Samantha Dubois
Encyclopedia
Samantha Dubois was a radio presenter on Radio Caroline
during the 1970s and again in 1984.
She was born in Holland but learned to speak English from time spent growing up in New Zealand
in the 1960s, this gave her a unique and instantly recognisable accent. She joined Radio Caroline originally as the girlfriend of Peter Chicago, and at first she helped out with the cooking on the radio ship Mi Amigo
She was first heard on the air on 3 March 1973, calling herself 'Ellen the cook', the only time that she used her real name. In 1974, she began working as a regular broadcaster in the 3am-6am slot, (although later in her career she also presented late night and some daytime shows), using the name 'Samantha Dubois', (although later she just called herself 'Samantha'). Her countless intervals on board dated from 6 March to 10 May 1974, a brief period during August 1974, from 16 December 1975 to September 1976, a short period during the month of March 1977, and finally from 21 September to 17 October 1978. According to tabulations from the late Buster Pearson of Monitor magazine, she was on the air for a total of 792 hours.
On the 12th January 1977, she was fined by a Dutch court for her involvement with the station. Despite this, she returned to Radio Caroline in the March of that year.
She made her final broadcast on 17 October 1978. After she left the station, she later got married and moved to New Zealand. She did, however, return to the station in 1984, from the 14th September to the 10th November, during which she added another 147 hours 'live on the air' from the radio ship Ross Revenge
After leaving Radio Caroline for the last time, she returned to New Zealand to have a child named Luke on 18 September 1991 she then later died on the 2nd October 1992.
Although both Andy Archer and Bob Le-Roi incorrectly stated that she died in 1986.
Samantha Dubois began broadcasting on Radio Caroline at a time when there were still very few female broadcasters, and there is no doubt that she laid the groundwork for others to follow, such as Caroline Martin, who presented on Radio Caroline in the 1980s. She remains much admired and missed by her former colleagues and more importantly her listeners.
Due to the late night/early morning timing of many of her programmes, the number of recordings of her broadcasts are limited. However, recordings have begun to emerge in the last few years.
A CD entitled 'The Late Samantha Dubois' is now available from offshore radio websites.
Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is an English radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly...
during the 1970s and again in 1984.
She was born in Holland but learned to speak English from time spent growing up in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in the 1960s, this gave her a unique and instantly recognisable accent. She joined Radio Caroline originally as the girlfriend of Peter Chicago, and at first she helped out with the cooking on the radio ship Mi Amigo
Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is an English radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly...
She was first heard on the air on 3 March 1973, calling herself 'Ellen the cook', the only time that she used her real name. In 1974, she began working as a regular broadcaster in the 3am-6am slot, (although later in her career she also presented late night and some daytime shows), using the name 'Samantha Dubois', (although later she just called herself 'Samantha'). Her countless intervals on board dated from 6 March to 10 May 1974, a brief period during August 1974, from 16 December 1975 to September 1976, a short period during the month of March 1977, and finally from 21 September to 17 October 1978. According to tabulations from the late Buster Pearson of Monitor magazine, she was on the air for a total of 792 hours.
On the 12th January 1977, she was fined by a Dutch court for her involvement with the station. Despite this, she returned to Radio Caroline in the March of that year.
She made her final broadcast on 17 October 1978. After she left the station, she later got married and moved to New Zealand. She did, however, return to the station in 1984, from the 14th September to the 10th November, during which she added another 147 hours 'live on the air' from the radio ship Ross Revenge
Ross Revenge
The MV Ross Revenge is a radio ship, formerly the home of Radio Caroline, as well as having supported Radio Monique and various religious broadcasters. She was constructed in Bremerhaven in 1960, and initially served as a commercial trawler, notably taking part in the cod wars of the 1970s...
After leaving Radio Caroline for the last time, she returned to New Zealand to have a child named Luke on 18 September 1991 she then later died on the 2nd October 1992.
Although both Andy Archer and Bob Le-Roi incorrectly stated that she died in 1986.
Samantha Dubois began broadcasting on Radio Caroline at a time when there were still very few female broadcasters, and there is no doubt that she laid the groundwork for others to follow, such as Caroline Martin, who presented on Radio Caroline in the 1980s. She remains much admired and missed by her former colleagues and more importantly her listeners.
Due to the late night/early morning timing of many of her programmes, the number of recordings of her broadcasts are limited. However, recordings have begun to emerge in the last few years.
A CD entitled 'The Late Samantha Dubois' is now available from offshore radio websites.