Ross King (presenter)
Encyclopedia
Ross King, real name Derek Ross King (born Glasgow, Feb 1961), is a Scottish
television presenter, actor
and writer
. He formerly presented shows on Radio Clyde
from America and various local LA shows. He is the automated telephone voice of American Express
UK.
King made his first stage appearance in 1966 at the age of 5. He went on to appear on Radio Clyde
aged 17 and made his television
debut two years later. He was chosen to present Young Krypton, a youth version of The Krypton Factor
, from over 3,600 applicants. He went on to present numerous other television shows, including The 8:15 from Manchester and Pebble Mill
.
From 1993 to 2010, King was the LA correspondent on GMTV
. From September 2010 onwards, he is the LA correspondent for GMTV's replacement shows Daybreak
and Lorraine
.
After moving to Los Angeles in 2002, King's search for work was successful; he secured roles in a film with Steven Seagal
and in the 2004 release The Day After Tomorrow
before entering a reality TV competition run by local television station KTLA
to find a new weather presenter. There were 5000 entrants to the competition, but King won and was offered a 5-year contract. However King did not want to commit to being a weather presenter for that length of time and struck a deal to present the weather for a year before becoming KTLA's entertainment anchor.
Ross has been on national American television hosting "The Hollywood Christmas Parade" and "The Critics Choice Movie Awards Red Carpet" for VH1. For five years, Scottish born Ross was the Entertainment Anchor on KTLA/The CW Channel 5’s Prime News, winning 4 Emmys and a Golden Mic award along the way. He is also regularly seen on Australia's Channel 9.
Ross' film credits include "The Day After Tomorrow,“Half Past Dead” ,”Cruel Game”, ”Do It For Uncle Manny” , “Trust Me” playing US talk show host Ray Lungo and he played himself in the movies “Young Hercules” and “Who’s Your Caddy”. He voiced the role of “Jinkins” in “Star Wars, Jedi Fighter 2” for Lucas Arts. He also hosted for British TV, ITV’s “This Morning” and Living TV specials on “Will and Grace“, “CSI”, “According to Jim” and "Charmed" . Before leaving London he played one of the leading roles in “Dick Whittington” which was London’s musical for the millennium at Sadlers Wells Theater in London’s West End. This production was directed by Gillian Lynne (Cats & Phantom of the Opera) and was nominated for a prestigious “Laurence Olivier Award”.
Ross played “Frank n Furter” in “The Rocky Horror Show” and starred in and hosted “Night of Stars” at London’s world famous Palladium Theatre. He also created the role of “Wallace” in the musical, “Summer Holiday” from the World Premiere in Blackpool through the National Tour to London’s Apollo Theatre. Other theatre includes lead roles in “Charley’s Aunt”, “Joseph”, “Butterfly Children” and “Guys and Dolls”.
His national TV career started after being chosen from over 3600 hopefuls to host ITV’s “Young Krypton” and since then he has hosted nearly thirty television series for BBC, ITV and SKY. From game shows to Children’s TV from documentaries to human interest programs. Ross’s shows have included “Holiday”, “The Ross King Show”, “Hot Chefs”, “The 8.15 from Manchester”, “King of the Road”, “Run the Gauntlet”, “Quiz Night” and for five years he hosted the BBC’s live daily chat and entertainment show “Pebble Mill”. His years on “Pebble Mill” involved him flying around the world filming in Europe, America, the Caribbean and South Africa, hosting TV specials from the Oscars and Cannes Film Festival. His relaxed and informal style has resulted in some of the best interviews with many of the world’s biggest stars including Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Robin Williams, Catherine Zeta Jones, Michael Douglas, Clint Eastwood, Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Halle Berry, fellow Scots Sean Connery and Gerard Butler, Take That, Miley Cyrus,Justin Bieber , even Prime Minister Tony Blair . Never one to miss an opportunity he has also “sung and danced” with Diana Ross and Donald O’Connor . His worldwide interviews were recognized with an award from the Variety Club of Great Britain.
On radio Ross became Britain’s youngest daytime host on Scotland’s Radio Clyde winning many awards in the process the highlight being a prestigious Sony Award. He has hosted thousands of radio shows, including London’s Capital Radio, and the Euro Chart for the UK. On BBC’s National Radio 5 he hosted a variety of shows including “Fantasy Football” and received another Sony Award for coverage of the Olympics. On the UK’s national Talk Radio he hosted “OK to Talk” and “Ross King’s Sports Stars”. He also achieved a lifelong ambition co hosting the American Weekly Top 4o countdown alongside the Legendary DJ Rick Dees. His radio show "The King in LA" is syndicated across the UK. Ross is the voice of American Express in the UK.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
television presenter, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He formerly presented shows on Radio Clyde
Radio Clyde
Radio Clyde is a division of Bauer Radio based in Glasgow, Scotland. They currently operate an FM station and an AM station from studios in Clydebank West Dunbartonshire.- History :...
from America and various local LA shows. He is the automated telephone voice of American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
UK.
Life
Currently, Ross can be seen daily on ITV morning shows "Daybreak" and "Lorraine" as their Los Angeles Correspondent.King made his first stage appearance in 1966 at the age of 5. He went on to appear on Radio Clyde
Radio Clyde
Radio Clyde is a division of Bauer Radio based in Glasgow, Scotland. They currently operate an FM station and an AM station from studios in Clydebank West Dunbartonshire.- History :...
aged 17 and made his television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
debut two years later. He was chosen to present Young Krypton, a youth version of The Krypton Factor
The Krypton Factor
The Krypton Factor was a British game show produced by Granada Television for broadcast on ITV. The show originally ran from 7 September 1977 to 20 November 1995, and was hosted by Gordon Burns and usually broadcast on the ITV network on Mondays at 19:00....
, from over 3,600 applicants. He went on to present numerous other television shows, including The 8:15 from Manchester and Pebble Mill
Pebble Mill at One
Pebble Mill at One was a popular British lunchtime chat show broadcast live originally on BBC2 before transferring to BBC1. It was produced from the Pebble Mill facilities of BBC Birmingham, and uniquely was hosted from the centre's main reception area rather than a traditional studio...
.
From 1993 to 2010, King was the LA correspondent on 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...
. From September 2010 onwards, he is the LA correspondent for GMTV's replacement shows Daybreak
Daybreak (ITV)
Daybreak is the weekday breakfast television programme on the British commercial ITV network that broadcasts on weekday mornings from 06:00 to 08:30 and is currently presented by Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley from Monday to Thursday with Dan Lobb and Kate Garraway on Fridays...
and Lorraine
Lorraine (TV programme)
Lorraine is the early weekday morning, lifestyle and entertainment show for the British ITV network, presented by Lorraine Kelly. ITV Breakfast produces Lorraine, which airs every weekday from 08:30 until 09:25, following Daybreak...
.
After moving to Los Angeles in 2002, King's search for work was successful; he secured roles in a film with Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
and in the 2004 release The Day After Tomorrow
The Day After Tomorrow
The Day After Tomorrow is a 2004 American science-fiction disaster film that depicts the catastrophic effects of global warming in a series of extreme weather events that usher in global cooling which leads to a new ice age. The film did well at the box office, grossing $542,771,772 internationally...
before entering a reality TV competition run by local television station KTLA
KTLA
KTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
to find a new weather presenter. There were 5000 entrants to the competition, but King won and was offered a 5-year contract. However King did not want to commit to being a weather presenter for that length of time and struck a deal to present the weather for a year before becoming KTLA's entertainment anchor.
Ross has been on national American television hosting "The Hollywood Christmas Parade" and "The Critics Choice Movie Awards Red Carpet" for VH1. For five years, Scottish born Ross was the Entertainment Anchor on KTLA/The CW Channel 5’s Prime News, winning 4 Emmys and a Golden Mic award along the way. He is also regularly seen on Australia's Channel 9.
Ross' film credits include "The Day After Tomorrow,“Half Past Dead” ,”Cruel Game”, ”Do It For Uncle Manny” , “Trust Me” playing US talk show host Ray Lungo and he played himself in the movies “Young Hercules” and “Who’s Your Caddy”. He voiced the role of “Jinkins” in “Star Wars, Jedi Fighter 2” for Lucas Arts. He also hosted for British TV, ITV’s “This Morning” and Living TV specials on “Will and Grace“, “CSI”, “According to Jim” and "Charmed" . Before leaving London he played one of the leading roles in “Dick Whittington” which was London’s musical for the millennium at Sadlers Wells Theater in London’s West End. This production was directed by Gillian Lynne (Cats & Phantom of the Opera) and was nominated for a prestigious “Laurence Olivier Award”.
Ross played “Frank n Furter” in “The Rocky Horror Show” and starred in and hosted “Night of Stars” at London’s world famous Palladium Theatre. He also created the role of “Wallace” in the musical, “Summer Holiday” from the World Premiere in Blackpool through the National Tour to London’s Apollo Theatre. Other theatre includes lead roles in “Charley’s Aunt”, “Joseph”, “Butterfly Children” and “Guys and Dolls”.
His national TV career started after being chosen from over 3600 hopefuls to host ITV’s “Young Krypton” and since then he has hosted nearly thirty television series for BBC, ITV and SKY. From game shows to Children’s TV from documentaries to human interest programs. Ross’s shows have included “Holiday”, “The Ross King Show”, “Hot Chefs”, “The 8.15 from Manchester”, “King of the Road”, “Run the Gauntlet”, “Quiz Night” and for five years he hosted the BBC’s live daily chat and entertainment show “Pebble Mill”. His years on “Pebble Mill” involved him flying around the world filming in Europe, America, the Caribbean and South Africa, hosting TV specials from the Oscars and Cannes Film Festival. His relaxed and informal style has resulted in some of the best interviews with many of the world’s biggest stars including Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Robin Williams, Catherine Zeta Jones, Michael Douglas, Clint Eastwood, Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Halle Berry, fellow Scots Sean Connery and Gerard Butler, Take That, Miley Cyrus,Justin Bieber , even Prime Minister Tony Blair . Never one to miss an opportunity he has also “sung and danced” with Diana Ross and Donald O’Connor . His worldwide interviews were recognized with an award from the Variety Club of Great Britain.
On radio Ross became Britain’s youngest daytime host on Scotland’s Radio Clyde winning many awards in the process the highlight being a prestigious Sony Award. He has hosted thousands of radio shows, including London’s Capital Radio, and the Euro Chart for the UK. On BBC’s National Radio 5 he hosted a variety of shows including “Fantasy Football” and received another Sony Award for coverage of the Olympics. On the UK’s national Talk Radio he hosted “OK to Talk” and “Ross King’s Sports Stars”. He also achieved a lifelong ambition co hosting the American Weekly Top 4o countdown alongside the Legendary DJ Rick Dees. His radio show "The King in LA" is syndicated across the UK. Ross is the voice of American Express in the UK.