Fiona Phillips

Infobox Celebrity
name = Fiona Phillips


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birth_date = Birth date and age|1961|1|1|df=yes
birth_place = flagicon|England
occupation = Television broadcaster
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networth =
spouse = Martin Frizzell
children =
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Fiona Phillips (born January 1, 1961), is an English journalist, broadcaster and television presenter.

Biography

Fiona was born in Kent and Canterbury hospital in 1961. Her grandparents ran the Duke's Head pub on Church Street in St Paul's, and her parents were married in St Paul's church. The family lived in St Stephen's Close, off St Stephen's Road and Fiona attended Kingsmead school. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/lifestyle/features/fiona_phillips.shtml Kent born & bred: Fiona Phillips] BBC Kent] The family later moved to Southampton where Phillips completed her schooling at Millbrook Community School. Fiona did work for a while at Mr Kipling's Bakery in Eastleigh, near Southampton. Fiona graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BA (Hons) in English, she undertook a PGC in journalism.

Career

Phillips started her career in independent radio working for local stations County Sound in Surrey, Hereward Radio and Radio Mercury in Sussex as a reporter.

She made her move from radio to television several years later, joining BBC South East's Weekend Programme as co-presenter. She then took a job as a reporter with CNN News, later moving on to become the station's entertainments editor, producing, reporting and presenting CNN News' entertainment output.

GMTV

Fiona Phillips joined GMTV in 1993 as entertainment correspondent and was promoted to GMTV/Reuters Television's LA correspondent in December 1993. For over two years Fiona provided daily/weekly reports and covered a number of big news stories including the Michael Jackson alleged child molestation case, the LA earthquake, the OJ Simpson trial and the Oscars.

She also interviewed some of the screen's hottest names from Leonardo di Caprio and Clint Eastwood, to Brad Pitt and Mel Gibson.

In 1996 Fiona was nominated for the RTS Interview of the Year Award. Since 1996, she has been the main anchor on GMTV, presenting "GMTV Today" every Monday to Wednesday. On 28 August 2008 Phillips announced that she is to quit her role as main anchor on GMTV for family reasons. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/29/itv.television]

Other activities

Phillips has also presented other programmes, including as the celebrity lifestyle show "OK!TV", "Baby House" and "Room to Rent", Carlton's entertainment guide "Good Stuff", LWT's Friday evening entertainment show "Start the Weekend", ITV's "Sunday Night" and the "Rich and Famous" series. Phillips currently writes an opinion column in The Daily Mirror on Saturdays.

Fiona was a regular panelist on Loose Women in 2002, and guest hosted in 2004 and 2005. Rumours of Fiona's return to loose women, when she leaves GMTV, as she previously stated she would still like a television career and her enjoyment on show.

Fiona voiced the character of Katie Current in the British release of "Shark Tale". She took part in the third series (2005) of "Strictly Come Dancing" with professional partner Brendan Cole. The pair were voted out on Week 4 following several weeks of low scores.

Fiona had also been in the documentary "The Killer in Me" on 8 November 2007, a show that saw four celebrities agree to take a groundbreaking test that revealed the secret killers lurking in their genes. Fiona joined former England footballer John Barnes, political commentator and presenter Andrew Neil, and Heart FM DJ Toby Anstis who all found out their risk of developing 11 major diseases, including cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.

On November 7, 2007, Phillips received an Honorary Master of Arts degree Southampton Solent University, ostensibly for her services in media and journalism. [ [http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/columnists/fiona/2007/11/10/southampton-solent-university-89520-20089165/ - Fiona Phillips receiving degree at Southampton Solent University] ]

Phillips is hosting a show on Smooth Radio in the 2-5pm slot every Sunday, starting from Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008. [ [http://www.smoothradiolondon.com/on_air/fiona_phillips_joins_smooth/ - Phillips joining London's Smooth Radio show] ] . And on March 13, 2008, Phillips, who is the Age Concern Ambassador, presented the Age Concern Grandparent Of The Year 2008, which took place in the Houses of Parliament. [ [http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/grandparent_of_the_year.asp - Fiona Phillips presented the Age Concern Grandparent Of The Year 2008] ]

On 07 September 2008 she was a guest on "Soccer Aid" and again on the 12 September 2008, this time on "Al Murray's Happy Hour" both shown on ITV1.

Baroness Phillips

On November 18, 2007, according to "The 'Mail on Sunday" and "News of the World", Fiona 'was offered a job as a government minister' in the summer by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, becoming Baroness Phillips, mainly because she was a 'great communicator'. However, Phillips turned the job down because, allegedly, "she would have to take a £400,000 pay cut." [ [http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/1811_fiona_phillips.shtml - Fiona Phillips 'was offered a job as a Government minister'] News of the World - November 2007] However, in Fiona's Mirror column on November 23, 2007, she denied this, claiming that the real reason was that she had, "...two very young children". She also alleged in her column that the Shadow Chancellor George Osborne made a sarcastic comment in wanting Fiona to join the Conservative Party if they paid her more. Fiona rejected his offer, and instead wanted to focus on her "very own 10-point manifesto for a Better Britain" that she outlined in the column. [ [http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/columnists/fiona.shtml - Why Fiona didn't accept 'Gordon Brown's offer on becoming Health Minister'] Fiona Phillips' Mirror Column - November 23, 2007]

In an interview published in The Mail on Sunday on 31 August 2008, Phillips said that part of the reason she turned down a job in Gordon Brown's government was: "It’s very unlikely he will win the Election and I didn’t want to give up everything and have only a guarantee of a job for possibly only a few months." [ [http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1050934/Fiona-Kates-probably-quite-pleased-I-going-We-operate-different-ways--Ive-gone-opening-envelope.html] ]

Charity works

Already a supporter of many charities, Phillips' mother suffered from breast cancer, before dying on 15 May 2006 from Alzheimer's. Phillips took a break from presenting GMTV, and has since supported many organisations associated with the two diseases. On 15 February 2007 Fiona appeared as a contestant with her brother Andrew on "Dale's Supermarket Sweep", playing to raise money for their charity for Alzheimer's.

Phillips is well known for being one of the judges of the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, and who hands out the GMTV Emergency Services award. She has also been one of the judges for the Children of Courage awards. Among the judging panel included her colleagues Andrew Castle and Richard Arnold. From 15 October 2007, Fiona reported from Geita, North Tanzania, for one week to visit Neema, a 13-year-old girl who Fiona has been sponsoring, and her family, friends and local schools. [ [http://www.plan-uk.org/gmtv/ Finding Neema] Plan UK] On 1 March 2007 she had published a 'Quick Reads' book for World Book Day entitled "A Day To Remember" which is aimed at emergent readers and adult learners. Phillips hosted the Breast Cancer Care's annual fashion show in October 2007.

Phillips is also a patron of Barnardos, Alzheimer's Society, Age Concern, Richard House Children's Hospice, and Mildmay Mission Hospital.

Personal life

Phillips' father Neville lives in Haverfordwest in Wales. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2100-2413227_2,00.html The Sunday Times - The GMTV presenter’s family home is at Haverfordwest] ]

Already the Los Angeles based entertainment reporter for GMTV, Phillips had previously thought her replacement for the Christmas holidays Martin Frizzell "arrogant and cold." [ [http://www.womanandhome.com/features/lifestyle/fiona_phillips__no_lifts_no_botox_but_i_love_a_glass__of_red_wine_article_130392.html No lifts, no botox - but I love a glass of red wine] Woman & Home] But when he came out to LA, the pair had dinner and she found him actually very shy. When she returned to the UK four months later, the pair met up at a friend's dinner party, and began dating soon afterwards. The couple married in May 1997 and have two sons, Nathaniel, born 1999, and Mackenzie, born 2002.

A vegetarian, in June 2007 Phillips was a nominee for PETA Europe’s “Sexiest Vegetarians” poll, and subsequently won the award as 'Sexiest Female Vegetarian Celebrity 2007', with Russell Brand taking the award for sexiest male vegetarian. [ [http://www.peta.org.uk/feat/sexyvegwinners2007.asp Fiona Phillips and Russell Brand Named PETA Europe's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities of 2007] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=441 Fiona Phillips] at gm.tv
*imdb|id=0680397|name=Fiona Phillips
* [http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/columnists/fiona Fiona Phillips column] at the Daily Mirror
* [http://www.smoothradiolondon.com/presenters/fiona_phillips/ Fiona Phillips] at SmoothRadioLondon.com