Katie Boyle
Encyclopedia
Katie Boyle is an Italian
-born British
actress, television personality, and game show panelist, well known for appearing on TV panel games such as What's My Line? and for presenting the Eurovision Song Contest
in the 1960s and 1970s.
in 1946 and started her modelling career, which included such publications as Vogue
. Catherine also appeared in several 1950s films, the first being Old Mother Riley, Headmistress, (1950) in which she was billed as 'Catherine Carleton' followed by The House in the Square (1951), Not Wanted on Voyage
(1957), The Truth About Women, Intent to Kill
(with Richard Todd
, and miscredited as 'Catherine Boyl') in Les Carnets de Major Thompson/The Diary of Major Thompson (1955), with Jack Buchanan
, filmed in France by American
film director
Preston Sturges
.
Having been an on-screen continuity announcer for the BBC in the 1950s, in the 1960s Boyle became a television personality regularly appearing on panel games and programmes such as What's My Line? and Juke Box Jury
. She was the presenter for the 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1974 Eurovision Song Contest
s, all hosted in England. According to author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor
's The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, Boyle hosted the 1974 contest minus her underwear, which was cut off from under her satin dress moments before the broadcast began. She also hosted the UK qualifying heat, A Song for Europe
, in 1961.
In 1982 she played herself in the BBC radio play The Competition, which told the story of a fictitious international song contest being staged in Bridlington
. Katie Boyle was guest of honour at the Eurovision fan club conventions staged in 1988 and 1992.
She appeared at the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest
held in Birmingham
as a special guest of the BBC. Her other work has included theatre, television (What's Up Dog?) and radio (Katie and Friends). In 2004, Boyle was a guest on a special 'Eurovision' themed celebrity version of The Weakest Link
on BBC1, hosted by Anne Robinson
. In a unique moment, Boyle became the first, and to date the only, contestant ever to vote herself off of the programme.
In 1947 she married Richard Bentinck Boyle, 9th Earl of Shannon
; the marriage was dissolved in 1955. The same year she married Greville Baylis, a racehorse owner who died in 1976. In 1979 she married theatre impresario Sir Peter Saunders
, who died in 2002. According to "Queen Elizabeth II: A Woman Who Is Not Amused" by Nicholas Davies, Boyle had a long standing relationship with Prince Philip in the 1950s.
She is also an avid lover of animals, dogs being special to her. She sits on the board of Battersea Dogs Home and is Patron of the Italian Greyhound Rescue Charity. At home, just off East Finchley's prestigious Bishop's Avenue, she has two dogs: Cassie (a Collie
cross) and Totty (an Italian Greyhound
), both of which came from Battersea. In 1989 she recorded an audio cassette with the dog trainer John Fisher entitled Think Dog!
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-born British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
actress, television personality, and game show panelist, well known for appearing on TV panel games such as What's My Line? and for presenting the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
in the 1960s and 1970s.
Background
She was born in Florence, Italy as Caterina Irene Elena Maria Imperiali di Francavilla, the daughter of an Italian marquis, the Marchese Demetrio Imperiali di Francavilla and Dorothy Kate Ramsden. She came to Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in 1946 and started her modelling career, which included such publications as Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
. Catherine also appeared in several 1950s films, the first being Old Mother Riley, Headmistress, (1950) in which she was billed as 'Catherine Carleton' followed by The House in the Square (1951), Not Wanted on Voyage
Not Wanted on Voyage
Not Wanted on Voyage is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Ronald Shiner as Steward Albert Higgins.-Cast:* Ronald Shiner as Steward Albert Higgins* Brian Rix as Steward Cecil Hollebone* Catherine Boyle as Julie Hains...
(1957), The Truth About Women, Intent to Kill
Intent to Kill
Intent to Kill is a 1958 British thriller film directed by Jack Cardiff and starring Richard Todd, Betsy Drake and Herbert Lom. The film was based on the 1957 novel of the same name by Brian Moore...
(with Richard Todd
Richard Todd
Richard Todd OBE was an Irish-born British stage and film actor and soldier.-Early life:Richard Todd was born as Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Andrew William Palethorpe Todd, was an Irish physician and an international Irish rugby player who gained three caps for...
, and miscredited as 'Catherine Boyl') in Les Carnets de Major Thompson/The Diary of Major Thompson (1955), with Jack Buchanan
Jack Buchanan
Walter John "Jack" Buchanan was a British theatre and film actor, singer, producer and director. He was known for three decades as the embodiment of the debonair man-about-town in the tradition of George Grossmith Jr., and was described by The Times as "the last of the knuts." He is best known in...
, filmed in France by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges , originally Edmund Preston Biden, was a celebrated playwright, screenwriter and film director born in Chicago, Illinois...
.
Having been an on-screen continuity announcer for the BBC in the 1950s, in the 1960s Boyle became a television personality regularly appearing on panel games and programmes such as What's My Line? and Juke Box Jury
Juke Box Jury
Juke Box Jury was a musical panel show which originally ran on BBC Television from 1 June 1959 until December 1967. The programme was based on the American show Jukebox Jury, itself an offshoot of a long-running radio series....
. She was the presenter for the 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1974 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
s, all hosted in England. According to author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor
John Kennedy O'Connor
John Kennedy O'Connor is an author, entertainment and political commentator, based in the United States. Born in North London, United Kingdom, he has written, reported and broadcast for numerous media organizations, as well as writing, creating and producing media events for a number of...
's The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, Boyle hosted the 1974 contest minus her underwear, which was cut off from under her satin dress moments before the broadcast began. She also hosted the UK qualifying heat, A Song for Europe
Making Your Mind Up (TV series)
Eurovision: Your Country Needs You was a BBC TV show broadcast annually to select the United Kingdom's entry into the Eurovision Song Contest...
, in 1961.
In 1982 she played herself in the BBC radio play The Competition, which told the story of a fictitious international song contest being staged in Bridlington
Bridlington
Bridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
. Katie Boyle was guest of honour at the Eurovision fan club conventions staged in 1988 and 1992.
She appeared at the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
held in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
as a special guest of the BBC. Her other work has included theatre, television (What's Up Dog?) and radio (Katie and Friends). In 2004, Boyle was a guest on a special 'Eurovision' themed celebrity 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...
on BBC1, hosted by 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...
. In a unique moment, Boyle became the first, and to date the only, contestant ever to vote herself off of the programme.
In 1947 she married Richard Bentinck Boyle, 9th Earl of Shannon
Earl of Shannon
Earl of Shannon is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1756 for the prominent Irish politician Henry Boyle, who served as Speaker of the Irish House of Commons and as Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer. He was made Viscount Boyle, of Bandon, and Baron Castle Martyr at the same time,...
; the marriage was dissolved in 1955. The same year she married Greville Baylis, a racehorse owner who died in 1976. In 1979 she married theatre impresario Sir Peter Saunders
Peter Saunders (theatre)
Sir Peter Saunders was an English theatre impresario, notable for his production of the long-running Agatha Christie murder mystery, The Mousetrap....
, who died in 2002. According to "Queen Elizabeth II: A Woman Who Is Not Amused" by Nicholas Davies, Boyle had a long standing relationship with Prince Philip in the 1950s.
She is also an avid lover of animals, dogs being special to her. She sits on the board of Battersea Dogs Home and is Patron of the Italian Greyhound Rescue Charity. At home, just off East Finchley's prestigious Bishop's Avenue, she has two dogs: Cassie (a Collie
Collie
The collie is a distinctive type of herding dog, including many related landraces and formal breeds. It originates in Scotland and Northern England. It is a medium-sized, fairly lightly built dog with a pointed snout, and many types have a distinctive white pattern over the shoulders. Collies...
cross) and Totty (an Italian Greyhound
Italian Greyhound
The Italian Greyhound is a small breed of dog of the sight hound type, sometimes called an "I.G.", or "Iggy" for short.-Appearance:The Italian Greyhound is the smallest of the sighthounds, typically weighing about and standing about tall at the withers...
), both of which came from Battersea. In 1989 she recorded an audio cassette with the dog trainer John Fisher entitled Think Dog!