Josie D'Arby
Encyclopedia
Josie d'Arby is a Welsh
actress and television presenter from Newport
, Wales
.
.
d'Arby began a presenting career while still a student of acting at RADA
. In the early 1990s she presented on Children's BBC and then on SMart
. She has since presented a number of high profile programmes including the Bigger Breakfast (a spinoff from The Big Breakfast
) and Top of the Pops
. Recently she has been a presenter on the daytime TV show, Loose Women
, Just Up Your Street, a talent show on BBC Wales, and Inside Out West, a BBC regional programme in the West of England.
In 2003, she was a contestant in the first series of the Channel 4
reality TV show, The Games, where she came third and received a bronze medal. As a result of appearing on this, she later appeared on Back To Reality, where she came fifth. She appeared in The Games Champion of Champions, helping finalists from series 1 of The Games, to win this competition.
She has also worked in radio, as a co-presenter of The Steve Wright Show for BBC Radio 2
.
d'Arby's first high-profile acting role was as WPC Jodie Finn, in the BBC drama, Merseybeat
from 2002-2003. From February 2005, she starred as Pealy Maghti, one of the presenters of the BBC's
spoof of 1980s science programming, Look Around You
. d'Arby has appeared in the Channel Four sketch series Spoons, and has recently made guest appearances in dramas, such as Casualty.
d'Arby has also appeared on the stage.
In summer 2006, she was a celebrity showjumper in the BBC's Sport Relief
event Only Fools on Horses
.
In 2007 she featured in Channel 4's show "The Law of the Playground", where she talked about the humorous times at Liswerry
.
She is a celebrity ambassador for the British Red Cross
.
She has also performed as a singer under the name Sephine Collins.
She and Cerys Matthews
hosted the Children in Need
section for Wales. She was a regular guest on Sky1's Angela and Friends
.
Her name appeared in the YouTube hit "Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind)". She appeared in a video for the song, along with several other Welsh
celebrities, which was made for Comic Relief
2011.
In 2011, d'Arby was one of eight celebrities learning Welsh
for the S4C
series, cariad@iaith:love4language
.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
actress and television presenter from Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Biography
d'Arby went to Lliswerry High School in her younger years then went on to attend the Anna Scher Theatre School, and later the London School of JournalismLondon School of Journalism
The London School of Journalism is an independent journalism school based in London, England, which offers qualifications in journalism, freelance journalism and creative writing. The LSJ provides both on-site and distances learning to its students, ranging from short courses to postgraduate...
.
d'Arby began a presenting career while still a student of acting at RADA
Rada
Rada is the term for "council" or "assembly"borrowed by Polish from the Low Franconian "Rad" and later passed into the Czech, Ukrainian, and Belarusian languages....
. In the early 1990s she presented on Children's BBC and then on 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...
. She has since presented a number of high profile programmes including the Bigger Breakfast (a spinoff from The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 and S4C each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002 during which period 2,482 shows were produced. The Big Breakfast was produced by Planet 24, the production company co-owned by former...
) and Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
. Recently she has been a presenter on the daytime TV show, Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose 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...
, Just Up Your Street, a talent show on BBC Wales, and Inside Out West, a BBC regional programme in the West of England.
In 2003, she was a contestant in the first series of the 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...
reality TV show, The Games, where she came third and received a bronze medal. As a result of appearing on this, she later appeared on Back To Reality, where she came fifth. She appeared in The Games Champion of Champions, helping finalists from series 1 of The Games, to win this competition.
She has also worked in radio, as a co-presenter of The Steve Wright Show for BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
.
d'Arby's first high-profile acting role was as WPC Jodie Finn, in the BBC drama, Merseybeat
Merseybeat (TV series)
Merseybeat is a British police procedural television series shown on BBC One, with a total of four series broadcast between 2001 and 2004. The series follows the personal and professional lives of one shift of police officers from the fictional Newton Park police station on Merseyside, England.In...
from 2002-2003. From February 2005, she starred as Pealy Maghti, one of the presenters 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...
spoof of 1980s science programming, Look Around You
Look Around You
Look Around You is a British television comedy series devised and written by Robert Popper and Peter Serafinowicz, and, in the first series, narrated by Nigel Lambert...
. d'Arby has appeared in the Channel Four sketch series Spoons, and has recently made guest appearances in dramas, such as Casualty.
d'Arby has also appeared on the stage.
In summer 2006, she was a celebrity showjumper in the BBC's Sport Relief
Sport Relief
Sport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world's poorest countries...
event Only Fools on Horses
Only Fools on Horses
Only Fools on Horses was a BBC reality television programme produced by Endemol UK. The show's name was a play on that of the sitcom Only Fools and Horses, and first aired on 7 July 2006. It featured twelve celebrities who performed equestrian events, with one celebrity being eliminated every day...
.
In 2007 she featured in Channel 4's show "The Law of the Playground", where she talked about the humorous times at Liswerry
Liswerry
Liswerry , also spelt Lliswerry, is both an electoral district and community of the city of Newport, South Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council.- Community boundaries :...
.
She is a celebrity ambassador for the British Red Cross
British Red Cross
The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom branch of the worldwide impartial humanitarian organisation the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with over 31,000 volunteers and 2,600 staff. At the heart of their work...
.
She has also performed as a singer under the name Sephine Collins.
She and Cerys Matthews
Cerys Matthews
Cerys Elizabeth Matthews is a Welsh singer and songwriter. She is known as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Catatonia, her more recent bilingual solo career, and for a 1998 Christmas duet with Tom Jones.-Biography:...
hosted the Children in Need
Children in Need
Children 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...
section for Wales. She was a regular guest on Sky1's Angela and Friends
Angela and Friends
Angela and Friends was a British talk show which was produced by Crackit Productions for Sky1.The show aired at 12pm, Monday to Friday, and was presented by actress Angela Griffin, who was joined by three "friends" in each show to discuss the latest news, celebrity gossip as well as other topical...
.
Her name appeared in the YouTube hit "Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind)". She appeared in a video for the song, along with several other Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
celebrities, which was made for Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
2011.
In 2011, d'Arby was one of eight celebrities learning Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
for the S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
series, cariad@iaith:love4language
Cariad@iaith:love4language
cariad@iaith:love4language is an S4C reality television series in which people attempt to learn the Welsh language.-History:Commissioned in 2002 from an idea by Fflic production staff, cariad@iaith:love4language originally involved members of the public who wished to learn Welsh, spending six weeks...
.