Leila Williams
Encyclopedia
Leila Williams is a former British
beauty queen
and television presenter.
; then, a year later, she became the first female Blue Peter
presenter, co-presenting with Christopher Trace
.
Williams left Blue Peter at the start of 1962, after being made redundant by a newly-appointed producer with whom she did not get on and who had left her out of many editions of the show from the end of 1961. She went on to appear in such films as Watch Your Stern, Marriage of Convenience and The Beauty Jungle.
and whilst they were touring in the early 1970s she worked as an assistant manager at a Dorothy Perkins
clothing store in Harrow, London
and in the early to mid 1960s had their only child Debra. The couple then ran pubs in Kingston-upon-Thames and Surbiton
for many years. Today she lives in Spain
.
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...
beauty queen
Beauty Queen
"Beauty Queen" is the second song from Roxy Music's second album, For Your Pleasure. The lyrics refer to Ferry's girlfriend, Valerie Leon, one-time UK beauty queen, B-movie actress and model working in the Newcastle area, circa 1973.-Musicians:...
and television presenter.
Career
In 1957, Williams was awarded the title of Miss Great BritainMiss Great Britain
Miss Great Britain is a female beauty contest currently held in London. Between 1956 and 1989, it was held in the seaside resort of Morecambe. It is one of the oldest of its kind in the country, with the first edition held in 1945...
; then, a year later, she became the first female Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
presenter, co-presenting with Christopher Trace
Christopher Trace
Christopher Leonard Trace was an English actor and television presenter, best remembered for his nine years as a presenter of the BBC children's programme Blue Peter.-Career:...
.
Williams left Blue Peter at the start of 1962, after being made redundant by a newly-appointed producer with whom she did not get on and who had left her out of many editions of the show from the end of 1961. She went on to appear in such films as Watch Your Stern, Marriage of Convenience and The Beauty Jungle.
Personal life
Williams married Fred Mudd, the lead singer of the popular music group The MudlarksThe Mudlarks
The Mudlarks were an English pop vocal group of the late 1950s and early 1960s. They had two Top 10 UK hit singles in 1958.-Career:They were a family group from Luton, Bedfordshire, originally comprising Jeff Mudd , Fred Mudd , and Mary Mudd...
and whilst they were touring in the early 1970s she worked as an assistant manager at a Dorothy Perkins
Dorothy Perkins
Dorothy Perkins, whose trading name was inspired by a rambler rose of the same name, is a large British women's clothing retailer, active mostly in the United Kingdom.- History :...
clothing store in Harrow, London
Harrow, London
Harrow is an area in the London Borough of Harrow, northwest London, United Kingdom. It is a suburban area and is situated 12.2 miles northwest of Charing Cross...
and in the early to mid 1960s had their only child Debra. The couple then ran pubs in Kingston-upon-Thames and Surbiton
Surbiton
Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
for many years. Today she lives in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.