Lesley Joseph
Encyclopedia
Lesley D Joseph is an English
actress and broadcaster
.
. She is best known for starring in the BBC
sitcom Birds of a Feather
from 1989–1998, in which she played Dorien Green, the Jewish next-door neighbour of the main characters Sharon and Tracy. Dorien was a snob and maneater who tried to convey the impression of being happily married to Marcus, an accountant
, but whose chief interest was actually chasing after much younger men. The character considered herself stylish and irresistably attractive, and usually dressed in a sexually provocative style.
She also appeared in the video for Tribal Dance
by 2 Unlimited
.
She starred in the ITV
soap Night and Day through its entire run from 2001 to 2003, playing the show's resident bitch Rachel Culgrin.
In 2002, Joseph appeared on a special edition of What Not to Wear, where she was given a makeover by Trinny Woodall
and Susannah Constantine
.
In 2004 she starred in The Vagina Monologues
alongside Linda Robson
and Mica Paris
.
She also appeared on My Bare Lady
and The BBC's Ready, Steady, Cook, alongside I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! winner Christopher Biggins
.
In 2006, she was a guest on the ITV1 late night game show 'The Mint' which was broadcast late into the night and encouraged viewers to phone the show to take part in the various games that would see the winner walk away with often thousands of pounds.
Joseph began a radio show in 2008 on BBC London 94.9
with Christopher Biggins, airing every Sunday between 9 am - 12 pm. Biggins left the show after a few months, but Joseph has continued to host. She also stands in for Vanessa Feltz
on her weekday morning talk when Feltz is on holiday.
She was a contestant on the second series of The Underdog Show
, and was eliminated in week four.
Joseph also appeared on Celebrity Come Dine With Me
on Channel 4
, week commencing 12 January 2009 and again week commencing 17 October 2011 and won the second one.
She was the celebrity in Cash in the Celebrity Attic
on BBC 2, on 21 January 2009.
She starred in Cinderella at Plymouth Theatre Royal in 2008 and the Orchard Theatre Dartford in 2009, and starred as Myra Wilson in the UK Tour of Hot Flush!
From the 4th December 2010 to the 22nd January 2011 she appeared at The Grand Opera House, Belfast as the Wicked Queen in the pantomime
'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
'.
In summer 2011, she appeared as Chris in the hit stage show Calendar Girls
. The play is based on the film of the same name, and is in its second year of touring.
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...
actress and broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
.
Life and career
Joseph was born in NorthamptonNorthampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
. She is best known for starring in 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...
sitcom Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather
Birds of a Feather was a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC1 from 1989 until 1998. Starring Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph, it was created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, who also wrote some of the episodes along with many other writers.The first episode sees sisters...
from 1989–1998, in which she played Dorien Green, the Jewish next-door neighbour of the main characters Sharon and Tracy. Dorien was a snob and maneater who tried to convey the impression of being happily married to Marcus, an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
, but whose chief interest was actually chasing after much younger men. The character considered herself stylish and irresistably attractive, and usually dressed in a sexually provocative style.
Subsequent activity:
At the height of Joseph's fame she fronted the National Egg Awareness Campaign in 1993.She also appeared in the video for Tribal Dance
Tribal Dance
"Tribal Dance" was the second single to be released by the band 2 Unlimited from their second album No Limits.The song was released in the UK in May 1993 and peaked at #4 for 2 weeks and spent a total of 11 weeks in the UK Singles Chart....
by 2 Unlimited
2 Unlimited
2 Unlimited is a Dutch Eurodance/Hi-NRG act formed in 1991. The project was the brainchild of Belgian producers Jean-Paul DeCoster and Phil Wilde, and was fronted by a Dutch duo, rapper Ray Slijngaard and singer Anita Doth. During five years of enormous worldwide popularity, the act scored 16 chart...
.
She starred in 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...
soap Night and Day through its entire run from 2001 to 2003, playing the show's resident bitch Rachel Culgrin.
In 2002, Joseph appeared on a special edition of What Not to Wear, where she was given a makeover by Trinny Woodall
Trinny Woodall
Trinny Woodall is an English fashion advisor and designer, television presenter and author. She was raised in a wealthy family and was privately educated...
and Susannah Constantine
Susannah Constantine
Susannah Caroline Constantine is an English fashion journalist, advisor, television presenter, author and designer. Her second book, entitled What Not to Wear, has won her a prestigious British Book Award and sold 670,000 copies....
.
In 2004 she starred in The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
alongside Linda Robson
Linda Robson
Linda Patricia Mary Robson is an English actress. She played Tracey in the BBC comedy, Birds of a Feather from 1989 to 1998.-Personal life and education:...
and Mica Paris
Mica Paris
Mica Paris is an English soul singer, radio and television presenter, and occasional actress. Her forename is pronounced Misha.-Beginnings:Paris' roots are in soul and gospel music...
.
She also appeared on My Bare Lady
My Bare Lady
My Bare Lady is a 2006 United Kingdom-based reality TV show that aired on the Fox Reality Channel. The series followed four American female porn stars as they took acting lessons and performed in scenes from classic drama alongside British actors in London's West End...
and The BBC's Ready, Steady, Cook, alongside I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! winner Christopher Biggins
Christopher Biggins
Christopher Kenneth Biggins is an English actor and media personality.-Career:Biggins was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England and brought up in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where he took elocution lessons and participated in local drama groups...
.
In 2006, she was a guest on the ITV1 late night game show 'The Mint' which was broadcast late into the night and encouraged viewers to phone the show to take part in the various games that would see the winner walk away with often thousands of pounds.
Joseph began a radio show in 2008 on BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9 is London's BBC Local Radio station, and part of BBC London. Broadcasting across Greater London and beyond on 94.9 FM, DAB, Virgin Media Channel 930, Sky Channel 0152 and also online...
with Christopher Biggins, airing every Sunday between 9 am - 12 pm. Biggins left the show after a few months, but Joseph has continued to host. She also stands in for Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa Feltz
Vanessa Jane Feltz is an English television personality, broadcaster and journalist. She currently presents an early morning radio show on BBC Radio 2, a mid morning phone-in show on BBC London 94.9. In 2011, she started hosting The Vanessa Show on Channel 5. The first series ended on June 24th...
on her weekday morning talk when Feltz is on holiday.
She was a contestant on the second series of The Underdog Show
The Underdog Show
The Underdog Show was a six week television series presented by Julian Clary and his dog, Valerie. The series was produced by the independent production company Splash Media.-Format:...
, and was eliminated in week four.
Joseph also appeared on Celebrity 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...
on 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...
, week commencing 12 January 2009 and again week commencing 17 October 2011 and won the second one.
She was the celebrity in Cash in the Celebrity Attic
Cash in the Attic
Cash in the Attic, also Cash in the Celebrity Attic, is a UK television show on the BBC. The show, made by , premièred in 2002 and has run for sixteen series; as of February 2010, the seventeenth series is currently in production, along with the fifth celebrity series...
on BBC 2, on 21 January 2009.
She starred in Cinderella at Plymouth Theatre Royal in 2008 and the Orchard Theatre Dartford in 2009, and starred as Myra Wilson in the UK Tour of Hot Flush!
From the 4th December 2010 to the 22nd January 2011 she appeared at The Grand Opera House, Belfast as the Wicked Queen in the pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White
"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
'.
In summer 2011, she appeared as Chris in the hit stage show Calendar Girls
Calendar Girls
Calendar Girls is a 2003 comedy film directed by Nigel Cole. Produced by Buena Vista International and Touchstone Pictures, it features a screenplay by Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi based on a true story of a group of Yorkshire women who produced a nude calendar to raise money for Leukaemia...
. The play is based on the film of the same name, and is in its second year of touring.
TV: Since 2007
- 100 Greatest TV ADS .... Herself (1 episode, 2010)
- Let's Dance for Comic ReliefLet's Dance for Comic ReliefLet's Dance for Comic Relief is a British television programme shown on BBC One, featuring celebrities performing famous dance routines to raise money for the charity Comic Relief. The programme is currently presented by Steve Jones and Alex Jones, who replaced previous host Claudia Winkleman in...
.... Herself (2 episodes, 2010) - Loose WomenLoose WomenLoose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
.... Herself (4 episodes, 2006–09) - Hells Kitchen .... Herself (3 episodes, 2004–09)
- Cash in the Celebrity Attic .... Herself (1 episode, 2009)
- Come Dine with MeCome Dine With MeCome 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...
.... Herself (5 episodes, 2009) - The Greatest Christmas Comedy Moments (2008) (TV) .... Herself
- Comedy Classics .... Herself (2 episodes, 2008)
- Ready, Steady, Cook .... Herself (1 episode, 2007)
- Children in NeedChildren in NeedChildren in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
.... Herself / ... (2 episodes, 2002–07) - Kings of 70s Romance (2007) (TV) (voice) .... Herself - Narrator
- This MorningThis Morning (TV series)This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
(2009—) .... Herself - Regular Newspaper Reviewer - Celebrity Eggheads (2010) ....Contestant
External links
- Lesley Joseph (Official Website).