Michael Absalom
Encyclopedia
Michael Absalom more commonly known as Abs, was a regular presenter on CBBC
from 2002 to 2004.
, Stirlingshire, Scotland
, he has lived in many different areas including Barrow-in-Furness
, Cumbria
; Rowlands Castle, Hampshire
and the south west counties of Dorset
and Somerset
. He now lives in West London
.
in 2002, as the resident weatherman
. However, his popularity meant that he soon became a regular presenter in the studio, and before long he was one of CBBC's leading presenters, presenting not only on the digital channel but also making regular appearances on the morning slot on BBC Two
and the occasional appearance on the BBC One
afternoon slot.
were chosen to host Britain's Amazing Mates, in which they toured the country attempting to find 'the best mates in Britain', involving games and activities. This was followed in 2004 by the show Best of Friends
which he presented alongside fellow CBBC presenter Rani Khanijau
. This quickly became one of the most popular shows on CBBC and again highlighted his great natural talent as a children's presenter and also his heart-throb status. At the end of 2004, he left the CBBC studio to present one of their leading shows, Xchange
, on which - again - he achieved very high success.
2005 saw another series of Best of Friends and also the chance of a lifetime, when Absalom and Rani Khanijau filmed several episodes of the show in South Africa
in honour of the BBC's
"Africa Week". During the trip Absalom kept an "African Video Diary", which was shown on Xchange.
Xchange came to an end in March 2006, and another series of Best Of Friends was filmed and screened. In 2008 Abs appeared as a guest presenter on CBBC's Art show SMart
and has now also become a new Sportsround presenter.
Christmas 2008 saw him make his stage debut in 'Aladdin' at The Malvern Theatres, where he played the role of 'Wishee Washee'.
He joined the Eurosport
Alpine Ski World Cup commentary team at the start of the 2006/07 season as co-commentator to John Clark.
He also plays a key role in their Hockey commentary team as well.
Most recently, his voice was heard on "CBBC F1", a Formula One commentary stream on the BBC's interactive TV service.
! Year || Title || Role || Notes
|-
| 2002 || CBBC
|| Himself || Main Continuity Presenter/Weather Man
|-
| rowspan=2 | 2003 || Britain's Amazing Mates || Himself || Main Presenter alongside Anne Foy
|-
| CBBC
|| Himself || Main Continuity Presenter
|-
| rowspan=3 | 2004 || CBBC
|| Himself || Chief Continuity Presenter until October 2004
|-
| Best of Friends
|| Himself || Main Presenter alongside Rani Price
|-
| Xchange
|| Himself || Main Presenter
|-
| rowspan=3 | 2005 || Xchange
|| Himself || Main Presenter
|-
| Best of Friends
|| Himself || Main Presenter alongside Rani Price
|-
| Best of Friends Africa || Himself || As part of BBC's Africa Week
|-
| rowspan=2 | 2006 || Xchange
|| Himself || Main Presenter until the show's demise
|-
| Best of Friends
|| Himself || Main Presenter alongside Rani Price
|-
| rowspan=2 | 2007 || Best of Friends
|| Himself || Main Presenter alongside Rani Price
|-
| Smile
|| Himself || Guest Presenter on final show
|-
| rowspan=3 | 2008 || Best of Friends
|| Himself || Main Presenter alongside Rani Price and Ortis Deley
|-
| SMart
|| Himself || Guest Presenter
|-
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
from 2002 to 2004.
Biography
Born on 13 April 1980 in FalkirkFalkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
, Stirlingshire, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, he has lived in many different areas including Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
, Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
; Rowlands Castle, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and the south west counties of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. He now lives in West London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
CBBC
Absalom made his first appearance on the CBBC ChannelCBBC Channel
CBBC is a BBC television channel aimed at 6 to 12 year olds. It complements the CBBC programming that continues to air on BBC One and BBC Two. Launched on 11 February 2002, it broadcasts from 7am to 7pm on Freeview, cable, IPTV and digital satellite, occupying the same bandwidth as, but a different...
in 2002, as the resident weatherman
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
. However, his popularity meant that he soon became a regular presenter in the studio, and before long he was one of CBBC's leading presenters, presenting not only on the digital channel but also making regular appearances on the morning slot 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...
and the occasional appearance on 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 slot.
Other shows
His popularity on CBBC was furthered in the summer of 2003 when he and fellow presenter Anne FoyAnne Foy
Anne Foy is a children's television presenter for the BBC. Until March 2008, she worked for the CBBC Channel and on CBBC. She can currently be heard as the voiceover on the music channel 4Music and is also working for Current TV.-Recent work:Anne has been presenting CBBC weekdays on BBC One or on...
were chosen to host Britain's Amazing Mates, in which they toured the country attempting to find 'the best mates in Britain', involving games and activities. This was followed in 2004 by the show Best of Friends
Best of Friends
-Tasks and Treats:In the show, five friends with a strong friendship must complete a series of three unpleasant tasks in order to win a final treat The tasks include mucking out pigs, cleaning bins, picking up ice with the bare feet, getting your feet tickled without laughing or smiling and so on,...
which he presented alongside fellow CBBC presenter Rani Khanijau
Rani Khanijau
Rani Price, born Rani Khanijau is a children's television presenter who has presented a variety of children's shows for CBBC Channel, Disney, Channel 5 and Nickelodeon.-Children's television:...
. This quickly became one of the most popular shows on CBBC and again highlighted his great natural talent as a children's presenter and also his heart-throb status. At the end of 2004, he left the CBBC studio to present one of their leading shows, Xchange
Xchange (TV series)
Xchange was a factual entertainment BBC television programme for children. It was broadcast initially on BBC Two and later the CBBC Channel. The programme was transmitted live from studio TC2 at BBC Television Centre...
, on which - again - he achieved very high success.
2005 saw another series of Best of Friends and also the chance of a lifetime, when Absalom and Rani Khanijau filmed several episodes of the show 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...
in honour of the BBC's
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...
"Africa Week". During the trip Absalom kept an "African Video Diary", which was shown on Xchange.
Xchange came to an end in March 2006, and another series of Best Of Friends was filmed and screened. In 2008 Abs appeared as a guest presenter on CBBC's Art show SMart
SMart
SMart was a British CBBC television programme based on the subject of art, which began in 1994. The programme was recorded at BBC Television Centre in London, previously it had been recorded in Studio A at BBC Pebble Mill in Birmingham. The format is similar to the Tony Hart programmes Take Hart...
and has now also become a new Sportsround presenter.
Christmas 2008 saw him make his stage debut in 'Aladdin' at The Malvern Theatres, where he played the role of 'Wishee Washee'.
He joined the Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
Alpine Ski World Cup commentary team at the start of the 2006/07 season as co-commentator to John Clark.
He also plays a key role in their Hockey commentary team as well.
Most recently, his voice was heard on "CBBC F1", a Formula One commentary stream on the BBC's interactive TV service.
Other roles on Stage
Michael, in 2009, starred in Aladdin in Mansfield's Palace Theatre as 'PC Pong'Filmography
{|class="wikitable"! Year || Title || Role || Notes
|-
| 2002 || CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
|| Himself || Main Continuity Presenter/Weather Man
|-
| rowspan=2 | 2003 || Britain's Amazing Mates || Himself || Main Presenter alongside Anne Foy
Anne Foy
Anne Foy is a children's television presenter for the BBC. Until March 2008, she worked for the CBBC Channel and on CBBC. She can currently be heard as the voiceover on the music channel 4Music and is also working for Current TV.-Recent work:Anne has been presenting CBBC weekdays on BBC One or on...
|-
| CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
|| Himself || Main Continuity Presenter
|-
| rowspan=3 | 2004 || CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
|| Himself || Chief Continuity Presenter until October 2004
|-
| Best of Friends
Best of Friends
-Tasks and Treats:In the show, five friends with a strong friendship must complete a series of three unpleasant tasks in order to win a final treat The tasks include mucking out pigs, cleaning bins, picking up ice with the bare feet, getting your feet tickled without laughing or smiling and so on,...
|| Himself || Main Presenter alongside Rani Price
|-
| Xchange
Xchange (TV series)
Xchange was a factual entertainment BBC television programme for children. It was broadcast initially on BBC Two and later the CBBC Channel. The programme was transmitted live from studio TC2 at BBC Television Centre...
|| Himself || Main Presenter
|-
| rowspan=3 | 2005 || Xchange
Xchange (TV series)
Xchange was a factual entertainment BBC television programme for children. It was broadcast initially on BBC Two and later the CBBC Channel. The programme was transmitted live from studio TC2 at BBC Television Centre...
|| Himself || Main Presenter
|-
| Best of Friends
Best of Friends
-Tasks and Treats:In the show, five friends with a strong friendship must complete a series of three unpleasant tasks in order to win a final treat The tasks include mucking out pigs, cleaning bins, picking up ice with the bare feet, getting your feet tickled without laughing or smiling and so on,...
|| Himself || Main Presenter alongside Rani Price
|-
| Best of Friends Africa || Himself || As part of BBC's Africa Week
|-
| rowspan=2 | 2006 || Xchange
Xchange (TV series)
Xchange was a factual entertainment BBC television programme for children. It was broadcast initially on BBC Two and later the CBBC Channel. The programme was transmitted live from studio TC2 at BBC Television Centre...
|| Himself || Main Presenter until the show's demise
|-
| Best of Friends
Best of Friends
-Tasks and Treats:In the show, five friends with a strong friendship must complete a series of three unpleasant tasks in order to win a final treat The tasks include mucking out pigs, cleaning bins, picking up ice with the bare feet, getting your feet tickled without laughing or smiling and so on,...
|| Himself || Main Presenter alongside Rani Price
|-
| rowspan=2 | 2007 || Best of Friends
Best of Friends
-Tasks and Treats:In the show, five friends with a strong friendship must complete a series of three unpleasant tasks in order to win a final treat The tasks include mucking out pigs, cleaning bins, picking up ice with the bare feet, getting your feet tickled without laughing or smiling and so on,...
|| Himself || Main Presenter alongside Rani Price
|-
| Smile
Smile
A smile is a facial expression formed by flexing the muscles near both ends of the mouth. The smile can also be found around the eyes . Among humans, it is an expression denoting pleasure, joy, happiness, or amusement, but can also be an involuntary expression of anxiety, in which case it is known...
|| Himself || Guest Presenter on final show
|-
| rowspan=3 | 2008 || Best of Friends
Best of Friends
-Tasks and Treats:In the show, five friends with a strong friendship must complete a series of three unpleasant tasks in order to win a final treat The tasks include mucking out pigs, cleaning bins, picking up ice with the bare feet, getting your feet tickled without laughing or smiling and so on,...
|| Himself || Main Presenter alongside Rani Price and Ortis Deley
Ortis Deley
Ortis Deley is a British television presenter, radio DJ and actor of Ghanaian/Nigerian descent. He went to Ernest Bevin College in Tooting Bec, London. He is currently one of the presenters of The Gadget Show and presenter of Choice FM on Sunday mornings....
|-
| SMart
SMart
SMart was a British CBBC television programme based on the subject of art, which began in 1994. The programme was recorded at BBC Television Centre in London, previously it had been recorded in Studio A at BBC Pebble Mill in Birmingham. The format is similar to the Tony Hart programmes Take Hart...
|| Himself || Guest Presenter
|-