- published: 17 Oct 2012
- views: 43216
Justin Lee Collins, commonly known as JLC, (born 28 July 1974) is an English comedian and television presenter, known for his strong West Country accent, shaggy appearance, and colourful shirts.
Collins is often associated with nostalgia programmes, such as Bring Back..., in which he discusses cult films, music and television programmes. Other notable works include his breakthrough show The Friday Night Project, which he co-presented with Alan Carr, its Sunday spin-off, and The Convention Crasher. In recent years he's presented travel documentaries for channel 5, like Justin Lee Collins: Turning Japanese.
In 2010 Collins made an unsuccessful campaign to represent Britain and Ireland in the annual Eurovision Song Contest with a song written by Ronan Keating. In the same year he also helped launch the Bristol charity Shine Together, which aims to benefit patients at Southmead Hospital.
Collins was born on 28 July 1974 in Southmead, Bristol, to working class parents, Anita and Danny Collins, a self-employed electrician. Collins is an only child. In 1990, Collins left education at Speedwell Technology College (now known as Bristol Brunel Academy) at the age of 15 with no qualifications and started working at Marks & Spencer as a warehouse operative. Three years later he was accepted into Filton College and earned a BTEC in performing arts and drama, thanks to his father, who urged him to pursue his real passion.
Billie Paul Piper (born Lianne Piper, 22 September 1982, in Swindon, Wiltshire) is an English singer and actress.
She began her career in the late 1990s as a pop singer and then switched to acting. She started in acting and dancing and was talent spotted at the Sylvia Young stage school by Smash Hits magazine who wanted a "face" for their magazine. A recording contract was the route given to her. She later decided to retire from singing and refocus on her original ambition, acting. Her most famous role is as Rose Tyler, companion to the Doctor, in the television series Doctor Who from 2005 to 2006, a role she reprised in 2008 and 2010. In 2007, Broadcast magazine listed Piper at no. 6 in its "Hot 100" list of influential on-screen performers, the top woman on the list. From 2007 until 2011, she starred as the high-flying escort Belle de Jour in the TV series Secret Diary of a Call Girl.
When she was selected to appear on the Saturday morning children's television show Scratchy & Co. Piper later landed a role in a television commercial promoting the pop magazine Smash Hits. Piper was offered a record deal at the age of 15, and in 1998 became the youngest artist ever to debut at number one in the UK singles chart with "Because We Want To", released under the stage mononym "Billie". Her follow-up single "Girlfriend" also debuted at number one.