This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2011)

This article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Discussion about the problems with the sole source used may be found on the talk page. (September 2011)

Paula Hamilton (born 23 January 1961) is an English model, best known for her appearance in the classic 1987 Mk II Volkswagen Golf TV advert "Changes". In 2006, she returned to public recognition as a judge on Living TV's Britain's Next Top Model, for two cycles.

Early life[link]

Hamilton was brought up in South Africa by her mother and stepfather but moved to Hertfordshire when she was eight years old.^[1] She is dyslexic and didn't learn to read and write until she was 11.^[1] Paula attended the Licensed Victuallers School in Slough along with Simon Cowell and Nicholas Cowell who both attended for 1 year. She left school at 16. Hamilton has four half-siblings.^[1]

Career[link]

At the age of 17, after several rejections as a model, Paula moved to Tokyo and worked for 18 months. She then established herself in Australia and Germany before moving to Italy.^{[2][dead link]} After being discovered by photographer David Bailey, she became the main model of the Queen's couturier Sir Hardy Amies. Her successful modelling career was, however, hampered by her battles against alcohol and cocaine. During a tough interview with top Italian photographer Fabrizio Ferrei, Paula was told her hair was too long for the job. She promptly cut her hair, got the job, and went on to learn the tricks of the trade at Ferrei's side.

Hamilton reached the zenith of her modelling career at the age of 27, when she appeared in an iconic 1987 television advert for the Volkswagen Golf. "Changes" starred Hamilton, made up to resemble Diana, Princess of Wales.^{[citation needed]} She is seen leaving her husband, posting her wedding ring back through the letterbox, ditching her fur coat, and throwing the house keys at the cat - but keeping the car keys. "If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen" ran the tagline. The advert began a new era in car advertising.^[3]

In 1996, Hamilton featured in the music video accompanying hugely successful British boyband Take That's last single "How Deep Is Your Love" in the 1990s. The single reached number one on the UK singles chart.

In 2000 she went to New Zealand to study Business.^[1]

In 2006, it was announced that Hamilton, at the age of 45, had been re-signed by the leading agency Models 1, who hoped to capitalise on the popularity of more mature models, led by Twiggy and her successful advertising campaign for Marks & Spencer.^[4]

Hamilton was also a mentor and judge on the second and third series of Britain's Next Top Model on Living TV, presented by model Lisa Snowdon. It was revealed in late December 2007 that Hamilton was to be replaced by Icelandic model Huggy Ragnarsson for cycle 4.^[5] In addition to modelling, Paula turned her hand to presenting and acting, appearing in feature films Mad Dogs & Englishmen and the Life of a Serial Killer. Hamilton released her autobiography entitled Instructions Not Included in 1996.

Hamilton is now signed to London-based Mandpmodels.

In May 2011 Hamilton starred in the second series of Channel 4s Celebrity Five Go To in which the celebrities visited South Africa.^[6]

Personal life[link]

She went into rehab in her twenties having become addicted to cocaine. She was introduced to the drug by her agent.^[1] She was sober for 7 years before becoming an alcoholic.^[1]

Hamilton had a relationship with Army Officer Sebastian Rhodes-Stampa in her twenties. After they broke up, Hamilton attempted suicide trying to hang herself from a chandelier.^[1]

She married a cameraman in 1987 but the marriage did not last long. She was later linked to Lord Ashcroft and was once engaged to film-maker Henry Cole.^[1]

Hamilton received therapy in 2006 and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.^[1] It was revealed in 2007 that Hamilton was in fact suffering from dyspraxia.^[1] She has been sober since 2006.

Hamilton recently dated former English cricketer, Ed Giddins.^[1]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Paula Hamilton at the Internet Movie Database
• Paula Hamilton at the Fashion Model Directory
• Telegraph interview - March 2006
• VW Advert

Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titchmarsh at a book signing
Born	Alan Fred Titchmarsh[1] (1949-05-02) 2 May 1949 (age 63) Ilkley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Nationality	British
Occupation	Broadcaster, gardener, novelist
Television	Gardeners' World Ground Force British Isles - A Natural History The Nature of Britain The Alan Titchmarsh Show
Spouse	Dr Alison Titchmarsh (m. 1975) «start: (1975-07-26)»"Marriage: Dr Alison Titchmarsh to Alan Titchmarsh" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Alan_Titchmarsh)
Children	2
Website
www.alantitchmarsh.com

Alan Fred Titchmarsh,^[1] MBE DL (born 2 May 1949)^[2] is an English gardener, broadcaster and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a gardening journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes. More recently he has developed a diverse writing and broadcasting career.

Early career[link]

Titchmarsh was born in Ilkley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, the son of Bessie (née Hardisty), a textile mill worker, and Alan Fred Titchmarsh, Sr., a plumber.^[3] After leaving school aged 15, Titchmarsh went to work as an apprentice gardener with Ilkley Council in 1964, before leaving, in 1968 aged 18, for Shipley Art and Technology Institute (now Shipley College) to study for a City and Guilds in horticulture. Titchmarsh was a close family friend of Tom Kerridge, who went on to become his gardening advisor on shows such as Ground Force.

Titchmarsh went on to study at Hertfordshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture for the National Certificate in Horticulture, before finally moving to the renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to study for a Diploma in Horticulture.^[4][5] After graduating, he stayed on at Kew, being employed as a supervisor and latterly a staff trainer, leaving to pursue a career in gardening journalism in 1974.^{[citation needed]}

Broadcasting[link]

His first few television appearances were on the long-running BBC television show Nationwide as a horticulture expert. This led to his being invited to present coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show for BBC television in 1983, something Titchmarsh has now hosted every year up to the present (2011).^[5] Titchmarsh also appeared on other BBC shows, such as Breakfast Time and Open Air, again as either a guest presenter or as a gardening expert, providing commentary and answering viewers' questions.^{[citation needed]}

In 1988, Titchmarsh was offered a slot on BBC Radio 2 hosting a gardening show with Gloria Hunniford called House In A Garden.^[6] In 1991 he was brought in to host the long-running Pebble Mill at One BBC television talk show, which he did until the show was cancelled in 1996. Also in 1991, he presented a 6-part series in which he followed in the footsteps of the pilgrims, travelling around Britain and Ireland in the process.^[7]

The cancellation of Pebble Mill at One in 1996 gave Titchmarsh the opportunity to move back towards his first love, gardening, and he took over as host of another long-running BBC television programme, Gardeners' World in the same year, the show being filmed in his own garden. In 1997, he took gardening to the masses with a popular BBC One television series, Ground Force, in which he and fellow presenters Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh would perform a makeover on a garden, Titchmarsh making full use of his horticultural skills when restocking the lucky gardens featured.^[5] The show has travelled as far as the United States and South Africa, where one episode saw the Ground Force team makeover Nelson Mandela's garden.^[8]

Alan Titchmarsh at the 2008 Gardeners' World Live Exhibition in the NEC.

Staying involved in gardening programmes after Gardeners' World, Titchmarsh has presented two series of How To Be A Gardener, his most recent gardening programme to date.

Away from gardening, Titchmarsh has had spells presenting Songs of Praise, and a series of programmes on BBC Radio 2 in which he played a selection of light classical music, and more recently a BBC nature documentary series, British Isles - A Natural History. In recent years he has done less television and radio and spent more time on his career as a novelist and renewed interest in writing gardening books (see below).

He has appeared in an advertisement for the Yorkshire Tourist Board in a series which included contributions from other Yorkshire-born celebrities including Brian Blessed, Melanie Brown, Darren Gough and Brian Turner, and occasionally does other voiceover work for advertisements. His recent voiceover work has extended to voicing the title character in Gordon the Garden Gnome, a cartoon series for the CBeebies channel.^[9] He hosted a follow-up series to British Isles - A Natural History entitled The Nature of Britain focusing on British plant and animal species. The series was broadcast in autumn 2007.^[10]

Other recent work included hosting a special edition of the Antiques Roadshow, entitled the 20th Century Roadshow, which focused on modern collectibles, performing in the Children's Party At The Palace for the Queen's 80th birthday, and being guest host of The Paul O'Grady Show while O'Grady was off for medical reasons. In January 2006, Titchmarsh was given a permanent slot on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday evenings with the show named "Melodies for you" consisting of light classical and popular music, following the traditional style of Sunday-night broadcasting on Radio 2. He left Radio 2 in August 2011. From January 2012 he will host a Saturday morning show on Classic FM.^{[citation needed]}

Since June 2007, he has been seen as host of The Great British Village Show, in which gardeners and cooks from all over Britain competed to be Britain's best at growing pumpkins, runner beans and tomatoes, and at knitting, baking cakes and making jam.^[10] He began his eponymous chat show for ITV, The Alan Titchmarsh Show in September 2007. He is currently featured in the in-store audio promotional material for the UK DIY chain B&Q.

Novelist[link]

Titchmarsh began writing fiction, and had his first novel, Only Dad, published in November 2001. A further six books have since been published (listed chronologically below).^[11] Running parallel to the fiction work, Titchmarsh published a new series of gardening guides, the How to Garden series (ghost-written), in April 2009. His most recent autobiographical work is Nobbut A Lad: A Yorkshire Childhood from October 2006, a follow-up to his first autobiography, Trowel & Error, published in 2002. Alan is currently writing When I Was A Nipper, which will be published on 30 September 2010.

Personal life[link]

Alan Titchmarsh Elm Tree Planting Ceremony in Westminster in 2011^[12]

Titchmarsh, in addition to his extensive television and writing work, is also trustee of his own charity, 'Gardens For Schools', and others, including 'Seeds For Africa'. His own charity helps fund gardens and green spaces in and around schools, while Seeds For Africa encourages sustainable vegetable gardening. The charity provides community groups with the tools, seeds and training they need to start their own vegetable gardens. This includes providing water installation and preparing the land. Away from horticulture, Titchmarsh is involved with the Cowes Inshore Lifeboat, where he is a patron,^[13] and with the National Maritime Museum, where he is a trustee.^[14]

Titchmarsh was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours for services to horticulture and broadcasting,^[1] and made a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Hampshire in 2001.^[15] In 2004, he was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal Of Honour, the highest award the RHS can bestow.^[16] In 2007 he was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Winchester. He was honoured by the City of Westminster at a tree planting and plaque ceremony in April 2011.^[17][18] He served as High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight in 2008.^[19]

Titchmarsh has a wax statue at Madame Tussaud's. It was revealed on Series 2, Episode 6 of the TV panel comedy series Would I Lie To You? that his waxwork had to have its face cleaned twice a week to remove all the lipstick smudges on it.

He has been married to Alison since 1975 and they have two children.^[20][21]

Other projects[link]

As well as his broadcasting and literary projects Titchmarsh has capitalised on his strong brand with retail and merchandise projects. He has launched several of his own product lines including his own range of ‘Alan Titchmarsh’ gardening tools developed in conjunction with tool manufacturer Bulldog Tools. Titchmarsh has also teamed up with Digitalis Media to launch Gardeners' Heaven, the online retail arm of his website. Gardeners’ Heaven supplies Titchmarsh’s own tools as well as other popular gardening products.^[22][23]

List of books[link]

Non-fiction

• Alan Titchmarsh - The Nature of Britain, BBC Books, 2007 (ISBN 978-0-563-49398-3)
• Alan Titchmarsh - The Gardener's Year, 2005, (ISBN 0-563-52167-8)
• Alan Titchmarsh's Fill My Stocking, 2005, (ISBN 0-563-48862-X)
• The Complete How to Be a Gardener, 2005, (ISBN 0-563-52262-3)
• British Isles, 2005, (ISBN 0-563-52162-7)
• Nature of Britain, 2007, (ISBN 0-563-49398-4)
• The Kitchen Gardener - Grow Your Own Fruit & Veg, 2008, (ISBN 978-1-84607-201-7)
• How to Garden: Gardening in the Shade, 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-395-3)
• How to Garden: Vegetables and Herbs, 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-396-0)
• How to Garden: Container Gardening, 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-399-1)
• How to Garden: Garden Design, 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-397-7)
• How to Garden: Lawns, Paths and Patios, 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-398-4)
• How to Garden: Pruning and Training, 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-400-4)
• How to Garden: Growing Fruit, 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-401-1)
• How to Garden: Flowering Shrubs, 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-402-8)
• How to Garden: Climbers and Wall Shrubs, 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-403-5)
• How to Garden: Greenhouse Gardening, 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-404-2)
• How to Garden: Perennial Garden Plants, 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-911-5)

Biographies

• Trowel and Error, Hodder & Stoughton 2002 (ISBN 0-340-76542-9)
• Nobbut A Lad : A Yorkshire Childhood, Hodder & Stoughton 2006 (ISBN 0-340-83117-0)
• Knave of Spades, Hodder & Stoughton 2009

Fiction Works

• Only Dad, Simon & Schuster Ltd 2001 (ISBN 0-7434-7846-0)
• The Last Lighthouse Keeper, Simon & Schuster Ltd 2004 (ISBN 0-7434-7845-2)
• Mr MacGregor, Simon & Schuster Ltd 2004 (ISBN 0-7434-7847-9)
• Animal Instincts, Simon & Schuster Ltd 2004 (ISBN 0-7434-7848-7)
• Rosie, Simon & Schuster Ltd (ISBN 0-7434-3010-7)
• Love and Dr. Devon, Simon & Schuster Ltd (ISBN 0-7432-0771-8)
• Folly, Hodder & Stoughton 2008 (ISBN 0-340-93685-1)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official home page
• BBC Nature Presenter Biography
• Alan Titchmarsh at the Internet Movie Database
• The Alan Titchmarsh Show on itv.com
• Alan Titchmarsh on Classic FM

Eamonn Holmes
Eamonn Holmes in 2009
Born	(1959-12-03) December 3, 1959 (age 52) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Nationality	Northern Irish
Occupation	Broadcaster, journalist
Years active	1988–present
Spouse	Gabrielle Holmes (divorced) Ruth Langsford (2010–present)
Children	3 sons, 1 daughter
Website
http://www.eamonn.tv

Eamonn Holmes (born 3 December 1959)^[1] is a Northern Irish^[2][3] journalist and broadcaster. He is known for his work on UK television, notably presenting GMTV and This Morning. He is married to TV presenter Ruth Langsford.

Education[link]

Holmes is a former pupil of Holy Family Primary School in Belfast^[4] and St Malachy's College^[1] on the Antrim Road in Belfast. He then studied journalism at the Belfast College of Business Studies.^[4]

Broadcasting career[link]

Early career[link]

Holmes worked for a business journal before joining UTV, where he hosted Farming Ulster before becoming a presenter on regional news magazine Good Evening Ulster.^[5]

Holmes later moved on to network presenting the 1980s daytime programme Open Air on BBC1.^[1]

GMTV[link]

Holmes started at GMTV in 1993, after appearing in 1992 as an earnest police constable in Inspector Morse.^[6]

One infamous interview occurred when American illusionist David Blaine appeared on the show on 29 August 2001. Holmes cites this interview with Blaine as the most awkward moment of his professional career and one of TV's bloopers when he refused to speak and gave him the "evil eye".^[7]

While Holmes was presenting GMTV former Doctor Who actor Tom Baker referred in a short interview with the Metro to: "Eamonn Holmes with his terrible 'I'm eating shit' grin ...I couldn't possibly go on, I would be sick in his lap".^[8]

Holmes made his final appearance on GMTV in April 2005.^[9]

Sky News[link]

Holmes joined Sky News in October 2005 to present the new-look Sunrise programme.^[10]

Partnership with Ruth Langsford[link]

Since August 2006, Holmes has co-presented the ITV1's daytime series This Morning, alongside his wife Ruth Langsford. Starting in September 2008 he and Langsford became regular Friday presenters after regular co-host Phillip Schofield moved on to the same Monday to Thursday schedule as Fern Britton.^[11] The pair announced their engagement on 27 March 2009 during a live broadcast of This Morning and they married in June 2010.^[12]

Holmes and Langsford were portrayed as fictionalised versions of themselves in Rob Brydon's satirical sit-com on life behind the cameras on a topical news quiz, Annually Retentive.^[13]

Sports presenting[link]

Holmes has presented coverage of snooker, horse racing and darts on television^[14][15] and was the main presenter of the BBC's coverage of the World Darts Championship in 1991 and 1992.^{[citation needed]} He was also the presenter of ITV's coverage of the Phil Taylor vs. Raymond van Barneveld showdown at the Wembley Conference Centre in 1999.^[16][17] From 2000-2001 he presented OnDigital's coverage of the UEFA Champions League alongside Jim Rosenthal,^{[citation needed]} and hosted The Sports Show on ITV in 1999 and 2000.^[16]

Gameshow host[link]

Holmes presented the BBC Two early evening quiz show, Sudo-Q that combined contestants' abilities to complete a modified Sudoku puzzle and to answer general knowledge questions.^[18]

He was the presenter of the National Lottery quiz Jet Set. On 20 May 2006, Eamonn's National Lottery programme, was invaded by Fathers 4 Justice protesters just as the lottery draws were about to take place.^[19] Holmes was pushed by one of the protesters^[19] but the incident was resolved quickly and did not impinge upon the immovable 8pm start time of the subsequent 2006 Eurovision Song Contest.^[20]

In February 2004, Eamonn co-hosted the BBC One Northern Ireland show Would You Pass The 11+ with Christine Bleakley,^[21] produced by Wild Rover Productions.^[22]

In 2006, Holmes hosted the American version of The Rich List which lasted just one episode before being cancelled.^[23]

In May 2010 he guest-presented an episode of the satirical panel show Have I Got News For You.^[24] During the episode he parodied his former GMTV presenting style by doing one round from a sofa at the side of the set.

Gameshow contestant[link]

In September and October 2005 Holmes appeared as a celebrity contestant in Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon,^[25] progressing through to Sale of the Century before getting knocked out.^{[citation needed]}

In 2007 he appeared on All Star Family Fortunes^[26] with his brothers where they defeated Holly Willoughby's family but failed to win the top prize for their nominated charity.^{[citation needed]}

Holmes has made appearances on Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes^[27] as Johnny Cash^[28] and on The All Star Impressions Show as Elvis Presley.^[29][30] In May 2012, Holmes along with Ruth Langsford played Who wants to be a Millionaire? for charity.

Other TV appearances[link]

• Holmes has occasionally presented Songs of Praise^[31]
• Holmes has appeared on the judging panel for the Pride of Britain Awards a few times.
• Holmes is a former host of Holiday on BBC One^[15]
• In 1995 he replaced Des Lynam as co-host of How Do They Do That? with Jenny Hull^[32]
• In 2001, he appeared at WWE Insurrextion in Earls Court Exhibition Centre.
• Holmes was the guest host for an episode of The Friday Night Project for Channel 4^[33]
• In 2008, he made a guest appearance in the BBC Three sketch show, Little Miss Jocelyn^[34]
• In 2007, he presented Eamonn Holmes' 50 Film Favourites shown on EMAP Performance TV's music channels, including The Hits^{[citation needed]}
• In 2008, he authored a film for ITV1 called The Troubles I've Seen in which he and other famous faces from Northern Ireland recalled growing up in there during The Troubles.^[35][36] The film was nominated for a Sandford St Martin Award in 2009.^[37] The Troubles I've Seen was a Bite Yer Legs production^[37]
• In January–March 2009 he hosted fitness programme The Feelgood Factor on ITV1 with Myleene Klass^[38][39]
• In late 2009, he presented The Friday Show, a six-part entertainment series for BBC Northern Ireland alongside I'd Do Anything star Rachel Tucker^[40]
• In April 2010 he appeared in an episode of the hit-drama Shameless^[41][42]
• In September 2010 Holmes appeared on the The King is Dead episode "Assistant Regional Head of Sales"^[43][44]

• On 3 December 2011 Holmes appeared on an episode of The Chase: Celebrity Specials playing for a charity of his choice.
• In Spring 2012 Eamonn will appear as a panellist on Mad Mad World for ITV

• In 2012 Holmes made a cameo appearance as himself in an episode of the UK TV comedy drama Stella.

Radio[link]

Holmes presented The Eamonn Holmes Show on Radio 5 Live on Saturday mornings between 9 and 11am for 6 years. The last edition of this programme was aired on 30 May 2009 as Holmes' contract with the BBC was not renewed.^[45]

He also took over Michael Parkinson's Sunday morning show on Radio 2 for a few weeks in 2008^[27] and hosted his own programme on London radio station Magic 105.4.^[27]

Controversies[link]

While presenting This Morning in October 2011, Holmes described singer Jonathan Wilkes as a "retard" on air. He later apologised after complaints and calls for him to be sacked. Holmes said "I have to say sorry to three or four of you who are upset because I used the word retarded. You seem to have taken it personally or think I am being insulting. I would never want to do that. There is this man who has an autistic child and said I insulted his child. I would never use it in that context. Sorry if that caused you offence"^[46][47] The other presenters laughed.^[48]

Also in October 2011, Holmes provoked criticism by suggesting that a rape victim should take taxis in future, leading to accusations of victim blaming.^[49]

[edit] The Impressions Show portrayal and controversy

In November 2009, the impressionist Jon Culshaw appeared as Holmes on The Impressions Show in a series of three comedy sketches in which he was portrayed as having an appetite so uncontrollable that he eats a sofa, flowers and even a guest (Frankie Dettori), using the catchphrase 'I was fierce hungry, so I was'. Even though Holmes had interviewed Culshaw and his co-star Debra Stephenson on This Morning to promote the show,^[50] after the programme aired the presenter instructed his lawyers to send a letter of complaint to the BBC.^[51] The letter resulted in an apology from the BBC along with a withdrawal of any future comedy sketches featuring Holmes.^[52] Both the complaint itself and the outcome of Holmes's legal action drew generally unfavourable criticism from media observers and online commentators.^{[53][54][55][56]}

Writing[link]

Holmes writes a column for The People newspaper.^[57]

Eamonn Holmes' autobiography was released in May 2006.^[58] The autobiography is called This is MY Life, a reference to another famous Irish Eamonn - Eamonn Andrews, who he was named after.^[7][27] It reveals some of what occurred behind the scenes during his tenure at GMTV, particularly regarding his stormy relationship with Anthea Turner.^[7]

Manchester United[link]

Holmes is a lifelong fan of Manchester United.^[5] In December 2005, he opened the eulogies at the funeral of football legend George Best.^[59] He also introduced Ole Gunnar Solskjær at his testimonial against R.C.D. Espanyol.^{[citation needed]}

Charitable interests[link]

Holmes is a Patron of the charity Kids for Kids^[60] which helps villages in Darfur.

Honours[link]

In 2006 Holmes was awarded an honorary degree by Queen's University Belfast.^[1][61] He has also received an honorary degree from the University of Staffordshire.^[62]

Personal life[link]

Eamonn Holmes married his long term partner Ruth Langsford at Elvetham Hall in Hampshire on 26 June 2010.^[12] The couple sold exclusive rights to report on the wedding ceremony and the reception to Hello! magazine in a deal that saw the publication feature the event over two issues, in July 2010.^[63] The couple have a son called Jack; Holmes has three children - Declan, Rebecca and Niall - from his first marriage.^[12]

Eamonn is one of five boys. He has an older brother called Leonard, and three younger brothers called Brian, Colm and Conor.

Eamonn Holmes is opposed to LGBT parenting. He once told two gay male parents in a year 2000 GMTV episode that "You are not meant to have children. You are going against nature!"^[64]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Eamonn Holmes at itv.com
• Eamonn Holmes at the Internet Movie Database
• EamonnHolmes Twitter
• Eamonn's final split from show and wife Manchester Evening News, 27 April 2005
• 'Very few people scare me' Northern Echo, 8 May 2006

v t e Sky News in the United Kingdom British Sky Broadcasting Programmes Sky News Sunrise The Live Desk Sky News Today Boulton & Co Afternoon Live Live at Five Jeff Randall Live News, Sport & Weather Sky News at Ten Sky News Tonight Sky Midnight News CBS Evening News Sky News On The Hour Sky World News Saturday Live Weekend Lunchtime Sky News at Seven Murnaghan Reporters and presenters Main Anna Botting Adam Boulton Colin Brazier Lukwesa Burak Kay Burley Stephen Dixon Lorna Dunkley Charlotte Hawkins Eamonn Holmes Sarah Hewson Gillian Joseph Mark Longhurst Dermot Murnaghan Jeff Randall Samantha Simmonds Martin Stanford Jeremy Thompson Andrew Wilson Business Dharshini David Joel Hills Sport Jacquie Beltrao Rob Curling Jon Desborough Karthi Gnanasegaram Lisa Knights Sarah-Jane Mee Nick Powell Chris Skudder Matt Teale Charlie Thomas Graeme Winch Weather Nazaneen Ghaffar Isobel Lang Denise Nurse Jo Wheeler Other Philippa Hall Anna Jones Ashish Joshi Lisa Knights Sarah-Jane Mee Paula Middlehurst Tim Marshall Gemma Morris Chloe Potter Jayne Secker Matt Smith Category

Paula Patton
Paula Patton, December 2011
Born	Paula Maxine Patton (1975-12-05) December 5, 1975 (age 36) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Southern California (USC Film School)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2005–present
Spouse	Robin Thicke (2005-present)
Website
www.paula-patton.com

Paula Maxine Patton (born December 5, 1975) is an American actress. She is known for her appearances in the films Idlewild (2006), Déjà Vu (2006), Mirrors (2008), Swing Vote (2008), Precious (2009), Just Wright (2010), Jumping the Broom (2011), and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011).

Early life and career[link]

Patton was born in Los Angeles, California to Joyce (née Vanraden), a European American school teacher, and Charles Patton, an African American lawyer. She graduated from Hamilton High School,^[1][2][3] and then started college at UC Berkeley,^[4] transferring to USC Film School after her first year and graduating magna cum laude. Shortly after completing her studies, she won a three-month assignment making documentaries for PBS. Later she worked for the Discovery Health Channel as producer for the show Medical Diaries.^[2]

Career[link]

Her first acting role was a small part in 2005's Hitch, which starred Will Smith and Eva Mendes. She followed that with a small part in the drama London and appeared alongside OutKast members Andre Benjamin and Big Boi in Idlewild.

Patton's big break came in 2006 when she landed the pivotal role of Claire Kuchever in the science-fiction thriller Déjà Vu, starring Denzel Washington and Val Kilmer. She played television reporter Kate Madison in 2008's Swing Vote. She appeared in the film Mirrors, alongside Kiefer Sutherland, in 2008. She also appeared in her husband Robin Thicke's "Lost Without You" video in 2006. In Precious, Patton plays Blu Rain, a teacher at an alternative high school in New York. There she encounters and mentors the main character, Precious.

In the fall of 2010, Patton was announced as succeeding Sharon Stone as the new full-time assistant district attorney on the NBC legal drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.^[5] However, Patton landed the lead female role in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and thus her role on SVU was reduced to one episode. She was replaced by Melissa Sagemiller.^[6]

Personal life[link]

Patton is married to songwriter/singer Robin Thicke, son of Alan Thicke and Gloria Loring. Their son, named Julian Fuego, was born on April 6, 2010.^[7]

Other work[link]

Patton provided additional singing vocals for Usher on his 2004 album Confessions. She provided the female vocal counterpart on the song "Can U Handle It?" which was co-written by her husband Robin Thicke.^[8]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Paula Patton

• Paula Patton at the Internet Movie Database
• Official website

This biography of a livning person includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (September 2009)

Russ Parr Morning Show
(Russ Parr In the Morning)

Genre	Comedy, Talk, Mainstream Urban, Hip Hop/R&B
Running time	4 hours (approximately)
Country	United States
Home station	WKYS in Washington, D.C.
Starring	Russ Parr Olivia Foxx(former) Alfredas Albert Brother Jay Kay-kay Marcel (former) Shaqwana SupaKen
Creators	American Urban Radio Networks (AURN), Radio One
Producers	Russ Parr
Air dates	since 1996
Website	[1]

Russ Parr (born 1959 in California) is an American radio and television personality.

Career[link]

Parr began as a Production Services Director at ABC TV. He also worked as a stand-up comic for eight years, performing his first show as an opening act for Joan Rivers in Santa Monica, California. Parr also found parts on a number of television shows including Martin (TV series), Jenny Jones (presenter), and Turnstyle, and appeared in television commercials for Kodak, Thrifty's, and McDonald's. Parr having no success, left Hollywood in 1989 and found his niche working as a disc jockey on KJMZ in Dallas, Texas.

Before Parr began as a radio personality, however, he had a recording career under the pseudonym Bobby Jimmy. In the mid 1980s, he owned and ran his own recording label, Rapsur Records. On it he released records by his band Bobby Jimmy and the Critters. They had a few hits, including "Roaches" (a spoof of Timex Social Club's song "Rumors"); "We Like Ugly Women", "One Glove" (a song satirizing Michael Jackson), and their biggest hit, "Ugly Knuckle Butt", which still gets airplay on such outlets as the Doctor Demento Show. They managed to put out three albums before fading into obscurity and eventually disbanding. Bobby Jimmy & The Critters (Russ Parr) was also recognized as part of the original N.W.A. "posse" & credited on their 1st album "N.W.A. & The Posse" (1987).

In 1989, he left Hollywood, California where he was a morning host on Los Angeles' 1580 KDAY, the first all hip-hop radio station, for Texas. Parr went to Dallas where he worked at KJMZ 100.3 JAMZ. He also started FLAVA TV, which enabled him to direct, write, and act.

In 1996 he moved to Washington D.C. and signed on at Radio One's 93.9 WKYS-FM where he began the Russ Parr Morning Show w Olivia Foxx. By Spring 1997 the show was #1 in the DC radio market. In December 2002 Foxx left and the show went national. Georgia Foy(known as Alfredas) --Parr's former co host in TX—joined as Foxx's replacement.

Parr made his directing debut with the 2006 drama The Last Stand. He also directed the roast of John Witherspoon as well as the comedies Love for Sale, Something Like a Business, and 35 and Ticking. His next film is the upcoming comedy-drama The Under Shepherd.

Currently, Parr is the host of the nationally syndicated Russ Parr Morning Show heard weekdays by more than 3.2 million listeners in 45 U.S. cities. He also hosts a weekend show, On Air with Russ Parr, which can be heard on more than 40 different radio stations. Aside from his radio gigs, Parr is also the co-host of the TV One dating show Get The Hook Up.

External links[link]

• The Official Russ Parr Website
• Official Russ Parr Morning Show Website
• Interview with Russ Parr & Biography on westcoastpioneers
• Russ Parr Morning Show on American Urban Radio Networks
• On the Air with Russ Parr on American Urban Radio Networks
• The Last Stand - The Drama of Comedy A Russ Parr Film (Warner Home Video)
• Russ Parr discusses THE LAST STAND on Reelblack TV