Lauren Laverne
Encyclopedia
Lauren Cecilia Fisher (born 28 April 1978), known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio
DJ
, television presenter, author
and singer. She currently presents a radio show on BBC 6 Music
, and has presented a variety of television programmes including 10 O'Clock Live
for Channel 4
, and The Culture Show
and coverage of the Glastonbury Festival
for the BBC
. Laverne has also written a published novel
entitled Candypop: Candy and the Broken Biscuits.
In her previous career as a musician, Laverne was best known for being lead singer and sometime guitarist in pop band Kenickie
, although her greatest chart success came when she performed vocals on Mint Royale
's "Don't Falter" single.
guitarist, and then St. Anthony's R.C. Comprehensive School
between 1989 and 1994, where she and Nixon met Emma Jackson. Laverne went on to study at City of Sunderland College
from 1994 to 1996.
with Laverne's brother Peter, taking the stage names Lauren Laverne, Marie du Santiago, Emmy-Kate Montrose and Johnny X. As their popularity grew, Laverne had to continually alternate between studying for A-levels and touring with the band. Despite this strain, Laverne won a place at nearby Durham University
to study Medieval History, but her entry was deferred in order to concentrate on the band in 1996-7. The band's rapid rise to prominence in 1997 coincided with a relocation from Sunderland to London
, as the thrice-weekly commute was proving too costly and tiring, which meant she never took up the place. In all, Kenickie achieved four top 40 hits and a top ten album and became darlings of the British music press, due to their refreshing style and outspoken views.
Laverne became as famous for her funny and acerbic interview style as for her music, making her a popular contestant on comedy panel shows such as Never Mind The Buzzcocks
and Have I Got News For You
, memorably referring to contemporaneous girl group
the Spice Girls
as "Tory
scum".
In 2000, she brought out a solo EP, Take These Flowers Away, contributed a version of "In The Bleak Midwinter" to Xfm London
's It's A Cool Cool Christmas album, played at the Reading Festival
and made the top 20 for the only time in her singing career as vocalist on "Don't Falter" by Mint Royale
. She was also working on a solo album at this time, but this was permanently put on hold by the collapse of Deceptive Records
.
She subsequently provided guest vocals on The Divine Comedy
's 2004 single "Come Home Billy Bird".
's series The Alphabet Show
, with Chris Addison
, made while Kenickie were still together. She has since presented Planet Pop and Loves Like A Dog for Channel 4
, Fanorama for E4, Party in the Park
with Melanie Brown
and Pop for Five and Orange Playlist
for ITV
, as well as reporting for RI:SE
, leading the house band on Johnny Vaughan
Tonight and appearing as an expert in a music special of BBC One
's Test the Nation
. In recent years she has been seen as one of BBC2's main presenters for their coverage of the Glastonbury Festival
and the host of ITV2
's coverage of events such as the British Comedy Awards
and the BRIT Awards
.
She also presented a documentary for Sky One
on the rise of popularity of the US hit TV Show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, called Buffy: Television With Bite. This was done when the show was returning for its sixth season in 2001, and she subsequently portrayed a vampire dusted by Willow
in the final season of the show.
In 2004 she was a regular guest on the quiz show HeadJam
. She could also be seen briefly in the movie Shaun of the Dead
, where she was one of the zombies (more obvious in the bonus content).
In 2005, she became host of ITV's Saturday morning music show CD:UK
, along with Myleene Klass
and Johny Pitts
, starting on 17 September with a programme featuring Laverne interviewing Sir Paul McCartney
. The show finished in April 2006.
in April 2006, she appeared as guest host of Never Mind The Buzzcocks
. In August, Laverne presented Channel 4's coverage of the V Festival
. In March 2007, she presented the NME Awards
live from the Hammersmith Palais
.
In July 2007, Laverne appeared on the satirical comedy show Mock the Week
, and on Have I Got News for You
on 14 December of the same year. She appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks
on 10 January 2008, this time as a guest. In September 2008, Laverne appeared again on Mock the Week.
In March 2008, Laverne appeared on the Lily Allen and Friends
show with fellow Sunderland musicians The Futureheads
, and on Would I Lie To You?
.
From 2006 to 2010, she was a regular presenter with the weekly BBC
arts magazine programme The Culture Show
, alongside Mark Kermode
. She also presented the second series of the late-night Channel 4 music show Transmission with T-Mobile opposite Steve Jones
.
Laverne replaced radio DJ Jo Whiley
on the talent show Orange Mobile Act Unsigned, which searches for the top unsigned acts in the country.
Laverne became a regular presenter in the new 'magazine' format third series of It's Not Easy Being Green
, first broadcast on BBC Two
in January 2009. She also narrated Tough Guy or Chicken?
on BBC Three in August 2009.
On 6 May 2010, she was a co-host of Channel 4's Alternative Election Night, along with Jimmy Carr
, David Mitchell
, and Charlie Brooker
. Starting 20 January 2011, she re-joined her co-hosts in Channel 4's satirical news programme 10 O'Clock Live
.
's Steve Lamacq
, Laverne joined Xfm London
in 2002, co-hosting a Saturday morning show with Mark Webster, while occasionally standing in for various DJs on BBC 6 Music
, including Phill Jupitus
' breakfast show where one morning she interviewed her own brother Pete (who records under the name J Xaverre
) Laverne took over XFM's drivetime slot from Zoe Ball
at the start of 2004, winning Best Newcomer at the Commercial Radio Awards in 2004. She became host of the XFM breakfast show on 31 October 2005 after Christian O'Connell
moved to Virgin Radio
, but left suddenly in April 2007 to pursue her television interests. However, Laverne has recently guest presented on BBC Radio 2
. She stood in for Russell Brand
on BBC Radio 2
on 9 February 2008 whilst he was taking a break.
She presents her own show on BBC 6 Music
Weekdays 10-1pm. Laverne was widely quoted by mass media in early March 2010 when her emotional reaction to proposals to kill BBC 6 music captured the attention of her listeners and the press. Following the BBC Director General's announcement that the station would be recommended for closure as part of cost-cutting plans, she started her show saying "This is probably not the easiest of day for us, probably not the easiest day to be on the radio, to be honest with you, especially not this station, which I love with all my heart. So thank you very much for all your kind words."
She has also been a panelist on BBC Radio 4
's Just a Minute
.
. The book is published by HarperCollins
.
while in the band Kenickie
and later Malcolm Middleton
, from the band Arab Strap
. She married television producer and DJ Graeme Fisher in County Durham
in August 2005, and the couple live in Muswell Hill
, London
. Laverne also retains a flat in Sunderland. The couple had their first child, a boy named Fergus James, in October 2007. On 30 March 2010, Laverne revealed on her 6music show that she was pregnant with their second child. Lauren gave birth to the couple's second son, Mack, in the early hours of 20 September 2010.
She is a vegetarian.
In 2005, Laverne's passion for her home city resulted in her becoming an ambassador promoting and raising awareness of Sunderland. She received an honorary fellowship from the University of Sunderland
in July 2009.
Laverne is a supporter of the Labour Party
, famously referring to Geri Halliwell
as "Tory scum" for her support for the Conservatives
in the 1997 general election. Laverne's mother, Cecilia Gofton, was elected a councillor for the Pallion ward in the City of Sunderland in 2006, and sought nomination as Labour candidate in 2008 in the Sunderland Central
constituency but was defeated by Julie Elliott
, who went on to win the seat for Labour in the 2010 general election.
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, television presenter, 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:...
and singer. She currently presents a radio show on BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
, and has presented a variety of television programmes including 10 O'Clock Live
10 O'Clock Live
10 O'Clock Live is a British satirical comedy/news television programme presented by Charlie Brooker, Jimmy Carr, Lauren Laverne and David Mitchell....
for 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...
, and The Culture Show
The Culture Show
The Culture Show is a weekly BBC Two Arts magazine programme. It is broadcast in the UK on Thursday nights at 7pm, focusing on the best of the week's arts and culture news, covering books, art, film, architecture, music, visual fashion and the performing arts...
and coverage of the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
for the BBC
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...
. Laverne has also written a published novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
entitled Candypop: Candy and the Broken Biscuits.
In her previous career as a musician, Laverne was best known for being lead singer and sometime guitarist in pop band Kenickie
Kenickie
Kenickie were a four-piece rock band from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. The band were formed in 1994 and consisted of lead vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Lauren Laverne , drummer Johnny X , lead guitarist and occasional vocalist Marie du Santiago and bass guitarist Emmy-Kate Montrose...
, although her greatest chart success came when she performed vocals on Mint Royale
Mint Royale
Mint Royale is a big beat electronic music act from Manchester, England. They were originally founded by the duo Neil Claxton and Chris Baker in 1997; the latter left the band in 2004, but Claxton continues to produce music using the Mint Royale name.-Career:...
's "Don't Falter" single.
Early years
Laverne was born and brought up in Sunderland. She first attended St. Mary's R.C. Primary School in 1982, where she befriended Marie Nixon, later to become a fellow KenickieKenickie
Kenickie were a four-piece rock band from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. The band were formed in 1994 and consisted of lead vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Lauren Laverne , drummer Johnny X , lead guitarist and occasional vocalist Marie du Santiago and bass guitarist Emmy-Kate Montrose...
guitarist, and then St. Anthony's R.C. Comprehensive School
St. Anthony's Girls School
St. Anthony's is an all-girls secondary school and sixth form college situated in Sunderland, North East England.-Admission Policy 2010:The Governing Body determines the admissions to St. Anthony's. The criteria for admission reflects the nature of the foundation of the School by the Sisters of...
between 1989 and 1994, where she and Nixon met Emma Jackson. Laverne went on to study at City of Sunderland College
City of Sunderland College
Sunderland College, is a Further Education, Higher Education College based in Sunderland, North East England. The enrolment includes around 6,300 part-time learners and approximately 4,800 full-time students...
from 1994 to 1996.
Music
During her time at college, Laverne, Nixon and Jackson formed a teen punk band called KenickieKenickie
Kenickie were a four-piece rock band from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. The band were formed in 1994 and consisted of lead vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Lauren Laverne , drummer Johnny X , lead guitarist and occasional vocalist Marie du Santiago and bass guitarist Emmy-Kate Montrose...
with Laverne's brother Peter, taking the stage names Lauren Laverne, Marie du Santiago, Emmy-Kate Montrose and Johnny X. As their popularity grew, Laverne had to continually alternate between studying for A-levels and touring with the band. Despite this strain, Laverne won a place at nearby Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
to study Medieval History, but her entry was deferred in order to concentrate on the band in 1996-7. The band's rapid rise to prominence in 1997 coincided with a relocation from Sunderland 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...
, as the thrice-weekly commute was proving too costly and tiring, which meant she never took up the place. In all, Kenickie achieved four top 40 hits and a top ten album and became darlings of the British music press, due to their refreshing style and outspoken views.
Laverne became as famous for her funny and acerbic interview style as for her music, making her a popular contestant on comedy panel shows such as Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
and Have I Got News For You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
, memorably referring to contemporaneous girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
the Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
as "Tory
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
scum".
In 2000, she brought out a solo EP, Take These Flowers Away, contributed a version of "In The Bleak Midwinter" to Xfm London
Xfm London
Xfm London is a commercial radio station in the United Kingdom owned by Global Radio and broadcasts on 104.9 FM in London, on digital radio via 30 DAB multiplexes across the country, Sky, TalkTalk TV and Virgin Media....
's It's A Cool Cool Christmas album, played at the Reading Festival
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
and made the top 20 for the only time in her singing career as vocalist on "Don't Falter" by Mint Royale
Mint Royale
Mint Royale is a big beat electronic music act from Manchester, England. They were originally founded by the duo Neil Claxton and Chris Baker in 1997; the latter left the band in 2004, but Claxton continues to produce music using the Mint Royale name.-Career:...
. She was also working on a solo album at this time, but this was permanently put on hold by the collapse of Deceptive Records
Deceptive Records
Deceptive Records was a British independent record label formed in 1992 by Steve Lamacq, Tony Smith and Alan James, which concentrated on rock and alternative rock. The most famous group signed to the label were Elastica....
.
She subsequently provided guest vocals on The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy (band)
The Divine Comedy are a chamber pop band from Ireland, fronted by Neil Hannon. Formed in 1989, Hannon has been the only constant member of the group, playing, in some instances, all of the non-orchestral instrumentation bar drums. To date, ten studio albums have been released under the Divine...
's 2004 single "Come Home Billy Bird".
Television
Laverne's first television presenting job was Play UKPlay UK
Play UK was a television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom as part of the UKTV network of channels. The channel was launched on 10 October 1998...
's series The Alphabet Show
The Alphabet Show
The Alphabet Show was a late-1990s television show broadcast on UK Play. It was presented by Lauren Laverne and Chris Addison. Each episode focused on a different letter of the alphabet, it featured music videos and discussion which was loosely related to the chosen letter....
, with Chris Addison
Chris Addison
Chris Addison is an English stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He is known for his lecture-style comedy shows, two of which he later adapted for BBC Radio 4...
, made while Kenickie were still together. She has since presented Planet Pop and Loves Like A Dog for 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...
, Fanorama for E4, Party in the Park
Party in the Park
Party in the Park is the generic name given to music concerts organised by various radio stations and local authorities in England and Wales, typically in large parks during the summer.-Leeds' Party in the Park:...
with Melanie Brown
Melanie Brown
Melanie Janine "Scary Spice" Brown , often better known as Mel B, is an English pop singer-songwriter, actress, author and television presenter...
and Pop for Five and Orange Playlist
Orange Playlist
Orange Playlist is a British music chat show TV series, produced by INITIAL, a subsidiary of Endemol UK for the ITV Network. The third series was presented by Jayne Middlemiss...
for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, as well as reporting for RI:SE
RI:SE
RI:SE was a breakfast television show made by Princess Productions in collaboration with BSkyB for Channel 4 in the UK. It was scheduled to replace The Big Breakfast after declining ratings. It launched on 29 April 2002...
, leading the house band on Johnny Vaughan
Johnny Vaughan
Jonathan Randall Vaughan is an English broadcaster and journalist. Vaughan has become well known as a television and radio personality and has also built a reputation as a film critic. He co-presented Capital Breakfast alongside Lisa Snowdon on 95.8 Capital FM between 2004 and 2011...
Tonight and appearing as an expert in a music special of BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's Test the Nation
Test the Nation
Test the Nation is a television programme, first broadcast in 2001 by BNN in the Netherlands where the concept is owned by Eyeworks Holding who license it to TV production companies around the world.-Show format:...
. In recent years she has been seen as one of BBC2's main presenters for their coverage of the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
and the host of ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
's coverage of events such as the British Comedy Awards
British Comedy Awards
The British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.-History:...
and the BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
.
She also presented a documentary for Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
on the rise of popularity of the US hit TV Show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, called Buffy: Television With Bite. This was done when the show was returning for its sixth season in 2001, and she subsequently portrayed a vampire dusted by Willow
Willow Rosenberg
Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan...
in the final season of the show.
In 2004 she was a regular guest on the quiz show HeadJam
HeadJam
HeadJam is a BBC television game show hosted by Vernon Kay. It originally aired during the summer of 2004 on BBC Three, with a repeat soon afterwards on BBC Two.It featured two teams, each consisting of a member of the public and a celebrity...
. She could also be seen briefly in the movie Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather...
, where she was one of the zombies (more obvious in the bonus content).
In 2005, she became host of ITV's Saturday morning music show CD:UK
CD:UK
CD:UK was a British music television programme. Originally run in conjunction with SMTV Live, the programme was first aired on ITV on 29 August 1998 to rival the BBC's Live & Kicking and was the replacement for The Chart Show, which had been airing on the network for nine and a half years.In...
, along with Myleene Klass
Myleene Klass
Myleene Angela Quinn is an English singer, pianist, media personality and occasional model. She was formerly a member of the defunct British pop band Hear'Say.-Early life:...
and Johny Pitts
Johny Pitts
Johny Pitts is a UK TV presenter, writer and photographer from Sheffield. He currently presents Escape from Scorpion Island, Roar and All Over the Place...
, starting on 17 September with a programme featuring Laverne interviewing Sir Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
. The show finished in April 2006.
in April 2006, she appeared as guest host of Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
. In August, Laverne presented Channel 4's coverage of the V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
. In March 2007, she presented the NME Awards
NME Awards
The NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
live from the Hammersmith Palais
Hammersmith Palais
The Hammersmith Palais de Danse, later simply the Hammersmith Palais, was a ballroom and entertainment venue in London that operated from 1919 until 2007...
.
In July 2007, Laverne appeared on the satirical comedy show Mock the Week
Mock the Week
Mock the Week is a British topical celebrity panel game hosted by Dara Ó Briain that launched in 2005. The game is influenced by improvised topical stand-up comedy, with several rounds requiring players to deliver answers on unexpected subjects on the spur of the moment.It is made by independent...
, and on Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
on 14 December of the same year. She appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
on 10 January 2008, this time as a guest. In September 2008, Laverne appeared again on Mock the Week.
In March 2008, Laverne appeared on the Lily Allen and Friends
Lily Allen and Friends
Lily Allen and Friends is a British TV talk show presented by Lily Allen. The programme is produced by Princess Productions for BBC Three. It was first shown on 12 February 2008. The audience consists entirely of Lily's online friends, who sign up via the programme's website...
show with fellow Sunderland musicians The Futureheads
The Futureheads
The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland. consisting of Ross Millard , Barry Hyde and David "Jaff" Craig...
, and on Would I Lie To You?
Would I Lie To You? (TV series)
Would I Lie to You? is a comedy panel game made by Zeppotron for BBC One. It was first broadcast on 16 June 2007.-Format:The show was presented by Angus Deayton in 2007 and 2008, and by Rob Brydon from 2009 onwards...
.
From 2006 to 2010, she was a regular presenter with the weekly BBC
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...
arts magazine programme The Culture Show
The Culture Show
The Culture Show is a weekly BBC Two Arts magazine programme. It is broadcast in the UK on Thursday nights at 7pm, focusing on the best of the week's arts and culture news, covering books, art, film, architecture, music, visual fashion and the performing arts...
, alongside Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode is an English film critic, musician and a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He contributes to Sight and Sound magazine, The Observer newspaper and BBC Radio 5 Live, where he presents Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews with Simon Mayo on Friday afternoons...
. She also presented the second series of the late-night Channel 4 music show Transmission with T-Mobile opposite Steve Jones
Steve Jones (presenter)
Stephen Ashton "Steve" Jones is a Welsh television presenter. Jones is primarily known in the UK as presenter of T4. Internationally, he is known as the host of The X Factor USA.-Early life:...
.
Laverne replaced radio DJ Jo Whiley
Jo Whiley
Johanne "Jo" Whiley is a British radio disc jockey and television presenter. She was the host of the long running weekday Jo Whiley Show on Radio 1.-Early life and education:...
on the talent show Orange Mobile Act Unsigned, which searches for the top unsigned acts in the country.
Laverne became a regular presenter in the new 'magazine' format third series of It's Not Easy Being Green
It's Not Easy Being Green
It's Not Easy Being Green is a television series on BBC Two starring Dick Strawbridge and focusing on how to live an environmentally friendly, low impact life...
, first broadcast on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
in January 2009. She also narrated Tough Guy or Chicken?
Tough Guy or Chicken?
Tough Guy or Chicken? is a 2009 reality television series shown on BBC Three. It involves five young British men spending four months travelling the world taking tough challenges with deadly animals and in hostile locations. The series is made up of 8 episodes where, in each, the men are taken to a...
on BBC Three in August 2009.
On 6 May 2010, she was a co-host of Channel 4's Alternative Election Night, along with Jimmy Carr
Jimmy Carr
James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr is an English-Irish comedian and humourist. He is known for his deadpan delivery and dark humour. He is also a writer, actor and presenter of radio and television....
, David Mitchell
David Mitchell (actor)
David James Stuart Mitchell is a British actor, comedian and writer. He is half of the comedy duo Mitchell and Webb, alongside Robert Webb, whom he met at Cambridge University. There they were both part of the Cambridge Footlights, of which Mitchell became President. Together the duo star in the...
, and Charlie Brooker
Charlie Brooker
Charlton "Charlie" Brooker is a British journalist, comic writer and broadcaster. His style of humour is savage and profane, with surreal elements and a consistent satirical pessimism...
. Starting 20 January 2011, she re-joined her co-hosts in Channel 4's satirical news programme 10 O'Clock Live
10 O'Clock Live
10 O'Clock Live is a British satirical comedy/news television programme presented by Charlie Brooker, Jimmy Carr, Lauren Laverne and David Mitchell....
.
Radio
Having previously sat in for BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq , sometimes known by his nicknames Lammo or "The Cat" is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio stations BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.-Early career:He was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire...
, Laverne joined Xfm London
Xfm London
Xfm London is a commercial radio station in the United Kingdom owned by Global Radio and broadcasts on 104.9 FM in London, on digital radio via 30 DAB multiplexes across the country, Sky, TalkTalk TV and Virgin Media....
in 2002, co-hosting a Saturday morning show with Mark Webster, while occasionally standing in for various DJs on BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
, including Phill Jupitus
Phill Jupitus
Phillip Christopher Jupitus is an English stand-up and improvised comedian, actor, performance poet, musician and podcaster....
' breakfast show where one morning she interviewed her own brother Pete (who records under the name J Xaverre
J Xaverre
__FORCETOC__J Xaverre is a Laptop folk band from Sunderland in the North-East of England. To all practical intents and purposes a solo effort from Pete Gofton, he has occasionally been joined by Lea Doherty on vocals and the King of Woolworths member Jon Brooks on keyboards &...
) Laverne took over XFM's drivetime slot from Zoe Ball
Zoë Ball
Zoë Louise Ball is an English television and radio personality, most famous for becoming the first female host of the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show and for her earlier work presenting the 1990s children's show, Live & Kicking.-TV career:The daughter of the children's TV presenter Johnny Ball and his...
at the start of 2004, winning Best Newcomer at the Commercial Radio Awards in 2004. She became host of the XFM breakfast show on 31 October 2005 after Christian O'Connell
Christian O'Connell
Christian O'Connell is an English radio DJ who presents the Absolute Radio weekday breakfast show.He has formerly hosted BBC Radio Five Live's weekend sports game show Fighting Talk alongside the weekday breakfast show on indie music station Xfm London...
moved to Virgin Radio
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
, but left suddenly in April 2007 to pursue her television interests. However, Laverne has recently guest presented on 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...
. She stood in for Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
on 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...
on 9 February 2008 whilst he was taking a break.
She presents her own show on BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
Weekdays 10-1pm. Laverne was widely quoted by mass media in early March 2010 when her emotional reaction to proposals to kill BBC 6 music captured the attention of her listeners and the press. Following the BBC Director General's announcement that the station would be recommended for closure as part of cost-cutting plans, she started her show saying "This is probably not the easiest of day for us, probably not the easiest day to be on the radio, to be honest with you, especially not this station, which I love with all my heart. So thank you very much for all your kind words."
She has also been a panelist on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Just a Minute
Just a Minute
Just a Minute is a BBC Radio 4 radio comedy panel game chaired by Nicholas Parsons. Its first transmission on Radio 4 was on 22 December 1967, three months after the station's launch. The Radio 4 programme won a Gold Sony Radio Academy Award in 2003....
.
Writing
In 2010, she published her first novel Candypop – Candy and the Broken Biscuits, about rock chick Candy Caine, 15, on her journey to the world's biggest music festival, GlastonburyGlastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
. The book is published by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
.
Personal life
Laverne dated music journalist Taylor ParkesTaylor Parkes
Taylor Parkes is a British journalist. He is best known for his music journalism which appeared in Melody Maker from 1993 to 1998, notable for a style which mixed dark humour, especially in bitterly critical pieces, with an intellectual tone, influenced by the likes of Simon Reynolds and Paul Morley...
while in the band Kenickie
Kenickie
Kenickie were a four-piece rock band from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. The band were formed in 1994 and consisted of lead vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Lauren Laverne , drummer Johnny X , lead guitarist and occasional vocalist Marie du Santiago and bass guitarist Emmy-Kate Montrose...
and later Malcolm Middleton
Malcolm Middleton
Malcolm Bruce Middleton is a Scottish musician best known for his work with Aidan Moffat in post-folk indie band Arab Strap as well as his solo career writing and producing...
, from the band Arab Strap
Arab Strap (band)
Arab Strap were an indie rock band from Scotland that consisted of core members Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton. The band were signed to independent record label Chemikal Underground, and split in 2006...
. She married television producer and DJ Graeme Fisher in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
in August 2005, and the couple live in Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
, 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...
. Laverne also retains a flat in Sunderland. The couple had their first child, a boy named Fergus James, in October 2007. On 30 March 2010, Laverne revealed on her 6music show that she was pregnant with their second child. Lauren gave birth to the couple's second son, Mack, in the early hours of 20 September 2010.
She is a vegetarian.
In 2005, Laverne's passion for her home city resulted in her becoming an ambassador promoting and raising awareness of Sunderland. She received an honorary fellowship from the University of Sunderland
University of Sunderland
The University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, north east England. The university has more than 17,500 students, including 7,000-plus international students from some 70 countries....
in July 2009.
Laverne is a supporter of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, famously referring to Geri Halliwell
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic...
as "Tory scum" for her support for the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
in the 1997 general election. Laverne's mother, Cecilia Gofton, was elected a councillor for the Pallion ward in the City of Sunderland in 2006, and sought nomination as Labour candidate in 2008 in the Sunderland Central
Sunderland Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Sunderland Central is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
constituency but was defeated by Julie Elliott
Julie Elliott
Julie Elliott is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Sunderland Central since 2010....
, who went on to win the seat for Labour in the 2010 general election.
Solo singles
- Take These Flowers Away EP (did not chart)
- "I Fell Out Of A Tree"
- "Good Morning Sunshine"
- "To Have A Home"
- "Some Kind Of Other Presence"
- "If You Phone (Netmix)" (internet only bonus track)
Other solo releases
- "Don't Falter", Mint RoyaleMint RoyaleMint Royale is a big beat electronic music act from Manchester, England. They were originally founded by the duo Neil Claxton and Chris Baker in 1997; the latter left the band in 2004, but Claxton continues to produce music using the Mint Royale name.-Career:...
featuring Lauren Laverne, #15 (w/b 31 January 2000) - "In The Bleak Midwinter" (on It's A Cool Cool Christmas compilation) (did not chart)
- "Come Home Billy Bird", The Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy (band)The Divine Comedy are a chamber pop band from Ireland, fronted by Neil Hannon. Formed in 1989, Hannon has been the only constant member of the group, playing, in some instances, all of the non-orchestral instrumentation bar drums. To date, ten studio albums have been released under the Divine...
(uncredited vocalist), #24 (w/b 28 March 2004)
Miscellaneous solo songs
Other solo songs performed on radio sessions include:- "Don't Falter (acoustic)"
- "Mexico"
- "Thank You"
- "Ian"
- "Open"
External links
- Profile at Xfm LondonXfm LondonXfm London is a commercial radio station in the United Kingdom owned by Global Radio and broadcasts on 104.9 FM in London, on digital radio via 30 DAB multiplexes across the country, Sky, TalkTalk TV and Virgin Media....
- Kenickie site
- Q&A: Questionnaire style interview from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. - Lauren Laverne, Spitz, London: Review of post-Kenickie solo performance in The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 16 April 2001. - http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2036342,00.html"Blonde ambition" interview from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 18 March 2007] - "Drink Less Miss Less" campaign"