Catherine Gee
Encyclopedia
Catherine Gee is a television presenter and property expert who took over as the host of the popular ITV
daytime makeover show 60 Minute Makeover
in 2011. Prior to this she was best known for presenting the BBC
relocation programme, Escape to the Country
and being the location presenter on the long-running BBC Two
panel game Through the Keyhole
. She also ran Country Living
's The Farmer Wants a Wife matchmaking campaign, presenting the related television programme.
She has had a range of careers including working as a personal chef in the City
, an estate agent before she joined Country Living as an assistant editor in 1995. It was whilst she was Head of Shows, organising such events as the Country Living Fairs, that in 1999 she became involved in the magazines first matchmaking campaign for farmers The Farmer Wants a Wife. She ran the second campaign which was televised by Thames TV and was nominated for a BAFTA
in 2002.
It was as a result of this that she was spotted and approached by Talkback Productions
to present, firstly, their new BBC2 property relocation show Escape to the Country in 2002, and then to replace Loyd Grossman
in 2004 as, former love interest, Sir David Frost's
location presenter on the long-running Through the Keyhole.
She also presents a UKTV Style
show called A Place by the Sea, and No Place Like Home? on the ITV
network in the UK.
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
daytime makeover show 60 Minute Makeover
60 Minute Makeover
60 Minute Makeover is a British popular daytime home interior design television programme broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom.-Overview:...
in 2011. Prior to this she was best known for presenting the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
relocation programme, Escape to the Country
Escape to the Country
Escape to the Country is a daytime television programme aired on BBC Two. It is currently presented by Jules Hudson, Alistair Appleton, Nicki Chapman, Denise Nurse, Aled Jones and Jonnie Irwin. Previous presenters include Tim Vincent, Catherine Gee, Nick Page and Melissa Porter. In 2010-General...
and being the location presenter on the long-running BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
panel game Through the Keyhole
Through the Keyhole
Through the Keyhole was a British panel game, hosted by Sir David Frost where panellists are given a video tour of a mystery famous guest's property and attempt to identify them. As of 1996, it is produced by David Frost's own production company, Paradine Productions at The Leeds Studios , and has...
. She also ran Country Living
Country Living (magazine)
Country Living is an American lifestyle and decorating magazine published by the Hearst Corporation since 1978. The monthly magazine focuses on cooking, decorating, gardening, and collecting antiques.The current editor-in-chief is Sarah Gray Miller....
's The Farmer Wants a Wife matchmaking campaign, presenting the related television programme.
She has had a range of careers including working as a personal chef in the City
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, an estate agent before she joined Country Living as an assistant editor in 1995. It was whilst she was Head of Shows, organising such events as the Country Living Fairs, that in 1999 she became involved in the magazines first matchmaking campaign for farmers The Farmer Wants a Wife. She ran the second campaign which was televised by Thames TV and was nominated for a BAFTA
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
in 2002.
It was as a result of this that she was spotted and approached by Talkback Productions
Talkback Productions
Talkback Productions was formed in 1981 by Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. The company is one of the UK’s leading production companies and part of the RTL Group, a major European broadcast and content company....
to present, firstly, their new BBC2 property relocation show Escape to the Country in 2002, and then to replace Loyd Grossman
Loyd Grossman
Loyd Daniel Gilman Grossman, OBE, FSA is an American-British television presenter, chef and musician who has mainly worked in the UK.- Early life, education and honours :...
in 2004 as, former love interest, Sir David Frost's
David Frost (broadcaster)
Sir David Paradine Frost, OBE is a British journalist, comedian, writer, media personality and daytime TV game show host best known for his two decades as host of Through the Keyhole and serious interviews with various political figures, the most notable being Richard Nixon...
location presenter on the long-running Through the Keyhole.
She also presents a UKTV Style
UKTV Style
Home is an interior home and garden-oriented lifestyle television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom, as part of the UKTV network of channels. The channel originally launched on 1 November 1997 and relaunched in it's current format on 30 April 2009...
show called A Place by the Sea, and No Place Like Home? on the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network in the UK.