A Selection of TV Appearances

Edwina and James May in Liverpool summer 2009

2009 was a busy year on TV and radio, with interviews and news items on the parliamentary expenses scandal, the state of the NHS and other topics on The One Show, BBC News, Sky News and others.

Featured programmes this year included Family Fortunes, Cash in the Attic, Bargain Hunt, Come Dine with Me, Loose Women and appearing for several weeks with Ant and Dec.

In  Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway during February and March 2009, Edwina was part of a team of celebrities who were required to meet several challenges, including pulling a 20 tonne truck, yomping over the Sussex Downs, and recording a pop single for charity. “Hard work, though both Ant and Dec are lovely people, highly professional. I did suggest that with their dedication to getting things right, it was a pity they weren’t running the country!” says Edwina.

Later in 2009 Edwina appeared in James May’s Toy Stories, in which James challenged Liverpool University engineering students to build a bridge over the canal by the Liver Building using only Meccano. “That was fun: Meccano was made in my native city and I cherished my set as a child,” Edwina says. “Fortunately I didn’t have to build the bridge, only help judge the competition. It made a terrific programme which has been repeated several times.”

LIVERPOOL CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2008

As a native Liverpudlian Edwina is delighted to see that Liverpool has just celebrated its 800th birthday (the anniversary of its first charter from King John in 1207), and is the European Capital of Culture for 2008. She filmed an authored piece entitled "My Kind of Town" for BBC TV's The One Show in August 2007, which included a visit to her old school, to her father's former shop in Williamson Square and to the historic Princes Road Synagogue.

THIS MORNING - ON THE ROOF ITV September 2007

In September 2007 Edwina featured on ITV's This Morning show every day for a week with popular presenters Philip Schofield and Fern Britton. She lived on the ITV building roof with nothing but a computer laptop for company. She had to obtain clothing, food, shelter, and even somewhere to sit out of a limited budget; only a tent, a portaloo and a dressing-gown were provided. Challenges were set - and met - including arranging a wedding reception (actually a renewal of vows) on the roof for 30 guests, with champagne, a cake, canapés, the vicar, set-dressing, flowers, musicians, and formal clothing for herself and the bride and groom. Along the way she acquired an exercise bike, five singing toy birds (from the RSPB), a forty-foot flagpole and Union Jack (from mrflag.com) and an immense toy dog (from Battersea Dogs' Home) to keep her company.

Click here to see "On the Roof "
ITV This Morning 3-7 September 2007

 

 

OCTOBER 2006 CHANNEL 4 CELEBRITY WIFE SWAP

Edwina and husband John Jones (“JJ”) took part in their strangest assignment yet – in which she swapped homes and partners with the wife of another celebrity – who is pictured below

John McCririck is the racing tipster for Channel 4 Racing and became well-known to UK viewers through his 2005 appearance on Big Brother. Comments Edwina, “We were not told in advance who the swap would be with, so I was motivated largely by curiosity, and my usual willingness to have a go at most things. Mr McCririck is not known for respecting women as equals; he glories in calling his wife Jenny “The Booby”. He was not the most gracious of hosts. It made me realise how much I value my own home and spouse. Thank heaven it only lasted a week!”

CELEBRITY MASTERMIND 2004

On June 23 2004 Edwina took part in BBC TV's prime time programme Celebrity Mastermind against contestants including the late Richard Whiteley. With "The Life of Marie Curie" as her special subject, she swept the board and came home the winner.

Said Edwina later, "It was nerve-wracking - the other contestants were all experts in their chosen fields but I decided to avoid politics and go for one of my great heroines. My only concern was to do Madame Curie justice. I am thrilled and proud."

HELL'S KITCHEN

IIn May-June 2004 Edwina was one of ten participants in the first televised "Hell's Kitchen" with top British Michelin-star chef Gordon Ramsay, who is known for his short temper and bad language. Viewers were invited to vote for their favourite cook. Edwina survived till the penultimate day of the two-week broadcast and made it to the last four (the winner was 21-year-old Jennifer Ellison). Each phone call raised money for the participant's chosen charity. Edwina was able to hand over some £36,000 to Marie Curie Cancer Care (see their website www.mariecurie.org.uk).

Said Edwina, "We made life tough for Gordon Ramsay; I don't think he was expecting a bunch of troublesome celebrities. We didn't give in to his bullying! But underneath, he really cares about good food and I was proud to be there. I even learned some splendid recipes, though I am still not the main cook at home!"

LATE NIGHT CURRIE - BBC RADIO 5 LIVE, 1998-2003

Edwina's own radio programme
"Late Night Currie" on BBC Radio Five Live aired from 1998 to 2003 on Saturday and Sunday nights 10pm-1am. Radio critic Louis Barfe wrote, "Picking an edition at random, it proved happily to be all about politics and sex… Late Night Currie is breezily entertaining." (New Statesman, 8.4.02) After five very successful years Edwina decided to stop spending her weekends away from home in Birmingham and finished in August 2003. Bob Shennan, Controller of Five Live said, "The Currie show has been an outstanding success, earning a large and loyal following."

Edwina was on air the night of Sunday 22/Monday 23 September 2002 when an earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale occurred, with its epicentre at Dudley, a few miles from the Birmingham studio. "It was a pretty scary experience," she says. "The whole table began to tilt and bounced up and down. I feared it might be a bomb - an earthquake in England is the last thing anyone would expect. But I'm glad to say professionalism prevailed - I managed not to swear too much!"

Earthquake 23rd September 2002, 0053hrs BST
The broadcast was posted on the BBC website and has been heard round the world.

Radio Interview Sample
Drumcree discussion: A clip from Late Night Currie - BBC Radio 5

Immigration, Royalty and Football
Late Night Currie - BBC Radio 5, 15th September 2002

On television she presented Sunday Supplement for Central TV in 1993, Espresso for Channel 5 in 1997, Menu from Heaven for ITV in 1998, What Now? for  BBC1 in 1998, Currie Night for HTV in 2002 and 2003. In 2006 she was presenter and judge on Local Food Heroes for the UKTV Food Channel.

She has been profiled in several full-length TV documentaries including The Other Half (1984 John Pitman), Channel 4 Dispatches (1989 Michael Cockerell), Vanessa's Day With.. (1997, Vanessa Feltz), Tonight with Trevor McDonald (2nd October 2002).

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