Jan Leeming
Encyclopedia
Jan Leeming is a British
TV presenter and newsreader
.
, England
, and educated at the St. Joseph's Convent Grammar School, she worked as an actress and presenter in Australia
and New Zealand
before becoming a well-known face on British television in regional and children's programmes. After a stint presenting the BBC One
afternoon show Pebble Mill at One
between 1974 and 1979, she became one of the UK's best known newsreaders in the 1980s on the same channel for most of the decade, and also hosted the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest.
She has kept a relatively low profile since leaving the newsroom in 1987, with bit parts and one-off specials including as a stand-in newsreader for the Channel 4
's breakfast show The Big Breakfast
during the 1990s. Her most recent appearances include one as herself in the film Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?
, starring Tom Courtenay
, in 1999; and latterly on The Harry Hill Show; So Graham Norton
; Lowri
; Good Morning Australia
; Esther
and Through the Keyhole
. At the Barbican
she presented the RAF Concert
to mark the 60th Anniversary
of the Battle of Britain
.
Since 2000 much of her time has been spent in corporate work and her longtime passion working with a Cheetah
conservation charity in South Africa
. She appeared in Safari School
, a reality television
series, which was first broadcast on BBC Two
during January and February 2007.
. Jan has done a record number of six 'Bush Tucker' trials. For one of the trials Jan volunteered and for the other five she was voted to do them by the British public. Some of Jan’s trials have included being lowered into a dark tunnel with various unpleasant creatures, shut in a box amongst snakes, jumping out of a plane at 14,000 feet to catch falling stars and perhaps one of the most disgusting trials: having to eat various insects and Australian delicacies in order to win food for camp. During that trial Jan ate a vomit fruit and a witchety grub smoothie
. However, she refused to eat a kangaroo's eye
, tongue
, anus
and reproductive organs. Jan was evicted on the 19th day of the series where she came 6th.
Leeming's last name is taken from her former lover, Owen Leeming, with whom she was romantically involved after her first marriage. While she did not inherit the name through a marriage ceremony, she nevertheless chose to use it as her professional name.
On 22 August 2007 Leeming was a special guest in an episode of the live television programme Doctor, Doctor
broadcast on channel Five, in which she talked with the presenter and GP, Mark Porter
, about the clinical depression
that she used to suffer from. She reported that she had been free of depression for about 10 years since recovering with counselling, medical help, and by taking Prozac
antidepressant tablets.
On 23 September 2008, Jan appeared on MSN Entertainment stating she had joined a dating agency website, Kindred Spirits, Jan added it's a "civilised way of meeting people with similar attitudes".
In February 2010, Jan appeared in a special celebrity episode of the dining programme, "Come Dine With Me
" for Channel 4.
She is a patron of the charity Fight for Sight (U.K.)
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
TV presenter and newsreader
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
.
Career
Born Janet Atkins in KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and educated at the St. Joseph's Convent Grammar School, she worked as an actress and presenter in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
before becoming a well-known face on British television in regional and children's programmes. After a stint presenting the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
afternoon show Pebble Mill at One
Pebble Mill at One
Pebble Mill at One was a popular British lunchtime chat show broadcast live originally on BBC2 before transferring to BBC1. It was produced from the Pebble Mill facilities of BBC Birmingham, and uniquely was hosted from the centre's main reception area rather than a traditional studio...
between 1974 and 1979, she became one of the UK's best known newsreaders in the 1980s on the same channel for most of the decade, and also hosted the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest.
She has kept a relatively low profile since leaving the newsroom in 1987, with bit parts and one-off specials including as a stand-in newsreader for the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's breakfast show The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 and S4C each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002 during which period 2,482 shows were produced. The Big Breakfast was produced by Planet 24, the production company co-owned by former...
during the 1990s. Her most recent appearances include one as herself in the film Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?
Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?
Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? is a film written by Ben Steiner, directed by Peter Hewitt and released in 1999. The British movie was filmed in Sheffield....
, starring Tom Courtenay
Tom Courtenay
Sir Thomas Daniel "Tom" Courtenay is an English actor who came to prominence in the early 1960s with a succession of films including The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner , Billy Liar , and Dr. Zhivago . Since the mid-1960s he has been known primarily for his work in the theatre...
, in 1999; and latterly on The Harry Hill Show; So Graham Norton
So Graham Norton
So Graham Norton is a British television programme, hosted by Irish personality Graham Norton. It ran from 3 July 1998 to 1 March 2002.-Theme:...
; Lowri
Lowri Turner
Lowri Gwyneth Turner is a British television presenter, journalist, nutritional therapist and hypnotherapist.-Personal life:...
; Good Morning Australia
Good Morning Australia
Good Morning Australia from Network Ten was the name of two different programs. This article is for Bert Newton's morning program, not to be confused with the breakfast news program of the same name....
; Esther
Esther
Esther , born Hadassah, is the eponymous heroine of the Biblical Book of Esther.According to the Bible, she was a Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus...
and 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...
. At the Barbican
Barbican
A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from medieval Latin barbecana, signifying the "outer fortification of a city or castle," with cognates in the Romance languages A barbican, from...
she presented the RAF Concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
to mark the 60th Anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
of the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
.
Since 2000 much of her time has been spent in corporate work and her longtime passion working with a Cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
conservation charity in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. She appeared in Safari School
Safari School
Safari School is a BBC Two reality television series presented by Dr Charlotte Uhlenbroek in which eight celebrities take part in a four week ranger training course in the Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa.-Synopsis:...
, a reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series, which was first broadcast on 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...
during January and February 2007.
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
In November 2006, Jan was a contestant on the new series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! on ITVITV
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...
. Jan has done a record number of six 'Bush Tucker' trials. For one of the trials Jan volunteered and for the other five she was voted to do them by the British public. Some of Jan’s trials have included being lowered into a dark tunnel with various unpleasant creatures, shut in a box amongst snakes, jumping out of a plane at 14,000 feet to catch falling stars and perhaps one of the most disgusting trials: having to eat various insects and Australian delicacies in order to win food for camp. During that trial Jan ate a vomit fruit and a witchety grub smoothie
Smoothie
A smoothie is a blended and sometimes sweetened beverage made from fresh fruit and in special cases can contain chocolate or peanut butter. In addition to fruit, many smoothies include crushed ice, frozen fruit, honey or contain syrup and ice ingredients...
. However, she refused to eat a kangaroo's eye
Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
, tongue
Tongue
The tongue is a muscular hydrostat on the floors of the mouths of most vertebrates which manipulates food for mastication. It is the primary organ of taste , as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly...
, anus
Anus
The anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest,...
and reproductive organs. Jan was evicted on the 19th day of the series where she came 6th.
Personal life
Leeming has been married five times:- BBC sound engineer John Staple, in 1961.
- Estate agentEstate agentAn estate agent is a person or business that arranges the selling, renting or management of properties, and other buildings, in the United Kingdom and Ireland. An agent that specialises in renting is often called a letting or management agent...
Jeremy Gilchrist (1972–1973). - BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
announcer and news reader Patrick Lunt (1980–1986). Leeming and Lunt had one child Jonathan in 1981. - RAF Red ArrowsRed ArrowsThe Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton, but due to move to RAF Waddington in 2011...
pilot Eric Steenson (1988–1995). Leeming became stepmother to Steenson's two children. - Kent headmaster Chris Russell in 1997.
Leeming's last name is taken from her former lover, Owen Leeming, with whom she was romantically involved after her first marriage. While she did not inherit the name through a marriage ceremony, she nevertheless chose to use it as her professional name.
On 22 August 2007 Leeming was a special guest in an episode of the live television programme Doctor, Doctor
Doctor, Doctor (Five TV)
Doctor, Doctor is a live talk show broadcast on British television on Five hosted by the presenters Mark Porter and Raj Persaud...
broadcast on channel Five, in which she talked with the presenter and GP, Mark Porter
Mark Porter (doctor)
Mark Porter, MBE is a GP and medical correspondent for The Times. He also has a weekly programme on Radio 4 called Case Notes and joined The One Show on BBC One in 2011....
, about the clinical depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
that she used to suffer from. She reported that she had been free of depression for about 10 years since recovering with counselling, medical help, and by taking Prozac
Fluoxetine
Fluoxetine is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class. It is manufactured and marketed by Eli Lilly and Company...
antidepressant tablets.
On 23 September 2008, Jan appeared on MSN Entertainment stating she had joined a dating agency website, Kindred Spirits, Jan added it's a "civilised way of meeting people with similar attitudes".
In February 2010, Jan appeared in a special celebrity episode of the dining programme, "Come Dine With Me
Come Dine With Me
Come Dine With Me is a popular Channel 4 television programme shown in the United Kingdom, produced by Granada Television and first broadcast in January 2005. The show has either four or five amateur chefs competing against each other hosting a dinner party for the other contestants...
" for Channel 4.
She is a patron of the charity Fight for Sight (U.K.)
Fight for Sight (U.K.)
Fight for Sight is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to funding world-class research into the prevention and treatment of blindness and eye disease....
.