name	Davina McCall
birth name	Davina Lucy Pascale McCall
birth date
birth place	Wimbledon, South West London, England
occupation	Broadcaster, actress
years active	1992–present
children	2 daughters, 1 son
spouse	Andrew Leggett (1997–1999, divorced)Matthew Robertson(2000–present)
parents
relatives	Célestin Hennion (great-grandfather)
website
nationality	British
television	''God's Gift''''Don't Try This at Home''''Streetmate''''Big Brother''''Davina''''Got to Dance''''The Million Pound Drop Live''''The Biggest Loser'' ''Long Lost Family'' }}

Davina Lucy Pascale McCall (born 16 October 1967) is an English television presenter. She currently hosts the Channel 4 game show ''The Million Pound Drop Live'', Sky1's reality talent show ''Got to Dance'', and ITV shows ''The Biggest Loser'' and ''Long Lost Family''. McCall is best known as the presenter of reality series ''Big Brother'' during its run on Channel 4 between 2000 and 2010. Having fronted the weekly live eviction shows every year since the beginning, she decided not to return as host after it was dropped by Channel 4 in 2010 and relaunched by Channel 5 the following year.

After a difficult childhood, by her early twenties McCall had pursued various jobs including solo singer. Having recovered from a drug problem, she embarked on a career in television with a first job presenting for satellite music channel MTV in 1992. After further work on terrestrial channels she became a household name thanks to ''Big Brother'', while also continuing to work with other hosting vehicles on various channels, from game shows to talent shows. From 2005 she has also been a regular co-presenter for the Comic Relief annual telethons.

Departures from presenting into other television roles, through a sitcom, a documentary series and fronting her own chat show, have all proven to be unsuccessful, and beyond ''Big Brother'' she has continued in the main as a presenter on Channel 4, ITV and Sky.

Early career [link]

McCall's first career was as a singer. McCall had been performing in a band while still at school. The band went under the name Foghorn. By age 19 she had decided to pursue a professional career as a solo artist rather than try to pass any exams, assisted by her then boyfriend Eric Clapton who produced her demo music disc.

Dissatisfied with near misses in the music industry, McCall gave up singing and took a job at Models 1 on the men's desk as a booker. Later she ran a restaurant for two years before a brief spell in Paris as a ''Moulin Rouge'' style cabaret performer. On her return to London she worked on the nightclub scene as a hostess. Work in this period also included an appearance as a dancer in the video for the 1991 Kylie Minogue single ''Word Is Out'', wearing a striped sweater and beret in a nod to her French ancestry.

Presenting [link]

Before ''Big Brother'' [link]

In 1992 McCall was hired as a presenter on Ray Cokes' Most Wanted on MTV Europe. In 1995 she went on to host the ITV late night game show ''God's Gift'' and in 1998 to present the cult Channel 4 dating show ''Streetmate''. From 1998 she co-hosted the Sky TV show ''Prickly Heat'' with Julian Clary and presented the ITV game show ''Don't Try This at Home!''.

''Big Brother'' [link]

McCall was chosen as the inaugural presenter of the first series of Channel 4's reality television show ''Big Brother'', in which 10 housemates entered a sealed house for up to nine weeks and their every move would be filmed and then broadcast as a daily highlights show. McCall hosted the weekly live eviction show, where one contestant would be removed from the house, until the last housemate became the winner. McCall also hosted the celebrity version ''Celebrity Big Brother'', whose first series ran for eight days in March 2001. Days before the celebrity series, McCall also hosted the 2000 BRIT Awards.

McCall continued to present other shows in the ''Big Brother'' period. When ITV's game show ''Don't Try This at Home!'' ended in 2001, she continued with that channel presenting series such as the talent show ''Popstars: The Rivals'' and game show ''The Vault'' (1st series) in 2002, the talent/reality series ''Reborn in the USA'' in 2003 and the entertainment series ''Love on a Saturday Night'' in 2004. She also hosted the British Academy Television Awards 2004 for ITV, returning in in 2006.

McCall's performance on the final night of the sixth series in 2005 attracted press attention and some complaints for her treatment of housemate Makosi Musambasi. In December 2007, McCall presented a New Year's edition of Channel 4's ''The Friday Night Project'', entitled "The Friday Night New Year Project 2007", alongside Alan Carr and Justin Lee-Collins.

By the ninth series of ''Big Brother'' in 2008, McCall was earning a reported £85,000 per episode. Responding to tabloid claims before the series that she was about to quit ''Big Brother'' she said, "I'm not leaving ... They would have to kill me before I'd stop doing it". The ninth series proved to be a low point however, becoming the least watched summer series in the show's history.

McCall became the regular presenter of the live ''Big Brother'' companion show ''Big Brother's Big Mouth'' for the tenth and eleventh series, after it was recast into an hour long show after the weekly live eviction show, having previously occupied the slot after each daily highlights show. In December 2009, McCall began hosting the Sky1 reality talent show ''Got to Dance''.

Leaving ''Big Brother'' and beyond [link]

With audience figures falling, Channel 4 decided that the eleventh series in Summer 2010 would be the last ''Big Brother'' broadcast on their channel, although the show's future was in the hands of the rights holder Endemol. After presenting the seventh and final series of ''Celebrity Big Brother'' in January 2010, she fronted her eleventh and final regular edition over the Summer. As a finale to the series on Channel 4, McCall also presented the ''Ultimate Big Brother'' show, which started immediately after the regular series, and featured selected past regular and celebrity housemates.

Having made the decision to leave the show after ''Ultimate Big Brother that'', when Channel 5 announced in April 2011 that they had secured the rights to relaunch ''Big Brother'' in Summer 2011, McCall confirmed she would not be returning as host. Stating she still believed the show had potential, she gave her backing to Emma Willis as her replacement. ''Big Brother 2'' and ''Ultimate Big Brother'' winner Brian Dowling was ultimately chosen to take over McCall's role as presenter of the Channel 5 version.

In between the final celebrity and regular editions of ''Big Brother'' on Channel 4, McCall began presenting a new Channel 4 game show called ''The Million Pound Drop Live'', and has continued to do so into 2012. Beyond the end of ''Big Brother'' on Channel 4 McCall also continued as host of ''Got to Dance'' on Sky1 into 2012. From January 2011 McCall has been co-host of the ITV reality weight loss game show ''The Biggest Loser'' from the start of the fourth series.

Other work [link]

Television [link]

In fictional television, in 2001 McCall appeared alongside Ed Byrne, Tristan Gemmill and Tameka Empson as the title character in ''Sam's Game'', a Friends-style sitcom. Slammed by the critics, it aired in just one six-episode series. In self-portrayals, McCall has voiced the android Davina McCall in the 2005 ''Doctor Who'' episode "Bad Wolf", and in 2008 she played herself as both a human and a zombie in ''Dead Set'', a five-part horror parody of ''Big Brother'' set in the house.

From early 2006 McCall also fronted her own prime-time chat show on BBC One called ''Davina'', featuring guests such as Pierce Brosnan, Gordon Ramsay, Dawn French and Piers Morgan. Receiving scathing reviews and with viewing figures falling to below half of the 6 million watching ''The Bill'' on ITV1 at the same time, the show was axed in the April for not reaching expectations.

In documentary television, McCall has fronted ''Let's Talk Sex'' about sex education and how it's taught in the United Kingdom (one of the countries of Europe with the highest teenage pregnancy levels). She also published a companion book to the series. McCall has also appeared in a video for schools called "Watch Over Me," talking about her drug addiction and peer pressure. During 2005 she presented the BBC documentary series ''He's Having a Baby'', in which she was to follow and advise eight young men who were to become first time fathers at various stages during the shows 10 week run. It received poor ratings.

Telethons [link]

Since 2005 McCall has been one of the co-presenters of the annual British charity telethons are organised by Comic Relief. Organised on a alternating comedy/sport theme and televised live in March, McCall has co-hosted Red Nose Days in 2005, 2007, 2009 & 2011, and for Sport Relief in 2006, 2008, 2010 & 2012. She has also presented or appeared on various related Comic Relief shows, including: ''The Record Breaker'' (1999), ''Naked Red Nose Ground Force in Practice'' and ''Say Pants to Poverty'' (2001), ''The Big Hair Do'' (2003) and ''Comic Relief Does Fame Academy'' (2005).

Other appearances [link]

On 5 July 2007, McCall was a panellist on the school's edition of the BBC's ''Question Time'' political panel show.

In 2010 McCall was subjected to Channel 4's version of the popular American practice of a 'comedy roast', in which a famous personality has to endure mocking by a host of celebrity friends in silence, only being allowed to deliver a rebuttal at the end. Davina McCall: A Comedy Roast featured roasts from Rich Hall, Debra Stephenson, Patrick Kielty, Ed Byrne, Jack Whitehall, Chris Moyles, Dermot O'Leary, Julian Clary, Fearne Cotton, Brian Dowling, Nikki Grahame, Sophie Reade, Brian Belo and Sam Pepper.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

McCall was born on 16 October 1967 in Wimbledon, London to Florence (née Hennion) and Andrew McCall, and at the age of three went to live with her paternal grandparents in Surrey after the break-up of her parents' marriage. Her French mother Florence – whom McCall has described as something of a "wild child" and later, specifically as "an alcoholic" – returned to Paris, and McCall saw her only when on holidays. Her relationship with her mother was a difficult one and she has said that her mother "should never have had kids" describing how she once left her, at the age of 12, in a nightclub on her own. She continued to see her father Andrew, a graphic designer, at weekends before moving in with him and his new wife Gaby when she was 13 years old.

McCall attended the St Catherine's School, Bramley in Guildford, Surrey and Godolphin and Latymer Girls School, an independent school in Hammersmith, West London. At secondary level, McCall studied for nine O levels and two A levels.

During her teens McCall developed the eating disorder anorexia. In the words of ''Hello Magazine'', McCall's sunny disposition, one of her greatest assets as a TV presenter, stems from overcoming her fractured childhood and this eating disorder.

Family[link]

McCall is married to Matthew Robertson, presenter of ''Pet Rescue'', with whom she has three children – two daughters, Holly Willow (born 22 September 2001, Hounslow, London) and Tilly Pippy (born 23 September 2003, Surrey), and a son, Chester Micky (born 14 September 2006, Surrey). Robertson is McCall's second husband; they were married on 29 June 2000 at Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire. Her first marriage was to Andrew Leggett in 1997 in Westminster, London. McCall's pre-marital relationships included old family friend Eric Clapton. He also helped her when in early 20s she developed a drug problem; it was only after turning things around that she gained her own television show on MTV.

Ancestry[link]

McCall's ancestry was examined for a 2009 episode of ''Who Do You Think You Are?''. With the help of historians Jean-Marc Berliere and Simon Kitson, McCall learned that she is the great-granddaughter of onetime Prefect of Police Célestin Hennion (1862–1915), and the great great great-granddaughter, on her father's side, of James Thomas Bedborough (1787–1860), a stonemason, councillor, Mayor, property developer, and entrepreneur, who worked on Windsor Castle and Upton Park in Slough. Participants in the show included Françoise Hennion (Hennion's granddaughter and McCall's mother's cousin) and Pierre, Hennion's son and McCall's grandfather. Pierre gave McCall his father's Royal Victorian Order medal. McCall met with Alfred Dreyfus's great-granddaughter, Yael Ruiz, after learning of the part her ancestor played in the Dreyfus affair.

Filmography[link]

''MTV Europe'' (1992)

Eurotrash (1993) – Female Voice Dubber for the first series on Channel 4

''God's Gift'' (1995)

''Don't Try This at Home!'' (1998–2001)

''Streetmate'' (1998–2001)

''A Day in the life of the Shepherds'' (1999)

''BRIT Awards'' (2000), (2003),

''Big Brother'' (2000–10) ''

''Sam's Game'' (2001)

''Celebrity Big Brother'' (2001–2002, 2005–07, 2009–10)

''Comic Relief'' (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011)

''Oblivious'' (2001)

''The Vault'' (2002)

''Popstars: The Rivals'' (2002)

''Reborn in the USA'' (2003)

''Love on a Saturday Night'' (2004)

''BAFTA'' (2004)

''Doctor Who'' (2005) – Voice of Davinadroid in the episode Bad Wolf

''A Bear's Tail'' (2005) – Dave Ian McCall

''He's Having a Baby (''2005)

''Davina'' (2006)

''BAFTA'' (2006)

''Sport Relief'' (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012)

''Let's Talk Sex'' (2007)

''Big Brother: On The Couch'' (2007)

''The Friday Night New Year Project'' (2007)

''Dead Set'' (2008) – A horror parody of ''Big Brother'' with McCall playing an undead version of herself.

''4Music'''s Davina & Steve's 20 Big Ones (2008)

''Big Brother's Big Mouth'' (2008, 2009–10) – as a guest presenter for one week (2008) and then as main presenter during ''Big Brother'' 10, 11 and ''Ultimate Big Brother''.

''Who Do You Think You Are?'' (2009) – as participant ''Got to Dance'' (2010–present)

''The Million Pound Drop'' (2010–present)

''Ultimate Big Brother'' (2010)

''The Biggest Loser'' (2011–present)

''Long Lost Family'' (2011–present)

References [link]

External links [link]

|-

Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:Big Brother (UK) Category:English game show hosts Category:English people of French descent Category:English television actors Category:English television personalities Category:English television presenters Category:People educated at Godolphin and Latymer School Category:People educated at St Catherine's School, Bramley Category:People from Wadhurst Category:People from Wimbledon, London

cy:Davina McCall de:Davina McCall fr:Davina McCall nl:Davina McCall simple:Davina McCall sv:Davina McCall

name	Dermot O'Leary
background	non_performing_personnel
birth name	Seán Dermot Fintan O'Leary, Jr.
birth date	May 24, 1973
origin	Colchester, Essex, England, UK
nationality	English-Irish
genre	Pop culture
occupation	Television presenter, Radio DJ, Comedian
years active	1999–present
notable shows	''T4''''Big Brother''''The X Factor''
notable instruments	}}

Dermot O'Leary (born Seán Dermot Fintan O'Leary, Jr.) (born 24 May 1973) is an Irish television and radio presenter. He established himself as a presenter of ''Big Brother's Little Brother'' on Channel 4 before moving on to ''The X Factor'' on ITV. O'Leary has also presented on the BBC and has his own radio show on BBC Radio 2. He is also notable for being the last person to introduce Michael Jackson in public before his death.

Early life[link]

O'Leary was born in Colchester, Essex, England to Wexford-born Irish parents Sean and Marie,He is "extremely proud" of his Irish roots and he carries an Irish passport. He attended primary school in Marks Tey and later St Benedict's Catholic College in Colchester, graduating with two General Certificates of Secondary Education, and Colchester Sixth Form College.

O'Leary studied at Middlesex University, achieving a degree in Media and Television with Politics. He achieved a 2:2. Whilst at Middlesex University he developed an interest in comedy and was involved in various gigs in the students' union. He was also a member of the university's chess society.

Career[link]

Television[link]

O'Leary started as a disc jockey at Essex Radio before becoming a runner on the TV show ''Light Lunch'' with Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins and then presenter at Channel 4, part of the original presenting line-up of the channel's ''T4'' strand, before moving on to present ''Big Brother's Little Brother'' (the companion show to ''Big Brother'') on E4 from 2001 onwards.

On 27 November 2007, it was announced that ''Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack'' was to be O'Leary's last series of ''Big Brother'', and that he would not return in summer 2008. After seven years he made his final ''Big Brother'' appearance on 28 January 2008.

In August 2006, O'Leary signed a deal to present the game show ''1 vs. 100'', which aired on Saturday nights on BBC One in combination with the National Lottery draws.

On 29 March 2007, it was announced that O'Leary would replace Kate Thornton as the new host of ITV's ''The X Factor'' for at least two series. Speaking after the announcement he said: ''"I was very flattered to be offered the job to host such a hugely successful show. I'm really looking forward to working with Simon Cowell and the team on the kind of Saturday night entertainment show I grew up watching."'' While presenting the show he reportedly upset Celine Dion among other things, later saying he ''"literally had to shut her up"''.

In March 2009, O'Leary introduced Michael Jackson to an audience of fans at the The O2 in what turned out to be Jackson's final public appearance before his death.

In May 2009, O'Leary became the new host of Matt Lucas and David Walliams' ''Rock Profile''.

In March 2010, O'Leary hosted a spin-off edition of the BBC One show ''Question Time'', which aired on BBC Three, aimed at first time voters. In June 2010 and May 2012, O'Leary has hosted ''Soccer Aid'' on ITV, in aid of charity Unicef.

Future projects[link]

He has on several occasions expressed interest in hosting the Rose of Tralee, particularly after Ray D'Arcy, a host with whom he has exchanged public banter, vacated the role in 2010.

Radio[link]

O'Leary joined London's Indie rock station XFM in 2001 firstly presenting weekday mid-mornings from 10 am–1 pm, before moving to a Saturday evening show in mid 2002, where he remained until late 2003.

He joined BBC Radio 2 in September 2004, presenting a Saturday afternoon show entitled ''Dermot's Saturday Club'' which ran from 2pm to 4pm. Following a number of changes to the length and timing of O'Leary's programme, due in part to the arrival of Chris Evans to Radio 2 and his role as presenter of ''The X Factor'', his show has broadcast between 3pm and 6pm since April 2009.

O'Leary's Radio 2 show focuses on new music and live sessions, and has featured live sessions from the likes of Oasis, Supergrass, the Raconteurs, Massive Attack, Kasabian, the Guillemots, the Zutons, Alesha Dixon, Beck, the Lemonheads, Lily Allen, Foo Fighters, the Go! Team, Bloc Party, Ben Kweller, the Magic Numbers, Moby and Kate Nash. O'Leary also hosts Radio 2's coverage of the Brit Awards and South by Southwest. He won a Sony Gold Award for Music Programme of the Year in 2008 and again in 2010.

Shows hosted[link]

Television[link]

''The Big Breakfast''

''T4'' (1999–2001)

''The Dogs' Balearics'' (2000)

''Re:covered''

''Big Brother's Little Brother'' (2001–2008)

''Big Brother Africa'' (2003)

''Big Brother Around the World'' (2008)

''Teen Big Brother: The Experiment'' (2003)

''SAS: Are You Tough Enough?'' (2002)

''Dermot's Sporting Buddies'' (2002)

''Some of My Best Friends Are... Catholic'' (2003)

''SAS Jungle: Are You Tough Enough?'' (2003)

''Shattered'' (2004)

''Big Brother's Little Breakfast'' (2006) (Morning version of ''BBLB'' for ''Celebrity Big Brother UK'')

''Morning Glory'' (2006)

''Big Brother's Big Brain'' (2006–2007)

''1 vs. 100'' (2006–2007)

''The X Factor'' (2007–present)

''Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack'' (2008)

''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' (2008 - Guest Team Captain, 2009 - Guest Host)

''The Paul O'Grady Show'' (2009) (Guest Presenter)

''The National Television Awards 2009'' (2010) (Host)

''First Time Voters' Question Time'', BBC Three, (2010)

''Dermot Meets...(David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Danny Mulhern and Nick Clegg)'', BBC Three (2010)

''Soccer Aid'' (2010) (Host)

''Big Brother's Last Supper'' (2010) (Host)

''The National Television Awards 2010-present'' (Host)

''Red Nose Day'' (2011) (Co-host)

''Live from the Royal Wedding'' (2011) (Host)

'' The Marriage Ref'' (2011) (Host)

Radio[link]

XFM Weekday Mid-Mornings - (2001–2002)

XFM ''The Weekender'' Saturday Evenings - (2002–2003)

BBC Radio 2 ''Dermot's Saturday Club'' Saturdays 2-4pm (2004–2005)

BBC Radio 2 ''The Dermot O'Leary Show'' Saturdays 5-7pm (2005–2006), Saturdays 4.30-6.30pm (2006–2007), Saturdays 2-4pm (during The X Factor, Nov-Dec 2007), Saturdays 2-5pm (2008–2009), Saturdays 3-6pm (2009-)

Personal life[link]

O'Leary supports Arsenal F.C., Celtic F.C., London Irish RUFC and politically the Labour Party. He can be heard on the 'Footballistically Arsenal' podcast with his friends and fellow Arsenal fans Dan Baldwin and Boyd Hilton, and on this show it was mentioned that he owns shares in the club. He supports Wexford GAA in Gaelic Games, attending matches in the past. He has identified himself as a socialist. During an appearance as a studio guest on ''Fantasy Football Euro 2004'', O'Leary spoke of his support for the Republic of Ireland football team.

When O'Leary was in his late teens, he played American football for his local team, the Colchester Gladiators. In his early years, he was good friends with Lord Gimpett, with whom he lived In London. He ran the 2005 London Marathon (his third) under four hours for the first time. In 2007 he was an usher at the wedding of Holly Willoughby. He is also a practising Roman Catholic, having contributed to the collection of essays ''Why I am Still Catholic'' in 2005. In the February 2008 issue of the Irish magazine, ''Social and Personal'', O'Leary was voted the sexiest man in Ireland out of the Top 100.

O'Leary has campaigned on behalf of Make Poverty History, and has visited Sierra Leone with CAFOD accompanied by his father. He is also a patron of the male cancer awareness campaign, Everyman. In 2003, he played in a charity match for the Colchester Gladiators as a punt returner, helping to raise £2,500 for the Barnardo's children's fund.

On 19 November 2011 episode of Xtra Factor, it was announced that O'Leary is now engaged to his long-term girlfriend Dee Koppang.

He co-owns the ''FishyFishy'' restaurants in Brighton and Poole.

O'Leary says his funeral song would be "Tonight We Fly" by the Divine Comedy.

References[link]

External links[link]

Dermot O'Leary at itv.com/xfactor

Profile/interview in MaleFirst.co.uk

Xfactor Uk 2011 community

{{Incumbent succession box | before=Kate Thornton| title=Host of ''The X Factor''| start=2007| after= | }}

Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of Middlesex University Category:Big Brother (UK) Category:The X Factor hosts Category:British radio DJs Category:Irish people Category:British people of Irish descent Category:British socialists Category:Never Mind the Buzzcocks Category:People from Colchester Category:BBC Radio 2 presenters Category:The X Factor (UK)

fr:Dermot O'Leary ga:Dermot O'Leary ko:더멋 오리어리