Paul was born in Bristol. He is an actor and has appeared in many stage plays, including Les Blancs at London’s National Theatre (2016); he toured with Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce (2016).
He appeared in pantomimes at the Lincoln Theatre Royal and Pavilion Theatre, Great Yarmouth and with former Anglia TV colleague Helen McDermott in Mother Goose at the Pavilion Theatre, Gorleston.
TV acting credits include:
- The Onedin Line (BBC One, 1972 and 1979);
- A Ghost Story for Christmas (BBC One, 1974);
- When the Boat Comes In (BBC Two, 1976);
- Dickens of London (Yorkshire TV/ITV, 1976);
- Moll Flanders (BBC Two, 1976);
- Wings (BBC One, 1977);
- Dr Who – The Androids of Tara (BBC One, 1978);
- You’re Only Young Twice (Yorkshire TV/ITV, 1978);
- Wilde Alliance (Yorkshire TV/ITV, 1978);
- Love in a Cold Climate (Thames TV/ITV, 1980);
- Into the Labyrinth (HTV West/ITV, 1980);
- Doctors (BBC One, 2012);
- Housefull 3 (2016);
- Chantell: Psyhic P.D. – Night Division (2018);
- Night Division (2018);
- The Fence (2022).
Radio credits include:
- All the Queen’s Men (BBC Radio 4, 1975);
- Jamaica Inn (BBC Radio 4, 1975);
- Saturday-Night Theatre (BBC Radio 4, 1976);
- Sibelius (BBC Radio 4, 1977);
- Drama Now (BBC Radio 3, 1977);
- Women of Words (BBC Radio 4, 1980).
In 1981, Paul set up and produced/directed at MCTV (Medway Cable Company). He remained there until 1986.
He was a continuity announcer at Anglia TV (1987 – 1991) and launched the station’s Through the Night service, earning him the title ‘Mr Midnight’.
He also presented on Anglia TV’s regional news programme About Anglia.
Paul went on to become a big name in the world of satellite home shopping channels. He was senior presenter at QVC (1993 – 1999).
In 1995, he set up and was head of presentation for Red Television. He did the same in 1999 for Ideal World Television.
He also presented at Friendly TV.
In 2003, his microphone was left open during a commercial and he inadvertently broadcast a rumour that Nicole Kidman was gay. The presenters issued an apology when they found out this had been accidently broadcast.
In 2011, he was the royal correspondent for Shop NBC and was a news editor/presenter on Al Alamia Television (2011 – 2012).
He met his first wife Monica Garvey whilst working at the Library Theatre, Manchester and married in 1973.
In 1980, he married his second wife actress Erin Geraghty, who was one of the original cast members in Angels (BBC One, 1975 – 1976).
Correspondence
Paul R. Jackson corresponded with Paul in December 2017 about his career and how he joined Anglia TV:
“I started acting professionally when I was 13, in 1963, getting paid by the BBC to play a young boy in The Adventures of Clara Chuff – a radio series for the Home Service’s (now Radio 4) Children’s Hour. I trained at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and loved it, and would do it all over again!
“My wife and I had triplet daughters in 1982 and together with our two boys that was a big family. I needed to earn more than I could get from my acting career. I applied for the Through the Night on Anglia TV.
“I had a couple of auditions in Norwich, before getting the job. At the beginning I was the only presenter on the service, then after a year or so Phil Fothergill became the other presenter.
“I’d been there about two years when I started recording intros for specialist themed films, getting to interview Michael Caine when we had a week of his films on the channel. I also made a programme, which was seen network-wide, about Prisoner Cell Block H.
“Then there was a ‘hole’ in the news area and I was asked to present About Anglia, maybe once or twice a week until Jeremy Hands could come up to fill the role as chief news anchor.
“For Jeremy I used to research and present WOW! a ‘What’s on Where’-style segment which went out every Friday.
“During the 1980s, I’d set up and ran a local community cable station M.C.T.V. (Medway Cable Television) for which I was everything from chief engineer to tea maker.
“I used some good professional friends and used youngsters from YTS (Youth Training Scheme) as everything else from camera operators to presenters.
“So when I was approached to help in the launch of a cable TV service in Cambridge (Red TV), I was delighted.
“I also loved the fact that they had developed a one-man operation desk that could be operated by the presenter. I loved it!
“Ideal World gave me the chance to help set up a shopping channel from the ground up – an interesting time, but not one I’d care to repeat.
“I came away with the lesson, ‘don’t be head of anything – be head of everything!’ Meglamania rules OK.”
Personal information
Clips of Paul on The TV Room
Paul 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):
Online presence
Acknowledgements
PICTURED: Paul Lavers. COPYRIGHT: Paul Lavers.
Leave a Reply