Melanie Sykes
Encyclopedia
Melanie Ann Sykes is an English
television
presenter
and model
.
mother. She first came to public attention as the bikini
-clad girl in the Boddingtons
beer advertisements with the broad "Northern
" accent
in the mid-1990s. Amongst other work during the decade, she also modelled for Berlei
lingerie
.
After first reporting for The Big Breakfast
, she has continued her television career, including stints on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and presenting Eastenders Revealed. In 1999 Sykes presented Melanie Sykes' Southall
stories a documentary for BBC2
on Asian
culture in Great Britain
. She has also hosted a variety of awards shows, including Miss World
, the BAFTAs and the Q Awards
and presented her own radio show on Galaxy FM.
Her television career stalled for a period, although she made a successful comeback when she became the host of Today with Des and Mel
(with Des O'Connor
) in 2003. On 12 May 2006 ITV
announced that the show would be one of a number to be axed in a "painful, but utterly necessary" move. Her other work for the ITV
network includes the prime-time shows The Vault
, Celebrities Under Pressure
, National Television Awards Party of the Year, and the British Soap Awards
.
She appeared as a guest panellist on the ITV daytime chat show Loose Women
in October and November 2005 and later returned as a guest anchor in October 2008 and May 2009.
Sykes presented The A List
, a national radio chart show based on total sales, produced by Unique the Production Company at the studios of London's Heart 106.2
. She left the show towards the end of 2006 and was replaced by Gail Porter
.
In 2006, the book Blooming Beautiful: My Plan for Looking Great, Being Healthy and Surviving Hormonal Havoc, Throughout Pregnancy and as a New Mum, co-written by Sykes with Hilary Boyd, was published by Michael Joseph Ltd
.
In recent years she has been the face of Head & Shoulders
shampoo in the UK, appearing in print and television advertising and the high street chain Matalan
. She has also appeared in advertisements for Morrisons
, Wynsors World of Shoes
, and Churchill Insurance.
In November 2006, Sykes filled in for Paul O'Grady
when he took leave from The Paul O'Grady Show
. On 8 May 2007 and 5 November 2007 she again presented the show when O'Grady took leave from the series and yet again while O'Grady was ill from 15 April-18 April and 22 April and later on 2 November 2008 with Des O'Connor. She has most recently been seen as the presenter of the daytime
series Gene Detectives for BBC One
. Sykes filled in for O'Grady once again on 8 April 2009.
In 2008 she became a judge on The Sofa Factor for GMTV
, where viewers send in short clips and the winner gets to present TV Pick of the Day plus win a trip to Las Vegas
.
She was heard on BBC Radio 2
with Aled Jones
sitting in for Steve Wright In The Afternoon
on 22, 23 and 24 December 2008. In May 2010, she began an 8 week stint co-hosting the BBC Radio 2
show Going Out With Alan Carr
after the resignation of Emma Forbes.
In August 2011, she returned to daytime TV, presenting Let's Do Lunch With Gino and Mel, alongside Gino D'Acampo
on ITV1. She co-hosts prime-time series Missing Millions, which started on 13 September 2011, alongside Paul Heiney
on ITV1.
She posed naked for the December 2011 edition of the men's magazine Esquire.
at Ashton Sixth Form College
. Sykes was a member of Ashtonian
Brass Band
along with her father, mother, and two sisters, playing the baritone horn
.
She was romantically involved with singer Matt Goss
for five years and also dated Max Beesley
. She married Italian Daniel Caltagirone in January 2001, and the couple had two children: Roman (born 2002) and Valentino Luca (born 21 July 2004), in July 2008 it was reported that the couple had split up, with Sykes having "grown apart" from Caltagirone, who had moved out of their Hampstead
, London home. They divorced in June 2009.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
.
Career
Melanie Sykes was born to an English father, and an Anglo-IndianAnglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
mother. She first came to public attention as the bikini
Bikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
-clad girl in the Boddingtons
Boddingtons
Boddingtons Bitter is a bitter ale originally brewed at the Strangeways Brewery, Manchester, England. It was promoted as The Cream of Manchester from the late 1980s until 2004, when the Strangeways brewery was closed and production moved to Magor, South Wales and Salmesbury, Lancashire...
beer advertisements with the broad "Northern
Northern English
Northern English is a group of dialects of the English language. It includes the North East England dialects, which are similar in some respects to Scots....
" accent
Accent (linguistics)
In linguistics, an accent is a manner of pronunciation peculiar to a particular individual, location, or nation.An accent may identify the locality in which its speakers reside , the socio-economic status of its speakers, their ethnicity, their caste or social class, their first language In...
in the mid-1990s. Amongst other work during the decade, she also modelled for Berlei
Berlei
Berlei is a brand of women's lingerie and in particular bras and girdles.-History:The brand originated in Australia in 1917. Berlei undergarments are now sold in Australia by Pacific Brands and in the United Kingdom by Courtaulds Textiles....
lingerie
Lingerie
Lingerie are fashionable and possibly alluring undergarments.Lingerie usually incorporates one or more flexible, stretchy materials like Lycra, nylon , polyester, satin, lace, silk and sheer fabric which are not typically used in more functional, basic cotton undergarments.The term in the French...
.
After first reporting for 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...
, she has continued her television career, including stints on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and presenting Eastenders Revealed. In 1999 Sykes presented Melanie Sykes' Southall
Southall
Southall is a large suburban district of west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include Yeading, Hayes, Hanwell, Heston, Hounslow, Greenford and Northolt...
stories a documentary for BBC2
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...
on Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
culture in Great Britain
Great 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...
. She has also hosted a variety of awards shows, including Miss World
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
, the BAFTAs and the Q Awards
Q Awards
The Q Awards are the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards have become one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards, helped in no small part by the often boisterous behavior of the celebrities who attend the event...
and presented her own radio show on Galaxy FM.
Her television career stalled for a period, although she made a successful comeback when she became the host of Today with Des and Mel
Today with Des and Mel
Today with Des and Mel was a British television series hosted by Des O'Connor and Melanie Sykes. The show featured celebrity guests, phone-in competitions and chat between the hosts. It was produced by Carlton Television, at The London Studios...
(with Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor, CBE is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years...
) in 2003. On 12 May 2006 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...
announced that the show would be one of a number to be axed in a "painful, but utterly necessary" move. Her other work for the 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...
network includes the prime-time shows The Vault
The Vault (game show)
The Vault is a game show created in Israel , by Erez Tal. It was later a British hit on ITV, running from 2002 until 2004. It was hosted by Davina McCall , Melanie Sykes and Gabby Logan...
, Celebrities Under Pressure
Celebrities Under Pressure
Celebrities Under Pressure is a Saturday night entertainment show which aired in the United Kingdom on ITV.The show follows families allowing a celebrity to live with them for a week as they attempt to learn a new skill from their hosts. The celebrity's progress is followed through a video diary,...
, National Television Awards Party of the Year, and the British Soap Awards
British Soap Awards
The British Soap Awards is an annual awards ceremony to honour the best of British soap operas.The first event took place in 1999 and takes place in May each year. Although it is an ITV production, the events were held at the BBC Television Centre, in London until 2010. The 2011 awards relocated to...
.
She appeared as a guest panellist on the ITV daytime chat 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...
in October and November 2005 and later returned as a guest anchor in October 2008 and May 2009.
Sykes presented The A List
The A list
The A List is the second album released by British-Norwegian boyband A1. The album was released in early 2000 after the success of the singles "Take on Me" and "Same Old Brand New You". The album was certified as Gold in the UK.-Track listing:-Charts:...
, a national radio chart show based on total sales, produced by Unique the Production Company at the studios of London's Heart 106.2
Heart 106.2
Heart 106.2 is an Independent Local Radio station based in London and is owned by Global Radio as part of the Heart Network.On 25 June 2007 it was announced that Heart along with its sister stations The Arrow, Sky News Radio, LBC and Galaxy were to be sold for £170 million to Global Radio from...
. She left the show towards the end of 2006 and was replaced by Gail Porter
Gail Porter
Gail Porter is a Scottish television presenter.- Life and career :Porter attended Portobello High School. She studied a BTEC HND in Media Production at West Herts College...
.
In 2006, the book Blooming Beautiful: My Plan for Looking Great, Being Healthy and Surviving Hormonal Havoc, Throughout Pregnancy and as a New Mum, co-written by Sykes with Hilary Boyd, was published by Michael Joseph Ltd
Pearson PLC
Pearson plc is a global media and education company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is both the largest education company and the largest book publisher in the world, with consumer imprints including Penguin, Dorling Kindersley and Ladybird...
.
In recent years she has been the face of Head & Shoulders
Head & Shoulders
Head & Shoulders is a brand of anti-dandruff shampoo produced by Procter & Gamble. Head & Shoulders Classic Clean Shampoo is the top-selling shampoo in the United States by dollar sales.- History :...
shampoo in the UK, appearing in print and television advertising and the high street chain Matalan
Matalan
Matalan is a British retailer that specialises in shoes and clothes. It was founded by John Hargreaves in 1985. It currently has 200 stores across the UK. The 200th store opened on 22 September 2006 in Croydon...
. She has also appeared in advertisements for Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
, Wynsors World of Shoes
Wynsors World of Shoes
Wynsors World of Shoes is a shoe store located in various areas across Northern England. Wynsors started out in 1956 selling shoes from market stalls and small shops, before growing and opening up a number of stores in different areas of the North West and have now decided to expand into the North...
, and Churchill Insurance.
In November 2006, Sykes filled in for Paul O'Grady
Paul O'Grady
Paul James Michael O'Grady MBE is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio DJ. He is best known for presenting the daytime chat television series, The Paul O'Grady Show and, more recently, Paul O'Grady Live, as well as his drag queen comedic alter ego, Lily Savage, as...
when he took leave from The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
. On 8 May 2007 and 5 November 2007 she again presented the show when O'Grady took leave from the series and yet again while O'Grady was ill from 15 April-18 April and 22 April and later on 2 November 2008 with Des O'Connor. She has most recently been seen as the presenter of the daytime
Daytime television
Daytime television is the general term for television shows produced that are intended to air during the daytime hours on weekdays. This article is about American daytime television, for information about international daytime television see Daytime television....
series Gene Detectives for 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...
. Sykes filled in for O'Grady once again on 8 April 2009.
In 2008 she became a judge on The Sofa Factor for GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, where viewers send in short clips and the winner gets to present TV Pick of the Day plus win a trip to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
She was heard 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...
with Aled Jones
Aled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
sitting in for Steve Wright In The Afternoon
Steve Wright In The Afternoon
Steve Wright in the Afternoon is the name of the current afternoon show on BBC Radio 2, hosted by Steve Wright. The show is one of the most popular on the station, and is often referred to as The Big Show...
on 22, 23 and 24 December 2008. In May 2010, she began an 8 week stint co-hosting the 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...
show Going Out With Alan Carr
Going Out With Alan Carr
Going Out With Alan Carr is a BBC Radio 2 show hosted by British Comedian Alan Carr and Melanie Sykes. Launched in 2009, the show is broadcast for two hours on Saturday evenings.-History:...
after the resignation of Emma Forbes.
In August 2011, she returned to daytime TV, presenting Let's Do Lunch With Gino and Mel, alongside Gino D'Acampo
Gino D'Acampo
Gennaro "Gino" D'Acampo is an Italian chef, television personality and winner of ITV's 2009 series of I'm a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here. D'Acampo lives in the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
on ITV1. She co-hosts prime-time series Missing Millions, which started on 13 September 2011, alongside Paul Heiney
Paul Heiney
Paul Heiney has been a radio broadcaster or television reporter in the United Kingdom for over thirty years.-Early life:...
on ITV1.
She posed naked for the December 2011 edition of the men's magazine Esquire.
Personal life
Sykes attended Mossley Hollins High School, and studied A Level Religious StudiesReligious studies
Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
at Ashton Sixth Form College
Ashton Sixth Form College
Ashton-under-Lyne Sixth Form College is a sixth form college located in Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, England.-Admissions:The college mostly accepts students graduating from the two secondary schools in Ashton-under-Lyne, as well as from the larger Tameside area...
. Sykes was a member of Ashtonian
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
Brass Band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
along with her father, mother, and two sisters, playing the baritone horn
Baritone horn
The baritone horn is a member of the brass instrument family. The baritone horn has a predominantly cylindrical bore as do the trumpet and trombone. A baritone horn uses a large mouthpiece much like those of a trombone or euphonium, although it is a bit smaller. Some baritone mouthpieces will sink...
.
She was romantically involved with singer Matt Goss
Matt Goss
Matthew Weston Goss is an English singer and songwriter currently based in Los Angeles. He was the lead singer of 1980s pop group Bros, which also featured his twin brother Luke Goss as drummer and Craig Logan as bass player...
for five years and also dated Max Beesley
Max Beesley
Maxton Gig Beesley Jr. , known simply as Max Beesley, is an English actor and musician.Beesley rose to fame for his role of Andy Simpson in Every Woman, Every Man from 1993 to 1998, and has since appeared in a variety of television shows including Bodies, Hotel Babylon, London Ink, Survivors and...
. She married Italian Daniel Caltagirone in January 2001, and the couple had two children: Roman (born 2002) and Valentino Luca (born 21 July 2004), in July 2008 it was reported that the couple had split up, with Sykes having "grown apart" from Caltagirone, who had moved out of their Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, London home. They divorced in June 2009.