Linda Robson (born 13 March 1958 in Islington, London [1]) is an English actress. She is probably most famous for her role as Tracey in the BBC comedy, Birds of a Feather, which she played from 1989 to 1998. She had previously appeared in the IRA drama Harry’s Game as well as the comedy drama Shine on Harvey Moon in 1982.

Since then she has appeared in such programmes as The Bill and Crossroads. She has also appeared in numerous reality TV and game shows, including, I’m Famous and Frightened!, Celebrity Blind Man’s Bluff, Celebrities Under Pressure and The Weakest Link.

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Fred MacAulay (born 29 December 1956) is a Scottish comedian. He presents a daily BBC Scotland radio programme, and has appeared on numerous TV shows.

Frederick MacAulay was born in Perth and educated at Killin Primary School, Rattray Primary School, Blairgowrie High School, and Perth Academy. In 1978 he graduated from the University of Dundee with an MA in accountancy and jurisprudence. He went on to work as an accountant in a number of companies, including the Cairngorm Chairlift Company in Aviemore. In 1984 he married Aileen MacAulay; the couple went on to have three children.

MacAulay’s first experience of stand-up comedy came during the 1988 Mayfest festival in Glasgow, and despite having no discernable comedic talent, embarked on a semi-professional career, including jobs as a warm-up act for TV programmes including Have I Got News For You and for comedians Paul Merton and Rory Bremner. His first on-screen appearance came on STV’s stand-up programme The Funny Farm. Fred MacAulay became a full-time professional comedian in 1993. Go here for a CLIP of Fred’ VERY FIRST telly appearance on The Funny Farm 1990 (STV)http://www.scotlandontv.tv/ Read more & comment »

Patrick Kielty has never been one to mince his words. But he used to be quite likeable. His latest nasty tirade to The Sun about his former co host Cat Deeley left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

He told The Sun: “If she wants to make vast sums of money in one of the few countries that didn’t sign up to the trade agreement, then she doesn’t care about aid at all.

“I’m glad I’m hosting with Claudia Winkleman now.

“It’s good to be working with someone who wants to be here.

“Cat’s turned her back on us. Good luck to her and her capitalism.”

I spy a green eyed monster at work here!

Richard Park has shown once again that he has the sharpest tongue in the land when he hit out at two of the biggest girlbands in the Uk at the moment.

Speaking about Girls Aloud he told the Daily Star: “As a head teacher of the Fame Academy I have to judge on voices and choose the best voices around.

“And I don’t hear a great deal of singing talent there.”

He then turned his attention to The Sugababes, who are currently promoting a joint single with Girls Aloud in aid of Comic Relief. Park said:

“Well they came, they went and then they came back again.

“I feel they are an act driven by A & R departments rather than their own ability to sing.”

Both bands are furious with the Academy headmaster and as they are due to pay the Fame Academy a visit in the near future, both groups have vowed to confront Richard.

Tara Palmer Tomkinson has admitted to The Sun that out of all the Fame Academy crew for this years Comic Relief show, she has a bit of a crush on Colin Murray and Richard Park.

Tara stated: “I can’t wait to go to the headmaster’s study. I wouldn’t mind being spanked by Richard Park – but I would do the spanking!” Does that make sense?

If Tara appears blase though, it’s all a front, she is incredibly nervous about the actual singing challenge that lies ahead.

She admitted: “ I’m so scared. I’m really nervous. It’s much worse than being in the jungle on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! I would prefer to eat a cockroach to singing. I’m worried that I will forget everything when I’m singing.”

Zöe Salmon (born 1980, in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland) is a British television presenter, currently hosting the children’s television show Blue Peter.

Early career

Salmon attended Kilmaine Primary School and Glenola Collegiate while growing up in Bangor, a town which she says is her ‘favourite place… It’s a really pretty seaside town with a marina which is lovely in the summer.’ She then attended Queen’s University of Belfast, where she gained a degree in law, before qualifying as a solicitor.

Miss Northern Ireland

Salmon was crowned Miss Northern Ireland in 1999 (beating Big Brother contestant Orlaith McAllister, who came second).

Blue Peter

Salmon was revealed as the 30th Blue Peter presenter on 25 October 2004. She first appeared on the show on 23 December 2004, in its 2004 Christmas special. She was originally meant to replace Liz Barker when the latter left on maternity leave; however, Barker had already returned, by the time Salmon made her debut. Read more & comment »

I am so sick of seeing Tara crop up on reality TV shows. Her latest venture is to take part in Comic Relief does Fame Academy on BBC One this March.

She is 100% irritating and I bet she can’t sing a note. I wish she would just get a career!

Angellica Bell (born 24 March 1979) is a British television and radio presenter. She joined CBBC in May 2000, after receiving a BA Honours degree in Politics. Not only has she presented CBBC, she has also presented several of its shows, including Xchange, 50/50 and Short Change. She also presented EastEnders Xtra. A cellist and pianist, she has also co-presented BBC Radio 3’s Making Tracks programme for children.

She presented Holiday Hitsquad, the BBC travel programme formerly known as Departure Lounge. She has run the London Marathon and the Great North Run.

In 2005 she appeared as the Genie alongside Jeff Brazier in the pantomime Aladdin in Chatham.

On 30 November 2006, Bell announced she was leaving CBBC on 1 December 2006.

Since leaving the continuity links for CBBC, she has filmed in Senegal and Saint Lucia for a half-hour special for CBBC on the abolition of slavery, to be broadcast in March, 2007. She will also appear on a new programme for BBC1 called The Great British Village Show, with Alan Titchmarsh and James Martin, to be broadcast in the spring. Read more & comment »

Colin Murray (born March 10, 1977) is a BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio Five Live DJ and television presenter from the working-class Ballybeen estate in the Dundonald area of east Belfast, in Northern Ireland.

His career path includes digging graves at the age of 16, and print journalism for the Belfast News Letter and publications in Canada, as well as running the music magazine BLANK.

Radio

Colin Murray joined Radio 1 with Donna Legge in 1999 as one of the original hosts of Radio 1’s Session programmes. Their show went out every Thursday night between 7.30 and 9.00 focusing on the best new music from Northern Ireland. Colin and Donna quickly built a good rapport and went on to deputise for John Peel, Steve Lamacq and Mary Ann Hobbs. By 2001, Colin was also branching out into deputising for Daytime Radio hosts, so that in October 2001 he spent two weeks filling in on Late Drive for Dave Pearce. By 2002 he had caught the eye of Channel 4 and in February 2002 ceased deputising at Radio 1 to host Channel 4’s Morning Show- RI:SE. Read more & comment »

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson (born December 23, 1971) is a well-known one-time English “It girl” turned television personality and presenter.

Early life

Her parents are Charles and Patricia Palmer-Tomkinson, an Anglo-Argentine. Tara’s father is Prince Charles’s closest friend, and represented his country as a skier at Olympic level. Tara grew up on her parents’ estate in Dummer, Hampshire, and was educated at Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset. She is the younger sister of author Santa Montefiore, and was the basis of a main character in Santa’s book Last Voyage of the Valentina; she also has an older brother named James.

Notoriety

Since 1990, her antics have been well-covered by the British tabloid press, and in the mid to late 1990s, she wrote a weekly column for the Sunday Times. She is regularly, and perhaps derisively, referred to as “posh” as are other British upper-class “It girls”.

In 1999, she made an appearance on Frank Skinner’s chat show on ITV1, dishevelled and disjointed. Within 48 hours, she checked into an exclusive rehab clinic in Arizona.

She most recently appeared in the British television series I’m a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here!, finishing runner up. In November 2005, Palmer-Tomkinson presented her third ‘behind the scenes’ series on ITV2 for the hit show I’m a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here! Now. She has also appeared on the reality shows Spelling Bee and Cold turkey, which followed her attempts to quit smoking with Sophie Anderton, a celebrity special of A place in the sun and in episodes of Tabloid tales, With a little help from my friends and Celebrities under pressure.

Played herself in an episode of Footballers’ wives and the British film Mad cows.

Briefly presented Animals do the funniest things with Tony Blackburn.

Hosted the first Junior Eurovision and appeared in Comic Relief Does Fame Academy.

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Appeared as a team captain on Bognor or bust presented by Angus Deayton.

Has guest presented on LBC Radio.

In 2006, Palmer-Tomkinson had British tabloids in a frenzy following her rumoured relationship with singers Pete Doherty, James Blunt and Robbie Williams with whom she also claimed to have spent 10 days in bed. More recently she asserted that this incident is untrue. Williams has said that he penned his number one song ‘Life through a lens’ for her. Also in 2006, Palmer-Tomkinson received extensive publicity after her Septum nasi separating her two nostrils collapsed due to her former addiction to cocaine. Pictures were printed in several British tabloids and in Now magazine.

Has recently written a regular column in Closer magazine and signed a publishing deal for her first book, a non fiction piece. In early 2006 she also hosted her own weekdaily show on music channel The Hits.

Mel Clare Sophie Giedroyc (born June 5, 1968) is an English television presenter, actor, and writer. Giedroyc is best known for presenting comedy items alongside Sue Perkins. As Mel and Sue the duo were short listed for the Daily Express Best Newcomers Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1993. After a few years writing for French & Saunders they hosted a lunchtime show on Channel 4 called Light Lunch (and the early evening version, Late Lunch).

The two met whilst students at Cambridge, Mel being a student of Trinity College, and were both members of the famous comedy club Footlights. Read more & comment »

The BBC and Comic Relief today announced the names of the 13 celebrities set to surprise the nation and go head to head in the definitive, celebrity singing competition.

The celebrity students are:

Angellica Bell (presenter)

Colin Murray (Radio 1 DJ, TV presenter)

Fred MacAulay (DJ, broadcaster)

Linda Robson (actress)

Mel Giedroyc (comedienne, writer)

Miranda Hart (comedy actress)

Ray Stubbs (BBC Sport presenter)

Rowland Rivron (comedian/presenter)

Shaun Williamson (actor, Extras)

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson (personality/TV presenter)

Tim Vine (comedian)

Tricia Penrose (actress)

Zoë Salmon (Blue Peter presenter)

Regular host Patrick Kielty will be joined by Claudia Winkleman who moves over from BBC Three, to preside over the live event from Fame Academy’s new and fitting venue, the Debating Chamber in London’s County Hall.

Tricia Penrose (born 9 April 1970 in Kirkby, Merseyside) is an English actress and singer.

She is best known for her role as Gina Ward in ITV1’s long-running 1960s drama Heartbeat. She has also appeared in The Royal, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Boon and Dancin’ Thru the Dark.

Penrose has made several attempts to break into the music industry. She has released two singles – “Where Did Our Love Go?” (1996) and “Don’t Wanna Be Alone” (2000); neither of which was especially successful. In 2002 she reached the final of A Song for Europe (the competition to select the UK’s Eurovision Song Contest entry) but did not win. She has also sung a number of times on Heartbeat.

Penrose has several times expressed a desire to try new things, but has always returned to Heartbeat. She has recently (2006) signed a new contract with the show, thought to be worth £100,000.

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Ray Stubbs (born Wallasey, Merseyside, 1956) is a broadcaster and former footballer. He currently works for BBC Sport presenting Final Score as well as the coverage of snooker and darts. He occasionally presents Match of the Day, Match Of The Day 2 and 6-0-6 on Five Live.

Ray also presented Football Focus between from 1999 until 2004 as well as other BBC sports programmes such as Grandstand and Sportsnight.

He was initially a professional footballer, leaving Calday Grange Grammar School to join Tranmere Rovers where he played for five years. After ending his playing career, he stayed with the club in an administrative capacity and then spent three years with BBC Radio Merseyside as a reporter and presenter. Read more & comment »

Miranda Hart (b. 1972 in Torquay, England) is an English actress, writer and stand-up comedian.

Hart starred as “Teal” in the BBC television comedy sci-fi series Hyperdrive, and has also appeared in French & Saunders, Nighty Night, Absolutely Fabulous, The Vicar of Dibley, William and Mary, Smack the Pony, for which she wrote and performed in a couple of sketches and a number of video diaries, Not Going Out and Stupid!.

Forgoing the normal stand-up circuit for more character-based comedy, she’s written her own theatre material for the Edinburgh Festival. Her one-woman shows include Miranda Hart – Throbs, It’s All About Me and Miranda Hart’s House Party. She also performed in Alecky Blyth’s 2006 play Cruising at the Bush Theatre in London.Miranda has recently completed a second series of Hyperdrive will screen in April 2007 on BBC television, in which Hart will reprise her role of “Teal”. She is also due to appear in this years Comic Relief Does Fame Academy.

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