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Revision as of 15:04, 30 January 2008

Carol Smillie
Born (1961-12-23) December 23, 1961 (age 62)
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Occupation(s)Television presenter, Actress, Author, Model
SpouseAlex Knight
ChildrenChristie, Robbie, Jodi
Websitehttp://www.carolsmillie.tv/

Carol Smillie (surname pronounced "smiley") (born December 23 1961 in Glasgow) is a highly successful female Scottish television personality, with many programmes to her credit. Carol is probably best known for presenting the award winning BBC series Changing Rooms. Carol rose to fame when she became the first UK hostess of the international television game show Wheel of Fortune. Carol has also appeared onstage in The Vagina Monologues and is the author of Carol Smillie's Working Mum's Handbook.


Biography

Early life

Carol Patricia Smillie was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the daughter of George Smillie, an electrical engineer and Isobel Smillie. Carol is the youngest of four siblings, with two sisters and a brother.[1] Carol had a happy childhood growing up in a three-bedroom bungalow in Glasgow, sharing a room with her two older sisters. Unlike the rest of her family, Carol's parents were able to send her to the independent Hutchesons' Grammar School.[2] After leaving school she studied Art, Design and Fashion at The Glasgow School of Art, with the vague ambition of becoming a dress designer. Carol soon decided that Art School wasn't really her true vocation, and having subsidised her studies as a part-time model, she decided to leave her Design course to become a full-time model.[3] The young Miss Smillie then embarked on a moderately successful modeling career, throughout the mid 1980s.

Career

Television

Carol's presenting career was launched in 1989 when she beat 5,000 other applicants[4] to become the hostess and puzzle board operator of Scottish Television's Wheel of Fortune game show. She co-presented the show for 5 years with fellow Scot Nicky Campbell. Carol left the show in 1994, to be replaced by Jenny Powell.

During the early nineties Carol sent her cv to all the video and production companies in Scotland, stating that "My name's Carol Smillie. You know me from Wheel of Fortune but I'd really like to do something else now, so I'm willing to work for nothing to get some stuff on tape" Through her perseverance Carol managed to pick up the odd presenting job and soon had enough material to create a show-reel to present to TV Companies. BBC Manchester were impressed enough to offer Carol the reporter's job on BBC Two's The Travel Show.[5]Carol was so successful that stints followed on BBC One for the Holiday programme. Carol continued to present Holiday programmes such as Summer Holiday and Holiday Swaps throughout the Nineties.

No longer deemed just a pretty face, in 1996 Carol became the original presenter of BBC Two's new DIY show Changing Rooms. The show was an immediate success and was transferred to BBC One for series 2. The programme is credited with starting the craze for DIY in the late 1990s. During her time on the show, Carol and the Changing Room Team won A National TV Award and an INDIE Award and were BAFTA nominated. Carol stayed as the main presenter for 13 series, leaving in 2003.

Furthermore in 1996 and now considered one of televison's most reliable and popular presenters Carol was selected to present The National Lottery Show for the BBC. Carol mainly appeared on the Wednesday Midweek Draw show, but also made the occasional appearance on the Saturday night show. Carol presented various incarnations of the Lottery show, such as The National Lottery - Amazing Luck Stories, The National Lottery - We've Got Your Number, National Lottery - Local Heroes between 1996 and 2000.

In 1998, Carol was awarded her own mid-morning chatshow on BBC One entitled Smillie's People. The programme was only 15 minutes in length and ran from 11:45am to 12:00. Each day Carol would interview a different celebrity. The Show ran for one series.

In 2003, upon leaving her successful helm on Changing Rooms, Carol departed the BBC for the Channel five show Dream Holiday Homes. This new show drew on similarities to the DIY programme, she had just departed, as again it consisted of fixing up properties. The difference being that this time, not just rooms were given a makeover, but the entire property. Also the properties were situated in various Southern European locations, and at the end of each show Carol would auction off the property for the price of a £1 phonecall to a lucky viewer picked at random.[6]. The show ran for five series.

In 2004 she took part in a reality television/documentary called Gender Swap for UK television station five. Using cleverly-applied silicon prosthetic makeup, she was transformed from female to male and ex-EastEnders actor Shaun Williamson male to female. They were then given the challenge of attending a speed dating event as their new opposite sex selves.

Also in 2004, she became one of the celebrities to take part in Strictly Ice Dancing, a one-off ice dance version of Strictly Come Dancing.

She joined ITV in 2005 as presenter of the reality show A Brush With Fame, a search for the UK's best amateur portrait artist.

She was also the presenter of the short-lived ITV daytime show The People's Court.

In September 2006, she was seen live on The National Lottery: Everyone's A Winner! in Edinburgh with contestant Charley.

In 2006, Carol took part in series four of Strictly Come Dancing in which her dance partner was Matthew Cutler. They came fifth in the competition.

Carol Smillie's Results for Strictly Come Dancing - Series 4
SHOW DATE DANCE TRACK POINTS (Max 40)
SHOW ONE Oct 07 No Dance No Dance No Dance
SHOW TWO Oct 14 Quickstep 9 to 5 25
SHOW THREE Oct 21 Jive Hanky Panky 27
SHOW FOUR Oct 28 Foxtrot Stuck On You 29
SHOW FIVE Nov 04 Salsa Don't Stop Till You Get Enough 29
SHOW SIX Nov 11 American Smooth It's Oh So Quiet 27
SHOW SEVEN Nov 18 Cha Cha Cha Dancing In The Moonlight 30
SHOW EIGHT Nov 25 Waltz If You Don';t Know Me By Now 30
SHOW NINE Dec 03 Viennese Waltz Breakaway 34
SHOW NINE Dec 03 Samba Club Tropicana 34


Smillie returned to STV in November 2007 to host the Scottish channel's new gameshow, Postcode Challenge.

Modeling

In her early years, before she became famous, Carol was a well traveled model on the Exhibition circuit and occasional lingerie model. It is often stated that Carol was one of the famous Tennent's Lager girls (a successful marketing promotion in Scotland which saw pictures of young women on the backs of cans of the lager). Carol was quoted in The Independent Newspaper on October 2 2006 stating that this was a common misconception about her.

Carol has continued to model occasionally since her rise to fame. Carol is currently the model for the Scottish company The Edinburgh Woollen Mill. Carol featured extensively in their advertising campaign for the 2007/08 Autumn/Winter collection, appearing in a televised Christmas commercial for the company.

Author

In 2003 Carol joined forces with Eileen Fursland to became a best selling author with the publication of Carol Smillie's Working Mum's Handbook. In the book Carol looked at the practical problems and emotional issues that face all of us when women go back to work. Whether you're at home for six months or six years. The ideas and information in the book aimed to help working mothers achieve the work-life balance that is right for them and their family. The book describes ways to get organised and manage your time at home and work, and know your rights to maternity leave and pay, parental leave and tax credits. In addition it offers advice on how to keep your family life and relationships happy and fulfilling, find a job, take career breaks, survive the nine to five, choose childcare to suit you and your child, streamline household chores, cook and entertain, and finally tackle the thorny issues like guilt, stress and sleep (or lack of it).

Stage Actress

In 2006 Carol made her debut on the stage in the "Eve Ensler" play The Vagina Monologues. Carol has so far completed three tours of the play in various locations around Scotland. A full list of these appearences can be found below.

Corporate

Carol’s television presenting and live event experience has enabled her to become a celebrity speaker for corporate events, conferences and exhibitions. Carol has hosted numerous major conferences and award ceremonies.

As well as live events Carol has also presented corporate videos either on-screen or through a voiceover. Carol has also lent her name to various endorsements.

Personal Life

Carol is very proud of her Scottish heritage and is a great promoter for the City of Glasgow. She still lives in the City with her restaurateur husband Alex Knight whom she married in 1990. They have three children: Christie, Robbie and Jodie. Carol is keen to balance the need for a successful career against the demands of a working Mum. Carol rarely works on a weekend, turning down numerous job offers as she believes it is more important to see her children growing up than be away from home constantly. Carol has been quoted as saying, "She can count on one hand the amount of times she's worked a weekend since she had her first child".


Selected Career Credits

Television

Presenter

including Summer Holliday, and Holiday Swaps

including The National Lottery - Amazing Luck Stories, The National Lottery - We've Got Your Number, National Lottery - Local Heroes

  • Smillie's People 1998
  • Star Secrets 1999
  • Dream Holiday Homes 2003-2005
  • The Peoples Court 2005
  • A Brush With Fame 2005
  • Postcode Challenge 2007-2008

Guest Appearances

  • The Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna 1994
  • Shooting Stars 1996
  • Clive Anderson All Talk 1998
  • It's Only TV...But I Like It 1999
  • Blankety Blank 1999
  • This Is Your Life 1999
  • Friday Night with Jonathon Ross 2002
  • The Brian Conley Show 2002
  • V Graham Norton 2003
  • Have I Got News for You 2003
  • Today with Des and Mel 2003 2004
  • Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway 2004
  • Win, Lose or Draw Late 2004
  • 29 Minutes of Fame 2005
  • The Paul O'Grady Show 2005
  • Brainiac: Science Abuse 2005
  • The Prince's Trust 30th Birthday: Live 2006
  • Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 2006

Competitive Television Appearances

Actress

Documentary

  • Gender Swap 2004

Theatre

Tour Dates 2006


Tour Dates 2007

Videos

  • Changing Shape with Carol Smillie (2000)
  • Changing Rooms - Trust Me..I'm A Designer (2002)

Books

  • Carol Smillie's Working Mums Handbook (2003)

Awards

References

  1. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-2506320,00.html
  2. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/06/30/cmfame30.xml
  3. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml;jsessionid=VCFLHZ30MWCP3QFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml=/arts/2003/04/11/bocaro11.xml&page=2
  4. ^ http://www.ukgameshows.com/page/index.php/Carol_Smillie
  5. ^ http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/0300entertainment/onthebox/2003/10/26/smiling-through-the-tears-50081-13558529/#story_continue
  6. ^ http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/0300entertainment/onthebox/2003/10/26/smiling-through-the-tears-50081-13558529/#story_continue


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