In the 1970s, James trained at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire. He taught speech and drama at Bankhead Academy (July 1978 – June 1980) and was head of speech and drama at Mintlaw Academy (July 1980 – May 1986).
In May 1986, James moved into freelance voiceover work, with clients including radio stations in Scotland and the north of England and video production companies. In August 1991, he moved to the BBC as a continuity announcer/director, working on BBC One Scotland, BBC Two Scotland and BBC Alba. He became a familiar voice on TV and radio, where he also narrated programmes, read the news and even got to read the shipping forecast.
He left the BBC in 2013 to focus on the performance side of voice work – in particular, storytelling. He has since recorded many audio books, for clients on both sides of the Atlantic.
Personal information
Clips of James on The TV Room
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James Gillies left BBC Scotland in February 2013 – can you please update his profile?
Thanks for the feedback. The profile has been updated.