1.
Richard Curtis
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Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is an English screenwriter, producer and film director, who was born in New Zealand to Australian parents. Bean and The Vicar of Dibley and he is also the co-founder of the British charity Comic Relief along with Sir Lenny Henry. In 2007, Curtis received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award, the highest award the British Film Academy can give a filmmaker and he received the BAFTA Humanitarian Award at the 2008 Britannia Awards, for co-creating Comic Relief and contributions to other charitable causes. In 2008 he was ranked number 12 in The Telegraphs list of the 100 most powerful people in British culture. In 2012, Curtis was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork – the Beatles Sgt, peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover – to celebrate the British cultural figures of his life. Curtis was born in Wellington, New Zealand, the son of Australian parents Glyness S. and Anthony J. Curtis and his father was a Czechoslovakian refugee who moved to Australia when aged thirteen. Curtis and his family lived in different countries during his childhood, including Sweden. For a short period in the 1970s, Curtis lived in Warrington, where he attended Appleton Grammar School, before he won a scholarship to Harrow School and he achieved a first-class Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature at Christ Church, Oxford. At the University of Oxford, Curtis met and began working with Rowan Atkinson and he appeared in the companys After Eights at the Oxford Playhouse in May 1976. Collaborating with Rowan Atkinson in the Oxford Revue, he appeared alongside him at his breakthrough Edinburgh Fringe show, as a result of this, Curtis was commissioned to co-write the BBC Radio 3 series The Atkinson People with Atkinson in 1978, which was transmitted in 1979. He then began to write comedy for film and TV and he was a regular writer on the TV series Not the Nine OClock News, where he wrote many of the shows songs with Howard Goodall and many sketches, often with Rowan Atkinson. Curtis was the co-writer with Philip Pope of the Hee Bee Gee Bees single Meaningless Songs released in 1980 to parody the style of a series of Bee Gees disco hits. First with Atkinson, and later with Ben Elton, Curtis then wrote the Blackadder series from 1983 to 1989, Atkinson played the lead throughout, but Curtis remains the only person to have been a writer for every episode of Blackadder. The pair continued their collaboration with the comedy series Mr. Bean, Curtis had by then already begun writing feature films. His first was The Tall Guy in 1989, the romantic comedy starred Jeff Goldblum, Emma Thompson and Rowan Atkinson and was produced by Working Title films. The TV movie Bernard and the Genie followed in 1991, in 1994, Curtis created and co-wrote The Vicar of Dibley for comedian Dawn French, which was a great success. Curtis achieved his success with the romantic comedy Four Weddings. The 1994 film, starring Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell, was produced on a budget by the British production company Working Title Films
2.
Dawn French
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Dawn Roma French is a British actress, writer, and comedian. French has been nominated for seven British Academy Television Awards and also won a BAFTA Fellowship with Jennifer Saunders, French was born in Holyhead, Wales to English parents Denys Vernon French and Felicity Roma French, who married in their hometown of Plymouth in 1953. She was educated at the independent St Dunstans Abbey School and her father served in the Royal Air Force, stationed at RAF Valley. The RAF partly funded her private education, when her father was stationed at the former RAF Faldingworth, she attended Caistor Grammar School in Caistor, boarding in the schools Lindsey house. She later won a scholarship that brought her to study at the Spence School in New York. French has claimed that her self-confidence and self-belief stem from her father and she stated, He taught me to value myself. He told me that I was beautiful and the most precious thing in his life and he had a history of severe depression and attempted suicides but managed to conceal his illness from Dawn and her brother. She studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1977 and they had grown up on the same base, even having had the same best friend, although never meeting. At first, as far as Saunders was concerned, French was a cocky little upstart, French considered Saunders snooty and aloof. French and Saunders shared a flat whilst at college and were influenced to do comedy by their flatmates as part of their projects for college, after talking in depth for the first time, they came to be friends. While at college she broke up with her fiancé, a former Royal Navy officer, after they graduated, they formed a double-act called the Menopause Sisters. Saunders has described the act, which involved wearing tampons in their ears, the manager of the club recalled, They didnt seem to give a damn. There was no star quality about them at all, French and Saunders came to public attention as members of the Comic Strip, part of the alternative comedy scene in the early 1980s. French has also written a best-selling epistolary autobiography, which she has titled Dear Fatty, French was paid a £1.5 million advance for the book, which was released in 2008. On an appearance on The Paul OGrady Show on 6 October 2008, French said that Fatty is her nickname for Jennifer Saunders, French said that she became great friends with Saunders well before they started working together, which was over 30 years ago. The book consists of letters to the different people who have been in her life, French has had an extensive career on television, debuting on Channel 4s The Comic Strip Presents series in an episode called Five Go Mad in Dorset in 1982. Each episode presented a story and, in addition to French and Saunders, showcased Comic Strip performers Peter Richardson, Rik Mayall, Robbie Coltrane. She acted in 27 of the 37 episodes and wrote two of them, One episode featured a parody of spaghetti westerns and another a black and white film about a hopelessly goofy boy
3.
Roger Lloyd-Pack
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Roger Lloyd-Pack was an English actor. He was best known for the role of Trigger in Only Fools and he had a supporting role of Owen Newitt in The Vicar of Dibley from 1994 to 2007, and as Tom in The Old Guys with Clive Swift. He was sometimes credited without the hyphen in his surname and he died early in 2014 from pancreatic cancer. Lloyd-Pack was born in Islington, London, the son of Ulrike Elizabeth, an Austrian Jewish refugee who worked as an agent, and Charles Lloyd-Pack. He attended Bedales School near Petersfield in Hampshire, where he achieved A Level passes in English, French and he subsequently trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he worked with actors including Kenneth Cranham and Richard Wilson. On British television he was best known for portraying Trigger in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. He was also known for his role in The Vicar of Dibley as Owen Newitt, and to international audiences his greatest fame was as Barty Crouch, Sr. in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In 2005, he appeared in the series of ITVs Doc Martin as a farmer who held a grudge against Doctor Ellingham for what he believed was the malpractice-related death of his wife. Lloyd Packs final TV appearance was in Law & Order, UK as Alex Greene, Lloyd-Pack was married twice, first to Sheila Ball, from whom he was divorced in 1972, and secondly to the poet and dramatist Jehane Markham, whom he married in 2000. He had one daughter, actress Emily Lloyd, and three sons, Spencer, Hartley and Louis and he lived most latterly in Kentish Town, North London, but also had a home near Fakenham in Norfolk. In June 2008, he appeared as a guest on the BBCs The Politics Show and he was an honorary patron of the London childrens charity Scene & Heard. Lloyd-Pack supported the Labour Party and campaigned for Ken Livingstone in the London mayoral election,2012, however, in 2013, he signed a letter in The Guardian stating he had withdrawn his support from the Labour Party, in favour of a new party of the left. Or I might have been a photographer, I also would have loved to have been a musician. In January 2012, he and fellow actor Sarah Parish supported a campaign to raise £1million for The Bridge School in Islington, on 15 January 2014, Lloyd-Pack died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Kentish Town at the age of 69. He is survived by his four children, one of whom is the actress Emily Lloyd and his funeral was held at the church of St. Pauls, Covent Garden. He was buried in Highgate Cemetery, northwest London, the Last Laugh – by Koki Mitani. He played The Censor, Japan,2007, the Trojan Women - Caroline Birds adaptation of the tragedy by Euripides at the Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, London – He played Poseidon. Richard III by William Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre, South Bank, twelfth Night by William Shakespeare – He played Sir Andrew Aguecheek
4.
Howard Goodall
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Howard Lindsay Goodall CBE is an English composer of musicals, choral music and music for television. He also presents music-based programming for television and radio, for which he has won many awards. In May 2008 he was named as a presenter and Composer-in-Residence with the UK radio channel Classic FM, born in Bromley, Kent, Goodall was educated at New College School, Stowe School and Lord Williamss School and read music at Christ Church, Oxford. He is married to Val Fancourt, who is a music agent. Goodalls 1984 musical The Hired Man, an adaptation of the novel by Melvyn Bragg, won an Ivor Novello award, a Winters Tale, commissioned for the opening of The Sage, Gateshead in December 2005 was presented during 2009–10 by Youth Music Theatre, UK. In 2011 its London professional premiere at the Landor Theatre won the Off west end award for Best New Musical, Love Story, based on the novella by Erich Segal, premiered in 2010 at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester. Bend It Like Beckham The Musical, written with Gurinder Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges and Charles Hart began previewing at the Phoenix Theatre, other musicals include Girlfriends, Days of Hope, Silas Marner, The Kissing-Dance, the dreaming, A Winters Tale and Two Cities. Goodall has a body of music to his name, including In Memoriam Anne Frank, O Lord God of Time and Eternity and settings of Psalm 23. In September 2008, his Eternal Light, A Requiem was premiered by Rambert Dance Company to choreography by Rambert Dance Companys Artistic Director, Mark Baldwin. The result of a commission from London Musici to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Eternal Light, Eternal Light, A Requiem has now had over 400 live performances across the world. In March 2009, Classic FM released Howard Goodalls Enchanted Voices, the disc marks Goodalls position as Classic FMs Composer-in-Residence for 2009. A month after its UK release, it became the best-selling specialist choral CD of 2009 and it subsequently earned a nomination for Classical Brit Album of the Year. Howard Goodalls Enchanted Voices was followed by Howard Goodalls Enchanted Carols, Goodall arranged an orchestral and choir score for Psalm 122 for Tonbridge School to commemorate their chapel which burnt down in the 1980s. Goodall was also commissioned by Truro Cathedral to write a new work for all four of the Cathedrals choirs, Truro Cathedral Choir, St Marys Singers, Cornwall Youth Choir and Cornwall Junior Choir. The piece, entitled A New Heart, A New Spirit, sets a text from Wisdom, the 45-minute oratorio, Every Purpose Under the Heaven, was premiered in Westminster Abbey in November 2011. It was commissioned as a gift to the United Church Schools Trust and United Learning Trust from Sir Ewan and Lady Harper, Every Purpose Under the Heaven was recorded and released on the Decca Classics/Classics fm CD Inspired in 2012. I am Christmas Day premiered at Southwark Cathedral as part of the Mercy Ships Charity annual Carol Service on Wednesday 5 December 2012, commissioned by Mercy Ships UK the work was performed by Southwark Cathedral Girls Choir, conducted by the composer. Present at the event, alongside members of the UK Government, were the Presidents of Germany and Eire, the King and Queen of the Belgians and Prince William and Catherine and Prince Harry
5.
Sue Vertue
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Susan Sue Nicola Vertue is an English television producer, mainly of comedy shows, including Mr. Bean and Coupling. She is the daughter of producer Beryl Vertue, Vertue worked for Tiger Aspect, a production company run by Peter Bennett-Jones, where Jones produced episodes of Mr. Bean, The Vicar of Dibley and Gimme Gimme Gimme. Vertue met writer Steven Moffat at the Edinburgh Television Festival in 1996, a relationship blossomed and they left their respective production companies to join Hartswood Films, run by Beryl Vertue, Sues mother. When Vertue asked Moffat to write a sitcom for Hartswood, he decided to base it around the evolution of their own relationship, the series became Coupling, which was first broadcast on BBC2 in 2000. The main two characters in the show were even named Steve and Susan, played by Jack Davenport, in 1999 Vertue produced Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death, a two-episode special of Doctor Who, written by Steven Moffat, for the Red Nose Day charity telethon. Her other work includes Carrie and Barry, Supernova, Fear, Stress & Anger, The Cup, Sue Vertue on Twitter Sue Vertue at the Internet Movie Database Sue Vertue at Hartswood Films
6.
Endemol UK
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Endemol UK Ltd is one of the largest independent producers in the country. The UK group is part of Endemol, a network of production companies spanning 24 countries. With the advent of a joint venture with 21st Century Fox, additional companies under the new Endemol Shine UK umbrella include Dragonfly, Kudos, the company originated from Peter Bazalgettes sale of his television company to the Guardian Media Group in 1990. In 1998, Endemol acquired a 50% stake and the division was named GMG Endemol, Endemol bought the company outright from GMG in 2000. 101 Ways to Leave a Gameshow 8 Out of 10 Cats Big Brother Black Mirror Cell Deal or No Deal Fear Factor Gala TV Golden Balls L. A
7.
BBC One
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BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service and it was renamed BBC TV in 1960, using this name until the launch of sister channel BBC2 in 1964, whereupon the BBC TV channel became known as BBC1, with the current spelling adopted in 1997. The channels annual budget for 2012–13 is £1.14 billion, the channel is funded by the television licence fee together with the BBCs other domestic television stations, and therefore shows uninterrupted programming without commercial advertising. It is currently the most watched channel in the United Kingdom, ahead of its traditional rival for ratings leadership. As of June 2013 the channel controller for BBC One is Charlotte Moore, the BBC began its own regular television programming from the basement of Broadcasting House, London, on 22 August 1932. BBC Television returned on 7 June 1946 at 15,00, Jasmine Bligh, one of the original announcers, made the first announcement, saying, Good afternoon everybody. Do you remember me, Jasmine Bligh, the Mickey Mouse cartoon of 1939 was repeated twenty minutes later. The competition quickly forced the channel to change its identity and priorities following a reduction in its audience. The 1962 Pilkington Report on the future of broadcasting noticed this, and it therefore decided that Britains third television station should be awarded to the BBC. The station, renamed BBC TV in 1960, became BBC1 when BBC2 was launched on 20 April 1964 transmitting an incompatible 625-line image on UHF. The only way to all channels was to use a complex dual-standard 405- and 625-line, VHF and UHF, receiver. Old 405-line-only sets became obsolete in 1985, when transmission in the standard ended, although standards converters have become available for enthusiasts who collect, BBC1 was based at the purpose-built BBC Television Centre at White City, London between 1960 and 2013. In the weeks leading up to 15 November 1969, BBC1 unofficially transmitted the occasional programme in its new colour system, to test it. At midnight on 15 November, simultaneously with ITV and two years after BBC2, BBC1 officially began 625-line PAL colour programming on UHF with a broadcast of a concert by Petula Clark, colour transmissions could be received on monochrome 625-line sets until the end of analogue broadcasting. In terms of share, the most successful period for BBC1 was under Bryan Cowgill between 1973 and 1977, when the channel achieved an average audience share of 45%. On 30 December 1980, the BBC announced their intention to introduce a new breakfast television service to compete with TV-am. On 17 January 1983, the first edition of Breakfast Time was shown on BBC One, becoming the first UK wide breakfast television service and continued to lead in the rating until 1984. The first major overhaul was to axe the deeply unpopular Sixty Minutes current affairs programme and its replacement was the BBC Six OClock News, a straight new programme in a bid to shore up its failing early evening slot
8.
Television sitcom
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A situation comedy, or sitcom, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new characters in each sketch, and stand-up comedy, Sitcoms originated in radio, but today are found mostly on television as one of its dominant narrative forms. This form can also include mockumentaries, a situation comedy television program may be recorded in front of a studio audience, depending on the programs production format. The effect of a studio audience can be imitated or enhanced by the use of a laugh track. The terms situational comedy or sitcom werent commonly used until the 1950s, there were prior examples on radio, but the first television sitcom is said to be Pinwrights Progress, ten episodes being broadcast on the BBC in the United Kingdom between 1946 and 1947. There have been few long-running Australian-made sitcoms, but many U. S. UK sitcoms are a staple of government broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation, in the 1970s and 1980s many UK sitcoms also screened on the Seven Network. By 1986, UK comedies Bless This House and Are You Being Served, had been repeated by ABC Television several times, and were then acquired and screened by the Seven Network, in prime time. In 1981, Daily at Dawn was the first Australian comedy series to feature a gay character. In 1987, Mother and Son was winner of the Television Drama Award presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission, in 2013, Please Like Me was praised by the critics, receiving an invitation to screen at the Series Mania Television Festival in Paris. And has garnered three awards and numerous nominations, nominated to the 2012 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for Best Television Comedy Series. Conversely, however, Canadian television has had greater success with sketch comedy and dramedy series. The popular show King of Kensington, aired from 1975 to 1980, corner Gas, which ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009, became an instant hit, averaging a million viewers per episode. It has been the recipient of six Gemini Awards, and has been nominated almost 70 times for various awards, other noteworthy recent sitcoms have included Call Me Fitz and Schitts Creek, Letterkenny and Kims Convenience. Sitcoms started appearing on Indian television in the 1980s, with serials like Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, since it ceased production in 1992, the show has earned an estimated billion in syndication fees alone for Televisa. Gliding On, a popular sit-com in New Zealand in the early 1980s, won awards over the course of its run, including Best Comedy, Best Drama. The first Russian sitcom series was Strawberry, which was aired in 1996-1997 on the RTR channel, however, the boom of Russian sitcoms began only in the 2000s - when in 2004 the STS started very successful sitcom My Fair Nanny. Since that time sitcoms in Russia were produced by the two largest entertainment channels of the country - STS and TNT, in 2007 the STS released the first original domestic sitcom - Daddys Daughters, and in 2010 TNT released Interns - the first sitcom, filmed as a comedy. Most American sitcoms generally include episodes of 20 to 30 minutes in length, some popular British shows have been successfully adapted for the U. S
9.
Oxfordshire
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Oxfordshire is a county in South East England bordering on Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. The county has major education and tourist industries and is noted for the concentration of performance companies and facilities. Oxford University Press is the largest firm among a concentration of print and publishing firms, the main centre of population is the city of Oxford. The highest point is White Horse Hill, in the Vale of White Horse, oxfordshires county flower is the Snakes-head Fritillary. Historically the area has always had some importance, since it contains valuable agricultural land in the centre of the county, largely ignored by the Romans, it was not until the formation of a settlement at Oxford in the eighth century that the area grew in importance. Alfred the Great was born across the Thames in Wantage, Vale of White Horse, the University of Oxford was founded in 1096, though its collegiate structure did not develop until later on. The university in the county town of Oxford grew in importance during the Middle Ages, the area was part of the Cotswolds wool trade from the 13th century, generating much wealth, particularly in the western portions of the county in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. Morris Motors was founded in Oxford in 1912, bringing industry to an otherwise agricultural county. The importance of agriculture as an employer has declined rapidly in the 20th century though, nonetheless, Oxfordshire remains a very agricultural county by land use, with a lower population than neighbouring Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, which are both smaller. The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, the army unit in the area, was based at Cowley Barracks on Bullingdon Green. Conversely, the Caversham area of Reading, now administratively in Berkshire, was part of Oxfordshire as was the parish of Stokenchurch. This is a chart of trend of gross value added of Oxfordshire at current basic prices published by the Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling. Oxfordshire has a comprehensive education system with 23 independent schools and 35 state secondary schools. Only eight schools do not have a form, these are mostly in South Oxfordshire. The county has two universities, the ancient University of Oxford and the modern Oxford Brookes University, both located in Oxford, in addition, Wroxton College, located in Banbury, is affiliated with Fairleigh Dickinson University of New Jersey. The dreaming spires of the buildings of the University of Oxford are among the reasons for Oxford being the sixth most visited city in the United Kingdom for international visitors. Among many notable University buildings are the Sheldonian Theatre, built 1664–68 to the design of Sir Christopher Wren, Blenheim Palace close to Woodstock was built by the great architect John Vanbrugh for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, after he had won the battle of Blenheim. The gardens, which can be visited, were designed by the landscape gardener Capability Brown, in the palace, which can also be visited by the public, Sir Winston Churchill was born in 1874
10.
Church of England
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The Church of England is the state church of England. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior cleric, although the monarch is the supreme governor, the Church of England is also the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It dates its establishment as a church to the 6th-century Gregorian mission to Kent led by Augustine of Canterbury. The English church renounced papal authority when Henry VIII sought to secure an annulment from Catherine of Aragon in the 1530s, the English Reformation accelerated under Edward VIs regents before a brief restoration of papal authority under Queen Mary I and King Philip. This is expressed in its emphasis on the teachings of the early Church Fathers, as formalised in the Apostles, Nicene, in the earlier phase of the English Reformation there were both Catholic martyrs and radical Protestant martyrs. The later phases saw the Penal Laws punish Roman Catholic and nonconforming Protestants, in the 17th century, political and religious disputes raised the Puritan and Presbyterian faction to control of the church, but this ended with the Restoration. Papal recognition of George III in 1766 led to religious tolerance. Since the English Reformation, the Church of England has used a liturgy in English, the church contains several doctrinal strands, the main three known as Anglo-Catholic, Evangelical and Broad Church. Tensions between theological conservatives and progressives find expression in debates over the ordination of women and homosexuality, the church includes both liberal and conservative clergy and members. The governing structure of the church is based on dioceses, each presided over by a bishop, within each diocese are local parishes. The General Synod of the Church of England is the body for the church and comprises bishops, other clergy. Its measures must be approved by both Houses of Parliament, according to tradition, Christianity arrived in Britain in the 1st or 2nd century, during which time southern Britain became part of the Roman Empire. The earliest historical evidence of Christianity among the native Britons is found in the writings of such early Christian Fathers as Tertullian, three Romano-British bishops, including Restitutus, are known to have been present at the Council of Arles in 314. Others attended the Council of Sardica in 347 and that of Ariminum in 360, Britain was the home of Pelagius, who opposed Augustine of Hippos doctrine of original sin. Consequently, in 597, Pope Gregory I sent the prior of the Abbey of St Andrews from Rome to evangelise the Angles and this event is known as the Gregorian mission and is the date the Church of England generally marks as the beginning of its formal history. A later archbishop, the Greek Theodore of Tarsus, also contributed to the organisation of Christianity in England, the Church of England has been in continuous existence since the days of St Augustine, with the Archbishop of Canterbury as its episcopal head. Despite the various disruptions of the Reformation and the English Civil War, while some Celtic Christian practices were changed at the Synod of Whitby, the Christian Church in the British Isles was under papal authority from earliest times. The Synod of Whitby established the Roman date for Easter and the Roman style of monastic tonsure in Britain and this meeting of the ecclesiastics with Roman customs with local bishops was summoned in 664 at Saint Hildas double monastery of Streonshalh, later called Whitby Abbey
11.
Ordination of women
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It remains a controversial issue in certain Christian denominations where ordination has for almost 2000 years been limited only to men. In some cases women have been permitted to be ordained, but not to higher positions. Where laws prohibit sex discrimination in employment, exceptions are made for clergy. Sumerian and Akkadian EN were top-ranking priestesses distinguished by special ceremonial attire and they owned property, transacted business, and initiated the hieros gamos ceremony with priests and kings. Enheduanna, an Akkadian princess, was the first known holder of the title EN Priestess, ishtaritu were temple prostitutes who specialized in the arts of dancing, music, and singing and served in the temples of Ishtar. Puabi was a NIN, an Akkadian priestess of Ur in the 26th century BCE, nadītu served as priestesses in the temples of Inanna in the ancient city of Uruk. They were recruited from the highest families in the land and were supposed to remain childless, they owned property and transacted business. In Sumerian epic texts such as Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta, Nu-Gig were priestesses in temples dedicated to Inanna, qadishtu, Hebrew Qedesha or Kedeshah, derived from the root Q-D-Š, are mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as sacred prostitutes usually associated with the goddess Asherah. Later, Divine Adoratrice of Amun was a title created for the chief priestess of Amun, the Divine Adoratrice ruled over the extensive temple duties and domains, controlling a significant part of the ancient Egyptian economy. Ancient Egyptian priestesses, Gautseshen Henutmehyt Henuttawy Hui Iset Karomama Meritmut Maatkare Mutemhat Meritamen Neferhetepes is the earliest attested priestess of Hathor, neferure Tabekenamun a priestess of Hathor as well as a priestess of Neith. In ancient Greek religion, some important observances, such as the Thesmophoria, were made by women, Priestesses played a major role in the Eleusinian Mysteries. The Gerarai were priestesses of Dionysus who presided over festivals and rituals associated with the god, a body of priestesses might also maintain the cult at a particular holy site, such as the Peleiades at the oracle of Dodona. The Arrephoroi were young girls ages seven to twelve who worked as servants of Athena Polias on the Athenian Acropolis and were charged with conducting unique rituals, at several sites women priestesses served as oracles, the most famous of which is the Oracle of Delphi. The Phrygian Sibyl presided over an oracle of Apollo in Anatolian Phrygia, see also Women in ancient Rome, Religious life The Latin word sacerdos, priest, is the same for both the grammatical genders. In Roman state religion, the priesthood of the Vestals was responsible for the continuance, the Vestals were a college of six sacerdotes devoted to Vesta, goddess of the hearth, both the focus of a private home and the state hearth that was the center of communal religion. They retained their religious authority until the Christian emperor Gratian confiscated their revenues, the Romans also had at least two priesthoods that were each held jointly by a married couple, the rex and regina sacrorum, and the flamen and flaminica Dialis. The regina sacrorum and the flaminica Dialis each had her own duties and presided over public sacrifices, the regina on the first day of every month. The highly public nature of sacrifices, like the role of the Vestals
12.
British Comedy Awards
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The British Comedy Awards was an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year. Jonathan Ross announced that he would not be presenting the 2008 awards, the 2007 show occurred on 6 December 2007, but was not televised due to the 2005 controversy and subsequent investigations. The following years ceremony was shown live on 6 December 2008, Compliance for the show was the responsibility of the ITV Compliance Unit of ITV Network Limited. In June 2010, it was announced that awards were to be broadcast on Channel 4 for three years, which was extended for one more year. Shortly afterwards, the 2010 ceremony was postponed until the 2010 ceremony finally aired in January 2011, in June 2015 Channel 4 announced they would be dropping the ceremony. The 2015 ceremony was cancelled due to a lack of a suitable broadcast partner. A new broadcast partner is being lined up for the 2016 ceremony, at the 2005 British Comedy Awards show, the wrong show received the Peoples Choice Award. Charged by the show with investigating the allegations of irregularities. It was understood that he would be if the recipients were Anthony McPartlin. In order to ensure his attendance, this assurance was given, but it could not be definitively established that Williams involvement led to the wrong winner being announced. Ant & Decs Saturday Night Takeaway did however receive the Peoples Choice Award at the British Comedy Awards 2006, beginning on 26 July 2007, British tabloid newspapers reported the alleged involvement of the British Comedy Awards in the 2007 British television phone-in scandal. ITV announced that they postponed the British Comedy Awards 2007 due to the voting irregularities, in a statement, the company said, Pending conclusion of the investigation, broadcast of the British Comedy Awards 2007 will be postponed. ITV will not make any comment regarding this matter until the conclusion of the investigation. The 2007 awards did take place on 5 December 2007, in early May 2008 Ofcom announced its fining and sanctioning ITV plc in a press release. On 15 August 2008, it was announced that a scandal could have been committed in the award ceremony at the 2004 Awards. Angus Deayton replaced Jonathan Ross as the host of the British Comedy Awards, Ross returned to presenting the awards in 2009. Best Comedy Panel Show, Would I Lie to You, British Comedy Awards at British Comedy Guide
13.
British Academy Television Awards
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The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955 and it is the British equivalent to the Emmy Awards in the United States. The first ever Awards, given in 1955, consisted of six categories, until 1958, they were awarded by the Guild of Television Producers and Directors. From 1958 onwards, after the Guild had merged with the British Film Academy, in 1976, this became the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. The Television Awards are usually presented in April, with a ceremony for the Television Craft Awards on a different date. The Craft Awards are presented for more technical areas of the industry, such as effects, production design. Individual performances, such as actors, can either be entered by the performers themselves or by the broadcasters. The programmes being entered must have been broadcast on or between March and February of the year to be eligible for the years awards. Entry is free, and entry forms are available between November and January each year. After all the entries have been received, they are voted for online by all members of the Academy. The programmes and performances attracting the most votes, usually four in each category, are shortlisted as the nominees for each award. The winner is chosen from the four nominees by a jury of nine academy members for each award. These Awards are suggested by the Television Committee and awarded by the Academys Council and they are not necessarily always given every year, but as and when appropriate. The Awards ceremony is broadcast on British television, usually the day after it has taken place, between 1998 and 2006, it was alternated between ITV and BBC One. But since 2007, it has been broadcast by BBC One, in 1991, a controversial selection was made in the Best Drama Serial category, when Prime Suspect beat G. B. H. to win the award. Following the ceremony, four of the seven voting members of the signed a public statement declaring that they had voted for G. B. H. to win. B. H. Price claimed that the papers could not be recounted as they had subsequently been destroyed. No blame was attached to Shubik by the four judges
14.
Comic Relief
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Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Reliefs appeal is Red Nose Day, a telethon held in March. Comic Relief was launched live on Noel Edmonds Late, Late Breakfast Show on BBC1, the idea for Comic Relief came from the charity worker Jane Tewson, who established it as the operating name of Charity Projects, a registered charity in England and Scotland. On 4 April 1986 the inaugural live fund-raising show, Comic Relief Utterly Utterly Live, was staged at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London featuring popular alternative comedians and pop stars. An audio recording was released on WEA which included a performance of the charity single Living Doll by Cliff Richard. On 8 February 1988, Lenny Henry went to Ethiopia and celebrated the very first Red Nose Day Telethon, over 150 celebrities and comedians participated. The event raised 15 million British pounds sterling and attracted 30 million television viewers on BBC1, the highlight of Comic Relief is Red Nose Day. One of the principles behind working at Comic Relief is the Golden Pound Principle where every single donated pound is spent on charitable projects. All operating costs, such as salaries, are covered by corporate sponsors. Currently, its supporters are the BBC, BT, Sainsburys supermarket chain. The BBC is responsible for the live television extravaganza on Red Nose Day, BT provides the telephony, and Sainsburys sells merchandise on behalf of the charity. The average full-time staff was 214, with 14 staff paid over £60,000 with remuneration for the year, excluding pensions, for Kevin Cahill, Sport Relief is a biennial charity event, and the campaign deliberately alternates years with Red Nose Day, Comic Reliefs flagship event. Red Nose Day occurs in odd-numbered years, and Sport Relief in even-numbered years, in 2009, Comic Relief launched a website calling for a financial transaction tax, the Robin Hood tax. At the end of the 2015 Red Nose Day telethon on 14 March it was announced that in the 30-year history of Comic Relief the Red Nose Day, the television programming begins in the afternoon, with CBBC having various related reports, money raising events and celebrity gunging. Whilst the BBC News at Ten is aired on BBC One, Comic Relief continues on BBC Two and these celebrities do the work for free, as do the crew, with studio space and production facilities donated by the BBC. Regular themes throughout the shows parodies of recent popular shows, films and clips, events. Smith and Jones, and a sketch starring Rowan Atkinson are both regularly featured. The First Red Nose Day was held on Friday 5 February 1988 with the slogan, The Plain Red Nose, the Second Red Nose Day was held on Friday 10 March 1989 with the slogan, Red Nose Day 2, and raised £27 million
15.
The Reverend
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The Reverend is an honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries, the Reverend is correctly called a style but is often and in some dictionaries called a title, form of address or title of respect. The style is sometimes used by leaders in non-Christian religions such as Judaism and Buddhism. The term is an anglicisation of the Latin reverendus, the originally used in Latin documents in medieval Europe. It is the gerundive or future passive participle of the verb revereri, the Reverend is therefore equivalent to The Honourable or The Venerable. In traditional and formal English usage, both British and American, it is considered incorrect to drop the definite article, the. In practice, however, the is not used in both written and spoken English. When the style is used within a sentence, the is correctly in lower-case, the usual abbreviations for Reverend are Rev. Revd and Revd. The Reverend is traditionally used as a form with first names and surname. Use of the prefix with the surname alone is considered a solecism in traditional usage, in some countries, especially Britain, Anglican clergy are acceptably addressed by the title of their office, such as Vicar, Rector, or Archdeacon. This has traditionally been considered grammatically incorrect on the basis that it is equivalent to referring to a judge as being an honourable or a man as being a mister. It is likewise incorrect to form the plural Reverends, in some churches, especially Protestant churches in the United States, ordained ministers are often addressed as Pastor. Pastor, however, is considered correct in some churches when the minister in question is the head of a church or congregation. Male Christian priests are addressed as Father or, for example. However, in correspondence, such priests are not normally referred to as Father John, Father Smith, or Father John Smith. Father as a title is used for Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Old Catholic priests. In England, however, even Roman Catholic priests were often referred to as Mr until the 20th century except when members of a religious order, Mr is still not incorrect for priests of the Church of England. Some female Anglican or Old Catholic priests use the style The Reverend Mother and are addressed as Mother, the Reverend may be modified to reflect ecclesiastical standing and rank
16.
Geraldine Granger
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Boadicea Geraldine Kennedy is a fictional female vicar, the central character to the successful British BBC sitcom The Vicar of Dibley. She is portrayed by Dawn French, described by the British Comedy Guide as the jolly, down-to-earth female vicar of Dibley, after overcoming the towns initial shock at her gender Geraldine helps to improve the village. The character made a debut in 1994, and on 15 March 2013, French reprised her role as Granger as part of her French and Saunders marathon on BBC Radio 2. Granger arrived at the church to a shocked congregation, leading her to remark, You were expecting a bloke - beard, bible. And instead, you got a babe with a bob cut and she is a bonne vivante and a liberal woman who enjoys nothing more than a good laugh, much to the consternation of her love interest David Horton. Despite her fun-loving and sometimes outrageous behaviour, she is deeply caring and she is well aware of her obesity but seems to take a relatively laid-back attitude toward it. On one occasion, she gives up chocolate for Lent and nearly goes mad and she has an enormous crush on actor Sean Bean. Despite her kind-hearted nature, Geraldine is not above occasional arrogance and she was later humbled after the tabloids printed several offensive articles about the members of the village council, and she struggled to regain their trust. Her best friend is Alice Tinker, at the end of episode she tells a joke to Alice. Geraldine was once going to marry David Horton but decided not to after all, in 2006, she receives a proposal from accountant Harry Jasper Kennedy and accepts by running around the village, screaming. In the final episode she marries him in a wedding with touches of Doctor Who. She ends up getting married in her pyjamas because her dress has been accidentally covered with mud by Owen Newitt. Geraldine Granger at the Internet Movie Database
17.
Order of the British Empire
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There is also the related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. Recommendations for appointments to the Order of the British Empire were at first made on the nomination of the United Kingdom, the self-governing Dominions of the Empire, nominations continue today from Commonwealth countries that participate in recommending British honours. Most members are citizens of the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth realms that use the Imperial system of honours and awards. Honorary knighthoods are appointed to citizens of nations where the Queen is not head of state, occasionally, honorary appointees are, incorrectly, referred to as Sir or Dame – Bill Gates or Bob Geldof, for example. In particular, King George V wished to create an Order to honour many thousands of those who had served in a variety of non-combatant roles during the First World War, when first established, the Order had only one division. However, in 1918, soon after its foundation, it was divided into Military. The Orders motto is For God and the Empire, at the foundation of the Order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. In 1922, this was renamed the British Empire Medal, in addition, the BEM is awarded by the Cook Islands and by some other Commonwealth nations. The British monarch is Sovereign of the Order, and appoints all members of the Order. The next most senior member is the Grand Master, of whom there have been three, Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales, Queen Mary, and the current Grand Master, the Duke of Edinburgh. The Order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross,845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the number of members of the fourth and fifth classes. Foreign recipients, as members, do not contribute to the numbers restricted to the Order as full members do. Though men can be knighted separately from an order of chivalry, women cannot, and so the rank of Knight/Dame Commander of the Order is the lowest rank of damehood, and second-lowest of knighthood. Because of this, Dame Commander is awarded in circumstances in which a man would be created a Knight Bachelor, for example, by convention, female judges of the High Court of Justice are created Dames Commander after appointment, while male judges become Knights Bachelor. The Order has six officials, the Prelate, the Dean, the Secretary, the Registrar, the King of Arms, the Bishop of London, a senior bishop in the Church of England, serves as the Orders Prelate. The Dean of St Pauls is ex officio the Dean of the Order, the Orders King of Arms is not a member of the College of Arms, as are many other heraldic officers. From time to time, individuals are appointed to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of the junior post-nominal letters
18.
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
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The Royal College is an association of physicians concerned with setting national standards for medical education and continuing professional development in Canada for 80 medical specialties. As such, the Royal College is neither a licensing nor a disciplinary body, instead, it is a regulatory authority that helps ensure that the training and evaluation of medical and surgical specialists and three special programs maintain certain standards of quality. All specialists in Canada except family physicians must be certified by the Royal College before they obtain a provincial or territorial licence to practice. The only exception is in the Province of Quebec, where the Royal College shares the responsibility for certifying physicians with the Collège des médecins du Québec, to become certified, a physician must pass Royal College examinations. Access to these examinations is usually gained by completing a Royal College-accredited residency program at a Canadian university, access is also available for medical residents who complete a Royal College-recognized residency program in the United States. Certain international training programs approved by the Royal College provide limited access to Royal College examinations, since its founding, the Royal College has been granted the patronage of the Canadian monarch, currently Elizabeth II. In June 1929, a special Act of Parliament established the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada to oversee postgraduate medical education in Canada, at first, the Royal College offered just two specialty qualifications, Fellowship in general medicine and Fellowship in general surgery. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the Royal College conducted examinations at two levels in most specialties, Fellowship, the qualification, or Certification, a lesser designation. In 1972, the Royal College abolished this dual standard and began to offer a certification that continues today. In 1987, the Royal College merged the centre into a bilingual McLaughlin Centre based in Ottawa, since the mid-1980s, the Royal College has broadened its activities to study areas of special interest in Canadian healthcare, including injury prevention and patient safety. In 2005, the Royal College set a goal to improve the health of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Today, the headquarters for the Royal College is located at 774 Echo Drive in Ottawa, the building, constructed in 1921, was formerly the monastery of the Sisters Adorers of the Precious Blood. The work of the Royal College centres around its prime objective — to ensure the highest possible standards of specialist training, in 2014 the Royal College had more than 44,000 members worldwide, including Fellows, residents, and honorary, retired, and emeritus members. However, about 90% of certified physicians decide to become Fellows within two years of their certification, Fellows of the Royal College use the designation FRCPC or FRCSC depending on their qualifications. Since 1997, the Royal College has also offered category of resident membership called resident affiliate” in an attempt to engage residents at a stage of their careers. Those who choose to join the Royal College receive complimentary membership during the time they are registered in a Royal College-accredited residency program, approximately 2,000 members are designated as resident members. The Royal College website includes a directory of all current and retired Fellows, there are 29 international jurisdictions that the Royal College has assessed and deemed as having met Royal College criteria. When the training is deemed comparable and acceptable, the IMGs are ruled eligible to take the Royal College certification examination, success at the certification examination will lead to Royal College certification
19.
Verger
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A verger is a person, usually a layperson, who assists in the ordering of religious services, particularly in Anglican churches. The office of verger has its roots in the days of the Church of Englands history. The Order shares certain similarities with the former Minor Orders of Porter, koster is the Dutch word for sexton or verger, derived from the Latin custos. The symbol of a guild of cathedral vergers is the crossed keys, perhaps the best-known portrait of an Anglican verger in fiction is in Somerset Maughams short story, The Verger. In UK popular culture, the BBC sitcom Dads Army featured a caricature of a verger named Maurice Yeatman. The sitcom The Vicar of Dibley, whose character is among the Church of Englands first female vicars, also featured a female verger. The offices title comes from the rod which a verger carries. The Maces of State used in the House of Lords and the House of Commons of the British Parliament are examples of modern use of the medieval virge. In former times, a verger might have needed to use his virge to keep animals or an overenthusiastic crowd from the personage he was escorting or even to discipline unruly choristers. The typical vestments of a verger are a black cassock with Fascia, purple or violet chimere, today many modern vergers wear a scapular instead of a chimere
20.
Richard Armitage (actor)
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Richard Crispin Armitage is an English film, television, theatre and voice actor. He received notice in the UK with his first leading role as John Thornton in the British television programme North & South, but it was his role as dwarf prince and leader Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jacksons film trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit that first brought him international recognition. After graduating from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and he turned to film and television roles when he noticed that leading stage roles went to actors with name recognition who could bring in patrons to fill venues. After twelve years away and having earned that recognition, Armitage returned to the stage in 2014 taking his first leading role in a major production. He played John Proctor in the successful and critically acclaimed production of The Crucible at The Old Vic. One of Armitages trademarks is his voice, which he has employed as a voice actor since 2006. While working on the TV series Robin Hood, he was asked to record audiobooks for the first season of that series, since then, Armitage has recorded many notable audiobooks and has worked as a narrator on many TV and radio shows and adverts. Armitage was born in Leicester, England, the son of Margaret, a secretary, and John Armitage. Richard has a brother named Chris. He attended Huncote Community Primary School in Huncote, Blaby District, Leicestershire and began school at the local comprehensive school. At Brockington, Armitage pursued his interest in music - playing the cello in school and local orchestras, Armitage was also pursuing acting in dramatic theatre productions, including The Real Thing, Six Degrees of Separation and Death of a Salesman. By 1992, he began to doubt if musical theatre was the career path. I needed to do something a bit more truthful than musical theatre, for me it was a bit too theatrical and all about standing on stage and showing off. I was looking for something else, so that’s why I went back to drama school, in 2002 he starred in the Charm Offensives production of Use Me As Your Cardigan. That same year Armitage appeared in his first major television role and it was the first time I went to an audition in character. It was a role but it was something I really got my teeth into. I knew I had to approach everything the same way, after this he took supporting roles in the TV productions of Between the Sheets, Cold Feet, and Ultimate Force. In Spring 2004, Armitage landed his first leading role as textile mill owner John Thornton in the BBC adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskells North & South, the director and producers took a chance casting a little-known actor for their leading man, but their instincts proved correct
21.
Simon McBurney
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Simon Montagu McBurney, OBE is an English actor, writer and director. He is the founder and artistic director of the Théâtre de Complicité, McBurney was born in Cambridge, England. His father, Charles McBurney, was an American archaeologist and academic, Charles McBurney was the grandson of the American surgeon Charles McBurney. Simon McBurneys mother, Anne Francis Edmondstone, was a secretary, she was British and his parents were distant cousins who met during World War II. He studied English literature at Peterhouse, Cambridge, graduating in 1980, after his father died, he moved to Paris and trained for the theatre at the Jacques Lecoq Institute. McBurney is a founder and artistic director of the UK-based theatre company Complicite and it played at the Barbican in autumn 2008 and toured internationally. In February 2009, McBurney directed the Complicite production Shun-kin, based on two texts by Junichiro Tanizaki and it was produced in London and Tokyo in 2010. McBurney is a screen actor. He played the role of Cecil the choirmaster in The Vicar of Dibley, CIA computer whiz Garland in Body of Lies. He also wrote the story and was a producer for Mr. Beans Holiday. From 2010 to 2014, he appeared in the BBC comedy television series Rev. portraying the role of Archdeacon Robert, McBurney provided the voice of Kreacher in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. In the series The Borgias, he portrayed the canon law expert Johannes Burchart and he is the Artiste Associé of the 66th Festival dAvignon. He lives in London with his wife, the concert pianist Cassie Yukawa, in the 2005 New Year Honours, McBurney was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to Drama. 1998, Laurence Olivier Award 1999, Critics Circle Theatre Award 2005, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, „New Years Honours List“ of Queen Elisabeth II
22.
Choir
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A choir is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical repertoire, which spans from the Medieval era to the present. Most choirs are led by a conductor, who leads the performances with arm, a body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus. The former term is often applied to groups affiliated with a church and the second to groups that perform in theatres or concert halls. Choirs may sing without instrumental accompaniment, with the accompaniment of a piano or pipe organ, with a small ensemble, choirs are often led by a conductor or choirmaster. Other than four, the most common number of parts are three, five, six, and eight, choirs can sing with or without instrumental accompaniment. Singing without accompaniment is called a cappella singing, many choirs perform in one or many locations such as a church, opera house, or school hall. In some cases choirs join up to become one mass choir that performs for a special concert, in this case they provide a series of songs or musical works to celebrate and provide entertainment to others. Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as a concert, by way of visible gestures with the hands, arms, face. The primary duties of the conductor or choirmaster are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble. The conductor or choral director typically stands on a raised platform, many choral conductors use their hands to conduct. In the 2010s, most conductors do not play an instrument when conducting, although in earlier periods of music history. In Baroque music from the 1600s to the 1750s, conductors performing in the 2010s may lead an ensemble while playing a harpsichord or the violin, conducting while playing a piano may also be done with musical theatre pit orchestras. Communication is typically non-verbal during a performance, however, in rehearsals, frequent interruptions allow the conductor to give verbal directions as to how the music should be sung. Conductors act as guides to the choirs they conduct and they choose the works to be performed and study their scores, to which they may make certain adjustments, work out their interpretation, and relay their vision to the singers. Choral conductors may also have to conduct instrumental ensembles such as if the choir is singing a piece for choir. They may also attend to matters, such as scheduling rehearsals, planning a concert season, hearing auditions
23.
Clive Mantle
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Clive Andrew Mantle is an English actor. He returned to Casualty in 2016 as Mike Barratt for the 30th anniversary, Mantle was educated at Kimbolton School, Cambridgeshire between 1970 and 1975 and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art between 1978 and 1980. In 1984 he was nominated for an Olivier Award and was joint Best Newcomer in the Plays and Players Awards for his performance as Lennie in Of Mice and he became one of its most popular characters, renowned for his convincing and authoritative portrayal and dishy doc persona. On stage, Mantle has appeared in such as Coming Clean, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Educating Rita. In 2010 he portrayed comedian Tommy Cooper in the entertainment show Jus Like That. A Night Out with Tommy Cooper, it was one of his most challenging roles, more recently, Mantle has become known for his roles on television as Lord Greatjon Umber in HBOs Game of Thrones and as Tony Curry, Ollies father, in the BBCs White Van Man. Mantle was born in Barnet, then in Hertfordshire, in 1957 and he was the cousin of John Hallam and was a keen supporter of Chelsea Football Club from a young age. Mantle studied at the boarding school Kimbolton School in Kimbolton, Huntingdonshire between 1970 and 1975, and was a chorister in the Choir of St Johns College, Cambridge for four years and he first worked on a farm in Cambridgeshire during his studies and soon became interested in theatre. He appeared in 11 productions of the National Youth Theatre in five seasons between 1974 and 1978, as a student, Mantle lived in a basement flat in Islington. He said that he was discouraged early on by people who said, Youll never work and he later said about his height, Height is a very strange thing. If youre literally playing the milkman or the butler or something like that, theyll all think, there must be a reason – ah, hes gonna come back later and kill somebody. It worries an audience in a strange way if someone my height is playing a small part, I was an actor who needed drama school. I used to be so excited about being on stage that I would just run down to the front and shout, physically, just being six-foot-five-and-a-half, Im not one of lifes gazelles. But having said that, I was made aware that I can be gazelle-like if I so choose, if I hadnt been to drama school, I would have just slouched around and bent over double and apologized for my height. In 1980, Mantle debuted on the screen with a role as Ewen in Christian Marnhams short thriller feature The Orchard End Murder. In 1982, he appeared in an episode of the TV series Minder, the waterfall scene for the quarterstaff battle between Robin and Little John in the first episode Robin Hood and the Sorcerer was shot at Bowood House. Helen Phillips said of his performance as Little John, excellently played by Clive Mantle, Mantle has said of his role, It is the job Ive enjoyed doing more than anything else on TV. I have the greatest memories of beautiful, halcyon days-out filming on location and we had such a great and we still get together once a year
24.
Peter Capaldi
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For reprising the role in the spinoff film In the Loop, Capaldi was honoured several film critic award nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He further took on the role of Paddington Bears irascible neighbour Mr. Curry in the comedy film Paddington. As a director, Capaldi won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film and he went on to write and direct the drama film Strictly Sinatra and helmed two series of sitcom Getting On. Capaldi was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Nancy and his paternal grandfather was Italian while the rest of his ancestry is Scottish and Irish. His parents ran an ice cream business and he was educated at St Teresas Primary School in Possilpark, St Matthews Primary School in Bishopbriggs, and St Ninians High School, Kirkintilloch, before attending the Glasgow School of Art. Capaldi displayed a talent for performance by putting on a puppet show in primary school. While at high school, he was a member of the Antonine Players, as an art student, he was the lead singer and guitarist in a punk rock band called The Dreamboys, whose drummer was future comedian Craig Ferguson. Capaldi has appeared in over 40 films and television shows since his appearance as Danny Oldsen in Local Hero and he voiced Chief Petty Officer Grieves in the BBC Radio Ministry of Defence comedy Our Brave Boys. Capaldis first starring role on television was as Luke Wakefield, a gay man who imagines he has witnessed a crime. He played fictional Songs of Praise producer Tristan Campbell in two episodes of the sitcom The Vicar of Dibley, and a transvestite in ITVs Prime Suspect, in Neil Gaimans gothic fantasy Neverwhere, he portrayed the angel Islington. Capaldi is also a narrator, and his many titles include several of the works of Iain Banks. He starred as Rory in the 1996 television version of Bankss The Crow Road, in the 1999 Channel 4 series Psychos, he played a mathematician with bipolar disorder. Capaldi made an appearance as a university professor in the sitcom Peep Show, in 2007, Capaldi appeared as Mark Jenkins in the E4 teen comedy drama series Skins. He returned for a series in 2008, only to be killed off in the third episode. He appeared in the Midsomer Murders episode Death in Chorus and ITV1s Fallen Angel and he also appeared in the 2007 British comedy film Magicians. He appeared as King Charles I in the Channel 4 series The Devils Whore, Capaldi provided his voice for the animated film Haunted Hogmanay in 2006. He played Balthazar, one of the Biblical Magi, in the 2010 BBC adaptation of The Nativity, in November 2011, he began playing Professor Marcus in The Ladykillers at the Liverpool Playhouse, then transferred to the Gielgud Theatre in London. The original run closed at the Gielgud on 14 April 2012 and he appeared in The Field of Blood as Dr. Pete, for which he received a BAFTA Scotland nomination in the TV actor/actress category, he was beaten by his co-star Jayd Johnson
25.
Keeley Hawes
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Clare Julia Keeley Hawes is an English actress and model. She starred in the version of The Last September and has voiced roles in video games. Hawes was born in Marylebone, London, the daughter of a cab driver and she was trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, which included ten years of elocution lessons. She left home at age 17 and worked in a casino until she was spotted by a scout on Oxford Street. Hawes appeared in adaptations of classic and modern literature, Our Mutual Friend, Wives and Daughters, Tipping the Velvet. From 2002 to 2004, she appeared as Zoe Reynolds in the spy drama series Spooks, among the co-stars was her future husband Matthew Macfadyen. In 2003, she appeared in the BBCs re-telling of The Canterbury Tales, from 2006 to 2007, she appeared as Rosie in the British comedy The Vicar of Dibley. She was also cast as Jane in the 2007 comedy Death at a Funeral, in February 2006, it was revealed that Hawes had replaced Jonell Elliott as the voice of Lara Croft. She voiced the role in Tomb Raider, Legend, reprising her role in the 2007 remake of the original Tomb Raider game, Tomb Raider, Anniversary, and again in 2008s Tomb Raider, Underworld. She has also recorded her lines for the arcade-style Tomb Raider game Lara Croft and she returned to voice Lara again in Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light sequel Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, released in 2014. In 2007, Hawes was cast as Alex Drake in Ashes to Ashes, the series, broadcast in 2008, follows her fighting to wake up from the world of 1983 so she can get back to the present day and save her daughter. She was awarded the Best UK Television Actress Award in 2008 by the Glamour Awards for her role, in September 2009, Hawes filmed the final series. The finale aired in May and gained seven million viewers. In April 2008, Hawes began filming the BBC drama Mutual Friends and she appeared in the BAFTA award winning That Mitchell and Webb Look, and in 2010, was a guest on the comedy panel show Would I Lie to You. In 2009, she portrayed Det Supt Martha Lawson in a six episode ITV series, in December 2010, she starred as Lady Agnes Holland in the three episode relaunch of Upstairs, Downstairs. On 25 April 2011, Hawes narrated the documentary Kate and William, A Royal Love Story on BBC One, prior to the wedding of Prince William, on 20 June 2011, she narrated the ITV1 documentary Four of a Kind as part of ITVs Extraordinary Families season. She appeared as Catherine Mundi in the adventure film Mariah Mundi. In 2014, she starred as Detective Inspector Lindsay Denton on the series of the BBC Two drama Line of Duty
26.
Hugh Bonneville
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Hugh Richard Bonneville Williams, known professionally as Hugh Bonneville, is a British stage, television and film actor. He is best known for playing Robert Crawley in the ITV period drama series Downton Abbey from 2010 until 2015, Bonneville was born in Paddington, in west London, to a mother who was a nurse and a urological surgeon father. He was educated at Dulwich College Preparatory School and at Sherborne School, following secondary education, Bonneville read theology at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and studied acting at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He left Cambridge with a 2,2 in theology and has said that he tended to do more acting than academic work. Bonneville is also an alumnus of the National Youth Theatre, bonnevilles first professional stage appearance was at the Open Air Theatre, Regents Park. In 1987, he joined the National Theatre where he appeared in plays, then the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1991. He played Valentine in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Bergetto in Tis Pity Shes a Whore, Kastril, in 1991, Bonneville made his television debut, billed as Richard Bonneville. His debut film was 1994s Mary Shelleys Frankenstein with Robert De Niro and his early roles were usually good-natured bumbling characters like Bernie in Notting Hill and Mr Rushworth in Mansfield Park. In Love Again, he played the poet Philip Larkin, in Iris, he played the young John Bayley opposite Kate Winslet, with his performance lauded by critics and receiving a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 2004, Bonneville played Sir Christopher Wren in the docudrama Wren – The Man Who Built Britain, Bonneville also works extensively in radio. He played the role of Jerry Westerby in the BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of the John le Carré novel The Honourable Schoolboy, earlier, he appeared in the surreal parallel universe comedy Married. From 2010 until 2015, he appeared in the ITV period drama Downton Abbey, as Robert, in early 2010, he appeared in the comedy film Burke and Hare. In 2011 and 2012, he starred as Ian Fletcher in the award-winning BBC comedy series Twenty Twelve, in December 2012, he appeared on BBC Two with co-star Jessica Hynes in Worlds Most Dangerous Roads, travelling through Georgia. He will also appear in the much-delayed film Hippie Hippie Shake with Cillian Murphy, since 2011, Bonneville has been the narrator of the Channel 4 show The Hotel. In 2014, Bonneville played Mr. Brown in the film Paddington and he will also star in the films sequel to be released in 2017. He has also appeared in the comedic role of The Pirate King in the ABC fairy tale-themed musical comedy extravaganza series Galavant during its 2015 and 2016 seasons. He has narrated two series of The Cruise, Bonneville married Lulu Evans in 1998. In 2009, Bonneville was the voice of Justice Fosse in Joseph Crillys British premiere of Kitty, shortly thereafter he became Giant Olives first patron
27.
Mel Giedroyc
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In early 2017, Giedroyc took on the role of co-presenter on the BBC show Let It Shine. Giedroyc was born in Epsom, Surrey, and grew up in Leatherhead and her father, a historian of Polish-Lithuanian descent from the Giedroyć family, came to Britain in 1947. She attended the independent Oxford High School, Oxford, and later attended Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating with a 2,2 degree in Italian language, Giedroyc has appeared in one episode of Gimme Gimme Gimme, playing a receptionist at a hotel. She was also a presenter on Channel 4s RI, SE and she narrated Celebrity Driving School in 2003. Some other ventures include being a contestant on the 2005 series of The Games, co-starring in the 2005 BBC One sitcom Blessed, Giedroyc was in one episode of The Vicar of Dibley. Giedroyc is best known for presenting comedy items with Sue Perkins, the two women met while students at the University of Cambridge and were members of the Footlights comedy club. Mel and Sue, the duo were short-listed for the Daily Express Best Newcomers Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1993 and their first presenting roles saw them host a lunchtime show on Channel 4 called Light Lunch. Giedroyc was the student to be voted out of Comic Relief Does Fame Academy and was a celebrity judge on the 2007 edition of Making Your Mind Up along with John Barrowman. She starred as one of the presenters in the show Eurobeat, at the Edinburgh Fringe and subsequently in the West End at the Novello Theatre. Giedroyc played the Fairy Liquid in a production of Jack and the Beanstalk at Londons Barbican theatre in December 2007 and she appeared in a childrens sketch show for the BBC Sorry, Ive Got No Head. Giedroyc was a panellist on the Channel 5 programme The Wright Stuff in 2007,2008 and in February 2010. She plays Mrs V, the owner of the Y café, in CBBC programme Sadie J and is also the voice of Mist in Mist, Sheepdog Tales, shown on Channel 5s morning show Milkshake. Giedroyc was reunited with Sue Perkins in 2010 to host the cookery competition The Great British Bake Off, later, in an apparently syndicated newspaper interview, Giedroyc admitted that she did the show just for the money, informing readers as to how she had nearly gone bankrupt. The show moved to BBC One for its series and has won numerous awards. In September 2016, Love Productions announced that a deal had been agreed to broadcast The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4, instead of the BBC. Giedroyc and Perkins announced that they would not be continuing with the show on its new network, mary Berry later announced she was also leaving the Bake Off on the same day that fellow-judge Paul Hollywood separately announced he would be staying with the show. In 2012 and 2013, Giedroyc hosted two special charity series for Sport Relief and Comic Relief featuring celebrities who took part for charity. In 2014, she guest hosted an episode of The Great Sport Relief Bake Off and in 2015, in 2016, she presented the first episode of The Great Sport Relief Bake Off
28.
Richard Griffiths
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Richard Thomas Griffiths, OBE was an English actor of film, television, and stage. For the 2006 film adaptation, Griffiths was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, earlier in his career, he had a prominent supporting role as British journalist Collins in Richard Attenboroughs Academy Award-winning film Gandhi. Griffiths was born in Thornaby-on-Tees, North Riding of Yorkshire, the son of Jane and his father was a steelworker who also fought in pubs for money, while his mothers occupation was described as bagger. He and his brother John were raised in the Roman Catholic faith and his parents were both deaf, and he learned sign language at an early age in order to communicate with them. During his childhood he attempted to run away from many times. He dropped out of Our Lady & St Bede School in Stockton-On-Tees at age 15 and worked as a porter for Littlewoods for a while and he decided to attend a drama class at Stockton & Billingham College. He continued his education in drama at Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama, after graduating, Griffiths earned a spot on BBC Radio. He also worked in theatres, sometimes acting and sometimes managing. He eventually settled in Manchester and began to get roles in plays. From there, he began to appear on television and then got his big break in film in It Shouldnt Happen to a Vet, by the early 1980s, he was selected for the lead role in Bird of Prey, an early computer-conspiracy thriller. His character Henry Jay was reprised in Bird of Prey 2, in 1981, he also gave a memorable performance as Chilean secret police victim William Beausire in an edition of the BBC Prisoners of Conscience series. Griffiths went on to supporting roles in a number of films, including The French Lieutenants Woman, Chariots of Fire. On stage, in 1985–86, he performed the role of Verdi in Julian Mitchells After Aida, in Wales and he appeared in The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends. Griffiths film roles were in contemporary and period pieces, such as Gorky Park, Withnail and I, King Ralph, The Naked Gun 2½, The Smell of Fear, Guarding Tess. He appeared as Inspector Henry Crabbe, disillusioned policeman and pie chef extraordinaire, in Pie in the Sky and he also made an extended appearance in the 2005 version of Charles Dickens Bleak House. In 2004, he originated the role of Hector in Alan Bennetts play The History Boys, directed by Nicholas Hytner, during the plays subsequent United States run, he added a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and a Tony Award. He reprised his role in the version, which was released in October 2006. Later, in 2009, he replaced Michael Gambon as W. H. Auden prior to the premiere of The Habit of Art at the National Theatre, once again directed by Hytner
29.
Miranda Hart
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Miranda Katherine Hart Dyke, known professionally as Miranda Hart or sometimes referred to as Miranda, is an English actress and comedian. Hart reached an audience with her self-driven semi-autobiographical BBC sitcom Miranda. The television sitcom ran for three series and several Christmas specials from 2009 to 2015 and earned its star 3 Royal Television Society awards,4 British Comedy Awards and 4 BAFTA nominations, in 2012, she began appearing in the BBC drama Call the Midwife as Camilla Chummy Fortescue-Cholmondeley-Browne. She made her Hollywood debut in Paul Feigs film Spy as Melissa McCarthys sidekick Nancy B, Hart has also written three books, Is It Just Me. A semi-autobiographical book, The Best of Miranda, a compilation of scripts from the TV series and her father was commanding officer of HMS Coventry when it was sunk by the Argentinians in the 1982 Falklands conflict, and he was badly burned in trying to escape the stricken warship. Hart added that her genealogy can be traced back to the 12th century and her paternal family can be traced through her grandfather, the Reverend Eric Hart Dyke. Her paternal great-great-great-grandfather was cricketer and Rector Thomas Dyke, Harts patrilineal great-great-great-great-grandfather was Sir Percival Hart Dyke, 5th Baronet. Her distant cousin, the 10th and present baronet, Sir David Hart Dyke, One of her first cousins is plant hunter Tom Hart Dyke, creator of the World of Gardens at Lullingstone Castle. Her maternal grandfather was Sir William Luce, who was Commander-in-Chief and her mothers only sibling is The Rt Hon The Lord Luce, a former Conservative MP and Minister, later HM Governor and Commander in Chief of Gibraltar and Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household. Richards son, the journalist and author Edward Luce, is one of Miranda Harts first cousins and her great-uncle, the brother of her maternal grandfather, was Admiral Sir David Luce, who served as First Sea Lord. The father of David and William, Miranda Harts great-grandfather, was Rear Admiral John Luce, johns brother, her great-great-uncle, was Major General Sir Richard Harman Luce, who served as Member of Parliament for Derby from 1924–29. Her other maternal great-grandfather was Vice Admiral Sir Trevylyan Napier, who was the Commander-in-Chief, America and his wife, Mirandas great-grandmother, was Mary Elizabeth Culme-Seymour, daughter of Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 3rd Baronet, Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom. Both the Culme-Seymours were implicated in the Mylius affair, Hart was a fourth cousin, twice removed, of Diana, Princess of Wales. Their common ancestors were George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer and his wife Lavinia Spencer and she attended the University of the West of England in Bristol, graduating with a 2,1 degree in political science. Hart then completed a course in Acting at the Academy of Live. In 2002, she performed a show in Edinburgh and in 2004 she pitched a comedy show to the BBC. At her read-through for BBC executives, Ab Fab writer and star Jennifer Saunders was present, before her own series was commissioned, Hart made appearances in various British sitcoms. In Not Going Out she initially appeared as an acupuncturist, however, her performance impressed producers so much that they wrote a regular role for her as Barbara, a clumsy cleaner
30.
Kylie Minogue
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Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE, often known simply as Kylie, is an Australian singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. She achieved recognition starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, where she played tomboy mechanic Charlene Robinson, since then, Minogue has been a recording artist and has achieved commercial success and critical acclaim in the entertainment industry. Minogue has been recognised with several nicknames including Princess of Pop. She is recognised as the highest-selling Australian artist of all time by the Australian Recording Industry Association, born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Minogue has for many years worked and lived in London. She signed to PWL in 1987 and released her first studio album Kylie the next year, in 1992, she left PWL and signed with Deconstruction Records and where she created her self-titled studio album and Impossible Princess, both of which received positive reviews from critics. Returning to more mainstream dance-oriented music, Minogue signed to Parlophone and her 2001 single Cant Get You Out of My Head became one of the most successful singles during the 2000s, selling over ten million units. It is recognised as her song and was named the catchiest song ever by Yahoo. Her album Fever was a hit in countries, including the United States. In 2005, while Minogue was on her Showgirl, The Greatest Hits Tour, after treatment, she resumed the tour under the title Showgirl, The Homecoming Tour, which critics viewed as a triumph. Minogue resumed work as an actress and appeared in the films Moulin Rouge, Jack & Diane, and Holy Motors. In 2014, she appeared as a judge on the series of The Voice UK. Her other ventures include product endorsements, children books and fashion, as of 2015, Minogue has had worldwide record sales of more than 80 million. She has mounted several successful and critically acclaimed concert world tours and she was appointed OBE by Charles, Prince of Wales in 2008. She was appointed by the French government as a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for her contribution to the enrichment of French culture, Minogue was awarded an honorary Doctor of Health Science degree by Anglia Ruskin University for her work in raising awareness for breast cancer. In November 2011, on the 25th anniversary of the ARIA Music Awards, in December 2016, Billboard ranked her as the 18th most successful dance artist of all-time. Kylie was born to Ronald Charles Minogue and Carol Ann Jones in Melbourne, Australia and her father is a fifth generation Australian, and has Irish ancestry, while her mother came from Maesteg, Wales. Jones had lived in Wales until age ten when her mother and father, Millie and Denis Jones, just before Kylies birth, Ron qualified as an accountant and worked through several jobs while Carol worked as a professional dancer. Kylies younger brother, Brendan, is a cameraman in Australia, while her younger sister Dannii Minogue is also a singer
31.
Terry Wogan
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Sir Michael Terence Terry Wogan, KBE, DL, was an Irish radio and television broadcaster who worked for the BBC in the UK for most of his career. Before he retired in 2009, his BBC Radio 2 weekday breakfast programme Wake Up to Wogan had eight million regular listeners, Wogan was a leading media personality in Britain and Ireland from the late 1960s and was often referred to as a national treasure. In addition to his radio show, he was known for his work on television, including the BBC One chat show Wogan, presenting Children in Need. He was the BBCs commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest from 1971 to 2008, from 2010 to 2015 he presented Weekend Wogan, a two-hour Sunday morning show on BBC Radio 2. In 2005, Wogan acquired British citizenship in addition to his Irish nationality and was entitled to use the title Sir in front of his name when he was awarded a knighthood in the same year. He died from cancer at his home in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, on 31 January 2016, aged 77. Wogan, the son of the manager of Leverett & Frye, a high class grocery store in Limerick, Ireland, was educated at Crescent College and he experienced a strongly religious upbringing, later commenting that he had been brainwashed into believing by the threat of going to hell. Despite this, he expressed his fondness for the city of his birth, commenting on one occasion that Limerick never left me, whatever it is. At the age of 15, after his father was promoted to general manager, while living there, he attended Crescent Colleges sister school, Belvedere College. He participated in dramatics and discovered a love of rock. After leaving Belvedere in 1956, Wogan had a career in the banking profession. While in his twenties, he joined the broadcaster of Ireland. When the show was dropped by RTÉ TV in 1967, Wogan approached the BBC for extra work, David Attenborough rebuffed Wogans job application to be a BBC presenter as to have two Irishmen presenting on BBC Two would have looked ridiculous. He began working for BBC Radio, initially down the line from Dublin and he presented the Tuesday edition of Late Night Extra for two years on BBC Radio 1, commuting weekly from Dublin to London. Wogan achieved record audiences of up to 7.9 million and his seemingly ubiquitous presence across the media meant that he frequently became the butt of jokes by comedians of the time, among them The Goodies and The Barron Knights. His version reached number 21 in the UK Singles Chart, in December 1984, Wogan left his breakfast show to pursue a full-time career in television and was replaced by Ken Bruce. His first chat show Wogans World, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from 6 June 1974 to 21 September 1975, in January 1993, he returned to BBC Radio 2, replacing Brian Hayes to present the breakfast show, then called Wake Up to Wogan. His tendency to go off on rambling, esoteric tangents, often including banter with his producer, Paul Walters
32.
Jeremy Paxman
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Jeremy Dickson Paxman is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He has worked for the BBC since 1972 and is known for his forthright and abrasive interviewing style and his regular appearances on the BBC Two programme Newsnight were sometimes criticised as aggressive, intimidating and condescending, yet also applauded as tough and incisive. He is the master of University Challenge, having succeeded Bamber Gascoigne when the programme was revived in 1994. At the end of April 2014, Paxman announced that he was to leave Newsnight in June after 25 years of presenting the programme, Paxman was born in Leeds, the son of Arthur Keith Paxman, who worked in industry, and Joan McKay. He is the eldest of four children, one of his brothers, Giles, was the British Ambassador to Spain, and his sister, Jenny, is a producer at BBC Radio. Paxman was brought up in Hampshire, Bromsgrove, and Peopleton near Pershore in Worcestershire and he went to Malvern College in 1964, and later read English at St Catharines College, Cambridge where he edited the undergraduate newspaper Varsity. While at Cambridge, Paxman was briefly a member of the Labour Club, in January 2006, Paxman was the subject of an episode of the BBC genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are. The documentary concluded that he was descended from Roger Packsman, a 14th-century politician from Suffolk who had changed his name to Paxman in order to impress the electorate, Paxmans maternal grandmother was born in Glasgow, Scotland. Paxman joined the BBCs graduate trainee programme in 1972 and he started in local radio, at BBC Radio Brighton. He moved to Belfast, where he reported the Troubles and he moved to London in 1977. Two years later he transferred from the Tonight programme to Panorama, after five years reporting from places such as Beirut, Uganda and Central America, he read the Six OClock News for two years, before moving to BBC1s Breakfast Time programme. Paxman became a presenter of Newsnight in 1989, Howard was asked by Paxman the same question – Did you threaten to overrule him. – a total of twelve times in succession, later, during a 20th anniversary edition of Newsnight, Paxman told Howard that he had simply been trying to prolong the interview since the next item in the running order wasnt ready. In 1998, Denis Halliday, a United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, resigned his post in Iraq, Paxman asked Halliday in a Newsnight interview, Arent you just an apologist for Saddam Hussein. In February 2003, Paxman was criticised by the Broadcasting Standards Commission over a Newsnight interview in which he questioned the then Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy about his drinking, the commission said that the questioning was overly intrusive in nature and tone and had exceeded acceptable boundaries for broadcast. In 2003, Prime Minister Tony Blair opted to make the case for the invasion of Iraq via questions from a TV studio audience, the programme is chiefly remembered for the fact that Paxman asked Blair if he and U. S. President Bush prayed together. To which Paxman replied, But why not, during the 2005 general election some viewers complained to the BBC that Paxmans questioning of party leaders had been rude and aggressive. He was criticised for his 5am interview with George Galloway after his election as the Respect MP for Bethnal Green, Paxman asked Galloway more than once whether he was proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in Parliament
33.
Martyn Lewis
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Sir Martyn John Dudley Lewis, CBE is a Welsh television news presenter and journalist. He was a presenter for various BBC News programmes between 1986 and 1999 and was known for his involvement in the coverage of the death of Diana and he is also active in the charity sector and is currently the chairman of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. Lewis was born in Swansea, West Glamorgan, though was educated at the co-educational Dalriada School in Northern Ireland and graduated with a BA degree from Trinity College and he then joined BBC Northern Ireland in 1967. He was a presenter and reporter on HTV and ITN. Lewis became the first presenter of the One OClock News on BBC One on 27 October 1986 when it was launched as part of the introduction of the daytime schedule. Subsequently, he presented other bulletins including the Six OClock News and he created a modicum of controversy in 1993 when he claimed that television should feature more good news. He subsequently stated that he had been misunderstood on the matter, Lewis played a prominent role in the announcement of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales on Sunday 31 August 1997. He was called into the BBC in the hours of that morning to present short national bulletins about the car accident in Paris. He returned home afterwards to get some sleep – expecting the Princess to pull through – only to be drafted in again in time for the special 6am bulletin covering Dianas death and his uninterrupted presenting stint ended mid-afternoon when Peter Sissons took over. He also appeared on rival ITN that evening to pay tribute to his dead colleague and he presented his last bulletin at the start of May 1999 from Edinburgh, reporting on Scottish devolution, signing off with, And from me, its goodbye. As part of the celebrations for ITNs 50th anniversary, he returned to television news to present an edition of the ITV Evening News with Mary Nightingale in September 2005. Lewis was the long-running host, from 1993, of the BBC news-based quiz show Todays the Day and he retired from newsreading in 1999 and since then has presented occasional programmes on ITV including Dateline Jerusalem and Ultimate Questions. In 2008, he appeared in the video on board the Heathrow Express as a guide to the airport security, in 2013, he appeared as the presenter in television commercials for Calgon, acting out interviews with experts in a series entitled Smart Washing with Calgon. Lewis was chairman and co-founder of Teliris, one of the first telepresence systems developed and he was actively involved in the marketing of this solution through personal contacts, speaking engagements and Telepresence Times, his vlog launched in 2009. He retired as chairman in 2012, Lewis is a vice-president of Hospice UK, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Macmillan Cancer Support, East Anglia Children’s Hospices and Demelza Children’s Hospice. He is president of United Response, a charity supporting people with learning disabilities or mental health needs to live in the community, in England and in Wales. He founded the youth charity YouthNet in 1995, and stayed as chairman until stepping down in July 2014, the charity provides advice, information and support through websites aimed at young people. In 2010 he became chair of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and he is also chairman of the Queens Award for Voluntary Service
