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from 20,000 feet (6,100 m) – but not before breaking her leg during training. Her last show was on 29 June 1987. It is sometimes claimed that Ellis was sacked from the programme for being unmarried and pregnant with son
Jackson, but in recent years Ellis has stated that she was fully supported
604:
agency. During the course she began writing her first novel, and after completing it her agent Gordon Wise submitted it to publishers under the pseudonym Jo Winter, the name of one of her grandmothers. A bidding war resulted in Ellis securing a six-figure two-book deal with
245:
on
September 16, 1955. Her father was a soldier who was stationed during her childhood at various places in Britain and Germany. Accordingly, she attended seven schools in the two countries, including Russell House School in
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described her as having the vocal characteristics of "a cat on speed". Ellis managed to show good humour in the face of the defeat, stating that she had had "fun, a lot of fun".
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in London but because she was too young, her place was deferred for a year. She spent the year gaining experience of the acting world by working backstage at the
954:
624:
In 2018 Ellis wrote an opinion piece in The
Guardian newspaper in which she characterised Blue Peter as offering "...a view of a world worth growing up in".
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1125:
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209:(born 16 September 1955) is an English television presenter, actress and writer, who is best known for presenting the children's television programmes
953:
Beckerman, Hannah; Bromwich, Kathryn; Cross, Stephanie; Elan, Priya; Hoggard, Liz; Jones, Corinne; Kellaway, Kate; Sethi, Anita (10 January 2016).
627:
She appeared in a play "Once Seen on Blue Peter" at the 2018 Edinburgh
Festival. Her second novel, "How It Was", was published in August 2019.
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Ellis scaled back her presenting commitments in order to spend time bringing up her family. During this period she presented the BBC's
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celebrity
Christmas special. The winner's prize of £1,000 was donated to charity. Ellis won, beating singer
432:
Ellis returned to the TV screen in 2000. She played a TV reporter in an episode of the first full series of
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Following a long-held ambition to write fiction, Ellis attended a writing course in early 2014 run by the
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434:
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1026:"'It is exhausting. You can't prepare': Janet Ellis on living with grief after the death of her husband"
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696:"Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Janet Ellis: 'Having a famous mum was high value currency when I was little'"
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Having expressed an interest in acting since the age of five, she applied to and was accepted by the
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20:
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on the first night, on 3 January 2007 she was the second celebrity to be eliminated, after judge
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s pick of the New Faces of
Fiction 2016. In November 2016 the book was shortlisted for the 2016
416:
in the television advertisements for three years and occasionally appeared as a co-presenter on
1095:
668:
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Ellis's first television appearance in 1978 was a small role in the BBC's children's programme
278:
217:
118:
233:, musician and former child actor Jackson Ellis-Leach and art historian Martha Ellis-Leach.
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In
January 2012 Ellis returned to her first love of acting by starring in a production of
8:
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254:, Kent between the ages of 11 and 13, and from the ages of 13 to 17, her last school was
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647:. She met TV producer John Leach in 1986 and their son was born in 1987. After leaving
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655:, and they had a daughter. Leach died in July 2020. Ellis is a member of the board of
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in 1994, and provided voiceovers for numerous advertisements. She also presented the
46:
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between 2003 and 2005 on Five. This was followed by the week-long documentary series
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484:
444:
259:
651:, Ellis married Leach in 1988. He was managing director of TV production company
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Her big break came in 1979, when she landed the job of regular presenter of the
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282:
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1000:"Blue Peter's genius is that it offers a view of a world worth growing up in"
613:, was published under Ellis's own name in February 2016. She was included in
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678:(MBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to charity and theatre.
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In
December 2010, Janet and her daughter Sophie appeared on Channel 4's
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555:. Also shown on Channel 4 on 22 December 2010, Ellis competed in the
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production team and the decision to leave the programme was her own.
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on 28 April 1983. During her four-year stint, she co-presented with
589:
375:. During the run, she became the first civilian woman in Europe to
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was born in 1979. The couple separated during her time presenting
507:
celebrity charity special. She donated the winnings of £13,150 to
973:"Blue Peter's Janet Ellis nominated for Bad Sex in Fiction Award"
473:
In
January 2007, Ellis appeared on the BBC reality singing show
570:
267:
263:
247:
229:(2019). She is the mother of three children: singer/songwriter
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She has a sister, Sharon, who is two years younger than her.
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In May 2008, she appeared naked in a magazine in support of
775:"BBC – I Love Blue Peter – Janet Ellis presenter biography"
719:"BBC - I Love Blue Peter - Janet Ellis presenter biography"
495:
331:. Also that year she played the character of "Teka" in the
952:
250:, Kent between the ages of five and seven, St Hilary's in
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since 2002 as a regular panellist, and on BBC Radio 4's
895:"Janet Ellis: I realised I don't mind upsetting people"
221:
between 1979 and 1987. She has published two novels,
926:"One she wrote earlier: deal for Blue Peter's Ellis"
462:
in 2004, also aired on Five, and the 2005 series of
522:. She was the voice of numerous Mexican gerbils in
924:
569:into joint second place, with musician and actor
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402:How to Get Married Without Divorcing Your Family
592:in order to raise money for Maggie's Centres.
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667:, and a Council and Honorary Member of the
1126:Members of the Order of the British Empire
991:
737:"Janet Ellis: 'I am an unashamed spender'"
45:
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676:Member of the Order of the British Empire
635:Ellis met her first husband, TV director
1101:British children's television presenters
1052:(Supplement). 11 June 2016. p. B17.
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955:"Meet the new faces of fiction for 2016"
86:Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
51:Ellis at the 2024 Chiswick Book Festival
16:English television presenter and actress
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438:in 2001. She has been appearing on the
179: 1988; died 2020)
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498:and in June of the same year she won
307:, followed by a bit part credited as
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851:"Blue Peter star Janet TV return".
13:
1121:Television personalities from Kent
893:Cumber, Robert (12 January 2012).
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275:Central School of Speech and Drama
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1024:Maxted, Anna (30 December 2023).
923:Brook, Richard (23 August 2015).
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514:In December 2009, Ellis narrated
400:programme, wrote a book entitled
19:For the American politician, see
998:Ellis, Janet (10 January 2018).
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256:Richmond County School for Girls
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95:TV presenter, actress and writer
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883:magazine, issue 14, 4 May 2008
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828:. OneUp e-zine. Archived from
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1111:English television presenters
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516:The Man Behind the Masquerade
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1106:English television actresses
528:, and has appeared on BBC's
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296:
7:
552:The Million Pound Drop Live
483:. Despite being 'saved' by
10:
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1067:Profile as a BBC presenter
826:"Talking with Janet Ellis"
518:, a BBC documentary about
464:The Great Garden Challenge
442:(then known as Five) show
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1116:Actors from Chatham, Kent
657:Lyric Theatre Hammersmith
511:, a cancer care charity.
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619:Bad Sex in Fiction Award
21:Janet Ellis (politician)
979:. BBC. 17 November 2016
404:with her friend and ex
343:. After four series in
669:National Youth Theatre
573:bringing up the rear.
534:with daughter Sophie;
454:. She also presented
857:. 26 September 2003.
757:"The Horns of Nimon"
704:. 25 September 2021.
674:Ellis was appointed
152: 1977;
1131:Actresses from Kent
1030:The Daily Telegraph
799:. 10 October 1998.
745:. 11 November 2012.
742:The Daily Telegraph
347:Ellis left to join
304:Jackanory Playhouse
231:Sophie Ellis-Bextor
193:Sophie Ellis-Bextor
1049:The London Gazette
611:The Butcher's Hook
584:for a week at the
531:Antiques Road Trip
476:Just the Two of Us
451:Broadcasting House
340:The Horns of Nimon
241:Ellis was born in
223:The Butcher's Hook
879:News of the World
793:"BP Confidential"
558:Come Dine with Me
543:Cash in the Attic
292:Television career
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100:Years active
67:16 September 1955
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501:The Weakest Link
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392:After leaving
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309:Marge's Friend
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69:(age 69)
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1007:. Retrieved
1004:The Guardian
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357:Sarah Greene
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103:1978–present
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1091:1955 births
1072:Janet Ellis
1044:"No. 61608"
983:19 November
908:14 February
836:14 February
653:Sunset+Vine
582:Green Forms
422:BBC Radio 1
418:Danny Baker
353:Simon Groom
314:The Sweeney
225:(2016) and
201:Janet Ellis
32:Janet Ellis
1085:Categories
1009:10 January
806:9 December
682:References
649:Blue Peter
645:Blue Peter
505:Blue Peter
489:CeCe Sammy
460:Life Blood
406:Blue Peter
394:Blue Peter
382:Blue Peter
369:Mark Curry
349:Blue Peter
334:Doctor Who
327:-produced
325:Clive Doig
237:Early life
227:How It Was
212:Blue Peter
166:John Leach
113:Blue Peter
63:1955-09-16
938:4 October
779:Bbc.co.uk
723:Bbc.co.uk
607:Two Roads
567:Susie Amy
525:El Nombre
468:Channel 4
440:Channel 5
428:2000–2013
388:1988–1999
377:free fall
319:Hard Men.
297:1978–1987
252:Sevenoaks
122:presenter
76:, England
977:BBC News
881:Fabulous
590:Chiswick
408:co-host
398:Open Air
317:episode
266:(now in
260:Richmond
188:Children
380:by the
181:
173:
169:
158:
146:
142:
127:Spouses
641:Sophie
571:Goldie
424:show.
345:Jigsaw
337:story
329:Jigsaw
268:London
264:Surrey
248:Otford
218:Jigsaw
119:Jigsaw
175:(
171:
148:(
144:
1076:IMDb
1011:2018
985:2016
940:2015
910:2012
838:2012
808:2017
540:and
496:PETA
466:for
371:and
215:and
154:div.
116:and
57:Born
1074:at
588:in
420:'s
311:in
281:in
270:).
258:in
206:MBE
37:MBE
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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