Panellist, Sounds Familiar (BBC Light Programme, 1967 – 1968);
• Home for the Day (BBC Radio 4, 1968);
• Woman’s Hour (BBC Radio 4, 1970 – 1971);
• Panellist, Petticoat Lane (BBC Radio 4, 1972 – 1973).

Polly was married to former sports broadcaster Peter Dimmock from March 1960 until her death.

She disappeared from television, as for the last 11 years of her life, she suffered with bone cancer and spent much of her later years in London’s Royal Marsden Hospital.

She died from bone cancer at her home in Newbury, Berkshire.

Polly and Peter had three daughters – their youngest Freya worked in BBC TV Presentation during the 1980s.

Personal information

Clips of Polly on The TV Room

Polly 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):

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Online presence

Acknowledgements