Carol McGiffin

Infobox actor
name = Carol McGiffin
birth_name = Carol Deirdre McGiffin
birth_date = birth date and age|1960|2|18|df=yes
birth_place = Maidstone, Kent, England
nationality = British
other_names = Carol McGiffen
known_for = Presenting "Loose Women"
employer = ITV
occupation = Presenter
religion = Christianity ["Loose Women"]
spouse = Chris Evans (1991-1998)

Carol McGiffin (born Carol Deirdre McGiffin on 18 February 1960) is an English presenter, currently employed by ITV and best known for presenting the Talk show "Loose Women".

Early life

McGiffin was born in Maidstone, Kent, South East England to an English father, of Scottish ancestry and an English mother. She is of Scottish and English heritage.

Career

She started her broadcasting career in 1988 as co-host of the Chris Evans shows on GLR.

In 1995 McGiffin was a founding member of the Talk Radio UK team, co-presenting the popular weekday evening show "The Rude Awakening" with Moz Dee. "The Rude Awakening" was originally planned to be on the air from 6-10am but was regarded as too rude for the breakfast slot. When the show ended in September 1995 she became the station's music expert for around six months hosting her own Friday evening review slot and appearing every week on the Jonathan King show.

In the latter half of 1996 she reappeared on Liberty Radio co-hosting the breakfast show with Richard Skinner which lasted around six months. In 1997 she reappeared again on Talk Radio on the Friday breakfast show with Paul Ross. Within a few weeks she joined Paul on Monday-Thursday as well as co-hosting a Saturday afternoon show during the summer with Nick Abbot. In 1998 Paul and Carol moved to the weekend breakfast slot.

In 1999 she joined London radio station LBC teaming up again with Nick Abbot. Abbot left the station after six months and McGiffin continued to host the show on her own with producer / sidekicks including Marcus Railton and Jonathan Sanchez until 30 September 2000. She has also co-hosted phone-in shows on BBC London Live. In 2002 she occasionally teamed up with Nick Abbot again on the late night talk show on Real Radio.

Between February and July 2006 she was the southern presenter of the Local Radio Company's night-time talk show "North South Divided". Mike Elliott was her northern counterpart.

In August 2006 Carol returned to LBC 97.3 presenting a Sunday morning show. Carol's weekly views on the world and travel advice in her "Travel Clinic" ended on 10th February 2008, when she left the station.

Television projects

Since 2003 Carol has been a regular panellist on the ITV1 lunchtime chat show "Loose Women". In one episode, she interviewed Russell Brand about his new film Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

In 2007 she appeared on "Celebrity Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" with Sherrie Hewson where they won £75,000 of which her share went to Help the Hospices. She also appeared in a TV advert for Swale Heating.

She was also a reporter on an edition of Tonight with Trevor McDonald.

She featured on "Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway" dressed as an elf on Saturday 8 March 2008.Carol and fellow Loose Woman Sherrie Hewson appeared on "The Paul O'Grady Show" on April 18, 2008 and Carol also appeared as the guest judge on "", a week later.

Carol appeared as a panelist on Channel 4 show 8 Out Of 10 Cats on 04.09.08

Personal life

McGiffin was the first wife of popular radio host Chris Evans, they married in 1991, but they separated in 1994, and were divorced in 1998. She has been single for a long time, but has recently announced on "loose women" that after many years she now has a boyfriend, and very open about her sex life on "Loose Women". She has also claimed on numerous editions of "Loose Women", and on her LBC show, that she has no desire to have children. In 2008 she announced she was moving to France but would continue to be a panellist on Loose Women. In February 2008 she came 38th place in FHM's 100 sexiest MILFs.

Carol is a survivor of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. [http://www.thomson.co.uk/editorial/features/all-thaied-up.html Thompson Holidays brochure] "retrieved 31 July 2008] For several years, she has returned to Maidstone to join members of her family and take part in Race for Life to raise money for the charity Cancer Research UK. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/content/articles/2007/08/14/carol_mcgiffin_feature.shtml BBC Kent] "retrieved 13 June 2008"] She currently lives near Hampstead Heath, London, but is expected to be moving to Paris in October 2008.

She is currently in a relationship with a younger man from Manchester, as she revealed on Loose Women on the 22nd September 2008.

References