Julian Simmons
Encyclopedia
Julian Lynus Simmons is a Northern Irish
television presenter, best known as a continuity announcer on UTV
, mainly covering weekend evenings.
, on Friday evenings, where he puts on a tragic James Young
impression and refers to recent story developments on the programme. When talking about his Coronation Street introductions, he comments that he is "...imitating what I [hear] people say on trains and on buses... people talk about the soaps as if it's happening to real people."
In addition to announcing the following programmes, Simmons also introduces competitions under the Watch to Win banner. He can also sometimes be seen presenting UTV weather forecasts.
His favourite catchphrase, usually heard when announcing the latest episode of Coronation Street, is: "And now on the UTV...".
at their offices in the city. In Julian (a documentary produced for the Belfast community television station NVTV), he observed: "Somebody saw me in a Belfast comedy, and said that 'You should be on TV, I know somebody who you should speak to'. So I set my letter in, and duly arrived up at Havelock House, with amateur tapes that I had made of comedy sketches that I was performing in my kitchen, and bathroom, and bedroom... and I presented those and they listened to them and said, 'Yes, those are quite funny, but there's no opening for that sort of thing here at the moment. Here's a news bulletin, let's hear you read that.'" Simmons was then offered a six-week trial as an announcer at Ulster Television.
When he started working at UTV, Simmons' job involved reading news and sports bulletins as well as introducing the channel's programmes, but he felt uneasy with newsreading. "I didn't know what I was talking about... My main worry when I was reading the news was...you are worried about making a mistake, but I was also worried I was going to laugh. I have this thing if I'm hearing bad news, or someone goes to tell me something grave... it must be a nervous thing, I feel myself starting to smirk. So I was always terrifed that when I was reading the news that I was going to laugh."
In the 2005 Julian documentary, Simmons describes how his continuity duties eventually changed: "Continuity was very straight... and then one Christmas, I was in for four or five days over the Christmas period, all done up like a dog's dinner and a dickie bow... no news to read, so I started introducing these programmes and acting 'a bit of the lig' in between the programmes. And it went down very well, apparently. They decided I would do permanently weekends: Friday/Saturday/Sunday primetime, where the programmes are all entertainment; nothing hard or heavy."
Between October 2006 and February 2009, Simmons appeared on UTV Live
and UTV Life to talk about upcoming storylines on Coronation Street
and Emmerdale
, the two main soap operas shown on UTV. He has also presented the light-hearted archive series, UTV Rewind and the travel series Come Fly with Julian.
In addition to his presenting career at UTV, Simmons starred in the film Wild About Harry, playing the role of Michael Bay.
, and spent his holidays in his parents' native Kent
. Simmons had an interest in drama at a young age; he held puppet shows at his home and appeared in amateur drama productions. Before his broadcasting career began, Simmons worked in travel agencies in Belfast, and later worked for Air Canada in Belfast and London between 1978 and 1997, combining this with his announcing work for UTV.
In a newspaper interview in 2008, Simmons came out
as gay
.
In September 2011, it was announced that Simmons had undergone surgery for a quadruple heart bypass. He returned to his announcing role at UTV on 3 November 2011 after a four month break.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
television presenter, best known as a continuity announcer on UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
, mainly covering weekend evenings.
Present role
Simmons usually introduces programmes on the station in-vision and is mainly associated with his links into what he has described as his favourite programme, Coronation StreetCoronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, on Friday evenings, where he puts on a tragic James Young
James Young (comedian)
James Young , also known as Jimmie Young, was a comedian born in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland and brought up in Belfast.He performed both on the stage and on television, as well as selling over a quarter of a million records...
impression and refers to recent story developments on the programme. When talking about his Coronation Street introductions, he comments that he is "...imitating what I [hear] people say on trains and on buses... people talk about the soaps as if it's happening to real people."
In addition to announcing the following programmes, Simmons also introduces competitions under the Watch to Win banner. He can also sometimes be seen presenting UTV weather forecasts.
His favourite catchphrase, usually heard when announcing the latest episode of Coronation Street, is: "And now on the UTV...".
Broadcasting career
Simmons' career in broadcasting began when he appeared in amateur drama productions in Belfast while working for Air CanadaAir Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
at their offices in the city. In Julian (a documentary produced for the Belfast community television station NVTV), he observed: "Somebody saw me in a Belfast comedy, and said that 'You should be on TV, I know somebody who you should speak to'. So I set my letter in, and duly arrived up at Havelock House, with amateur tapes that I had made of comedy sketches that I was performing in my kitchen, and bathroom, and bedroom... and I presented those and they listened to them and said, 'Yes, those are quite funny, but there's no opening for that sort of thing here at the moment. Here's a news bulletin, let's hear you read that.'" Simmons was then offered a six-week trial as an announcer at Ulster Television.
When he started working at UTV, Simmons' job involved reading news and sports bulletins as well as introducing the channel's programmes, but he felt uneasy with newsreading. "I didn't know what I was talking about... My main worry when I was reading the news was...you are worried about making a mistake, but I was also worried I was going to laugh. I have this thing if I'm hearing bad news, or someone goes to tell me something grave... it must be a nervous thing, I feel myself starting to smirk. So I was always terrifed that when I was reading the news that I was going to laugh."
In the 2005 Julian documentary, Simmons describes how his continuity duties eventually changed: "Continuity was very straight... and then one Christmas, I was in for four or five days over the Christmas period, all done up like a dog's dinner and a dickie bow... no news to read, so I started introducing these programmes and acting 'a bit of the lig' in between the programmes. And it went down very well, apparently. They decided I would do permanently weekends: Friday/Saturday/Sunday primetime, where the programmes are all entertainment; nothing hard or heavy."
Between October 2006 and February 2009, Simmons appeared on UTV Live
UTV Live
UTV Live is the name of the regional news service broadcast on UTV, the ITV region in Northern Ireland. The first edition of the programme was transmitted on Monday 4 January 1993.-Weekday bulletins:*13:55...
and UTV Life to talk about upcoming storylines on Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
and Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
, the two main soap operas shown on UTV. He has also presented the light-hearted archive series, UTV Rewind and the travel series Come Fly with Julian.
In addition to his presenting career at UTV, Simmons starred in the film Wild About Harry, playing the role of Michael Bay.
Personal life
As a young boy, Simmons attended Belmont Primary School and Methodist CollegeMethodist College Belfast
Methodist College Belfast , styled locally as Methody, is a voluntary grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland, one of eight Northern Irish schools represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, and is a member of the Independent Schools Council...
, and spent his holidays in his parents' native Kent
Kent
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...
. Simmons had an interest in drama at a young age; he held puppet shows at his home and appeared in amateur drama productions. Before his broadcasting career began, Simmons worked in travel agencies in Belfast, and later worked for Air Canada in Belfast and London between 1978 and 1997, combining this with his announcing work for UTV.
In a newspaper interview in 2008, Simmons came out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
.
In September 2011, it was announced that Simmons had undergone surgery for a quadruple heart bypass. He returned to his announcing role at UTV on 3 November 2011 after a four month break.