Fiona Coyne (presenter)
Encyclopedia
Fiona Coyne was a South Africa
n actress, author
, playwright
and television presenter who hosted the South African version of The Weakest Link
.
Coyne was born in Springs, South Africa
in 1965. She was a member of the Capab drama group for seven years after training as an actor. She also worked at a rhinocerous and elephant
sanctuary in Kenya
for four years.
In 2009, Coyne appeared in The Adventures of Pinocchio, a pantomime
by Janice Honeyman, as Katarina the Cat. She also authored the book, Who Moved My Ladder? The Working Woman's Guide to Success.
Coyne was best known to South Africans for her role as the presenter of The Weakest Link
. Her appearance, hair, dress and style of speaking to contestants were based on those of Anne Robinson
, who hosted the British
version of the show. Coyne beat approximately 500 people for The Weakest Link role. She was flown to London
in 2003 to train with Anne Robinson
before the South African version of the show was launched.
Coyne died at her home in Fish Hoek, South Africa
, on 18 August 2010, aged 45, from a suspected suicide. She had recently divorced her husband, Willie Fritz, after 22 years of marriage. She had reportedly left notes for her housekeeper, Zoleka Shumani, and her family. Her funeral was held at St. Peter's Roman Catholic church in Strand, Western Cape.
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...
n actress, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and television presenter who hosted the South African version of The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
.
Coyne was born in Springs, South Africa
Springs, Gauteng
Springs is a city on the East Rand in the Gauteng province of South Africa.It lies 50 km east of Johannesburg. The name of the city derives from the large number of springs in the area; it has a population of more than 200,000, and is situated at 5,340 ft a.s.l...
in 1965. She was a member of the Capab drama group for seven years after training as an actor. She also worked at a rhinocerous and elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
sanctuary in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
for four years.
In 2009, Coyne appeared in The Adventures of Pinocchio, a 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...
by Janice Honeyman, as Katarina the Cat. She also authored the book, Who Moved My Ladder? The Working Woman's Guide to Success.
Coyne was best known to South Africans for her role as the presenter of The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
. Her appearance, hair, dress and style of speaking to contestants were based on those of Anne Robinson
Anne Robinson
Anne Josephine Robinson is an English journalist and television presenter, known for her assertive views and acerbic style of presenting. She was one of the presenters on the long-running British consumer affairs series, Watchdog, from 1993 to 2001 before returning in 2009...
, who hosted the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
version of the show. Coyne beat approximately 500 people for The Weakest Link role. She was flown to 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...
in 2003 to train with Anne Robinson
Anne Robinson
Anne Josephine Robinson is an English journalist and television presenter, known for her assertive views and acerbic style of presenting. She was one of the presenters on the long-running British consumer affairs series, Watchdog, from 1993 to 2001 before returning in 2009...
before the South African version of the show was launched.
Coyne died at her home in Fish Hoek, 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...
, on 18 August 2010, aged 45, from a suspected suicide. She had recently divorced her husband, Willie Fritz, after 22 years of marriage. She had reportedly left notes for her housekeeper, Zoleka Shumani, and her family. Her funeral was held at St. Peter's Roman Catholic church in Strand, Western Cape.