Carol Smillie

Carol Smillie
Born	(1961-12-23) 23 December 1961 Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Occupation(s)	Television presenter, Actress, Author, Model
Spouse	Alex Knight
Children	Christie, Robbie, Jodi
Website	http://www.carolsmillie.tv

Carol Smillie (born 23 December 1961 in Glasgow) is a Scottish television personality. Smillie is probably best known for presenting the award winning BBC series Changing Rooms. She rose to fame when she became the first hostess of the British version of the international television game show Wheel of Fortune. Smillie has also appeared on stage in The Vagina Monologues and is the author of Carol Smillie's Working Mum's Handbook.

Smillie is also famous for her smile, which was caricatured by the British impressionist Ronni Ancona in the UK television show Big Impression. Ancona's impression of Smillie used the catchphrase "I’m Smiley Smiley Carol Smillie", which Smillie adopted and has entered into popular culture when referencing her.

Early life

Carol Patricia Smillie was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the daughter of George Smillie, an electrical engineer and Isobel Smillie. Smillie is the youngest of four siblings, with two sisters and a brother. Smillie had a happy idyllic childhood growing up in a three-bedroom bungalow in Glasgow, sharing a room with her two older sisters. Smillie’s earliest memories are of having her nappy changed and, when put in her pram to go to sleep, being frightened by the wallpaper, which she finds amusing considering her later fame with the television programme Changing Rooms.

As a child, Smillie attended Simshill Primary School, which was very close to where she lived. She then attended the independent fee paying Hutchesons' Grammar School. Smillie realised that it was a huge financial effort by her parents to send her there, but academically she did not shine. Smillie eventually attained seven O-levels, fabric and fashion being one, which was the direction she felt her career would lead. She left the following year with three Highers, but she needed five to get into the Glasgow School of Art, where she believed her talents and interests could be developed. Smillie studied at Langside College to get the other two, but only managed to get one, which she has attributed to too much freedom and enjoying herself with her friends. Undeterred, she was still resolute in her aim to study at Art School, so she spent another year at Cardonald College, where she did not know anyone, and this time really applied herself to her schooling, finally achieving the results she needed to pursue her dream of attending the Glasgow School of Art.

At 18 years of age, Smillie embarked on her first year at the Glasgow School of Art , studying Art, Design and Fashion, with the vague idea of becoming a fashion designer. On arriving there, she spent the year unsure what it was she really wanted to do with her life. Surrounded by punk students sporting green hair and pink shoes, Smillie felt she didn’t really fit into this mode of life. To subsidise her studies Smillie worked in a cocktail bar, and after approaching a local Glasgow model agency, took up part-time modelling. Her art tutor was into abstract art, which was an area that didn’t really work for Smillie, “Throwing paint at a wall, wasn’t what I expected”. Another tutor told her, "If I were you, I'd stick with modelling. You can do art at any time". Smillie believing that this was his way of saying, "I don't think you've got what it takes", decided to leave the Glasgow School of Art, and embarked on modelling as her new career.

Smillie left the agency she had been working for whilst at college, and joined the Best Modelling Agency, run by Fiona Best an ex-model. Not tall enough at 5ft 5in, she wasn’t suitable for catwalk modelling, and was employed mainly for photo shoots and promotional work. Smillie worked for the agency throughout the eighties becoming one of Fiona Best’s favourite models, due to her professional attitude and reliability, something a number of the other agency models lacked. Smillie met her husband Alex Knight, also a former model, through Fiona's agency and at one point they even considered buying the business, but they decided against it as Smillie realised that looking after a group of young models was not something she wished to take on. Through the agency Carol achieved her breakthrough, when at the age of 27 she successfully auditioned for the hostess job on the Wheel of Fortune game show, launching her television career.

Television

Wheel of Fortune

• Smillie's presenting career was launched in 1989 when she beat 5,000 other applicants to become the hostess and puzzle board operator of Scottish Television's Wheel of Fortune game show. She co-presented the show for 5 years with fellow Scot Nicky Campbell. Smillie left the show in 1994, to be replaced by Jenny Powell.

The Travel Show

• During the early nineties Smillie sent her cv to all the video and production companies in Scotland, stating that "My name's Carol Smillie. You know me from Wheel of Fortune but I'd really like to do something else now, so I'm willing to work for nothing to get some stuff on tape" Through her perseverance Smillie managed to pick up the odd presenting job and soon had enough material to create a show-reel to present to TV companies. BBC Manchester were impressed enough to offer Smillie the reporter's job on BBC Two's The Travel Show.

Holiday

• Smillie was so successful as a holiday reporter, that stints followed on BBC One for the Holiday programme. Smillie continued to present Holiday programmes such as Summer Holiday, Holiday Swaps, Holiday Heaven and Holiday Favourites throughout the Nineties.

Changing Rooms

• No longer deemed just a pretty face, in 1996 Smillie became the original presenter of BBC Two's new DIY show Changing Rooms. The show was an immediate success and was transferred to BBC One for series 2. The programme is credited with starting the craze for DIY in the late 1990s. During her time on the show, Smillie and the Changing Room Team won A National TV Award and an INDIE Award and were BAFTA nominated. Smillie stayed as the main presenter for 13 series, leaving in 2003.

The National Lottery Show

• In 1996, and now considered one of television's most reliable and popular presenters Smillie was selected to present The National Lottery Show for the BBC. Smillie mainly appeared on the Wednesday Midweek Draw show, but also made the occasional appearance on the Saturday night show. Smillie presented various incarnations of the Lottery show, such as The National Lottery - Amazing Luck Stories, The National Lottery - We've Got Your Number, National Lottery - Local Heroes between 1996 and 2000.

In September 2006, she was seen live on The National Lottery: Everyone's A Winner! in Edinburgh with contestant Charley.

Smillie's People

• In 1998, Smillie was awarded her own mid-morning chat-show on BBC One entitled Smillie's People. The programme was only 15 minutes in length and ran from 11:45am to 12:00. Each day Smillie would interview a different celebrity. The Show ran for one series.

This Is Your Life

• In September 1998 Smillie was presented with the famous Red Book about her life on the long running television show This Is Your Life. Michael Aspel, surprising her with the Book at a recording of Changing Rooms.

Dream Holiday Homes

• In 2003, upon leaving her successful helm on Changing Rooms, Smillie departed the BBC for the Channel five show Dream Holiday Homes. This new show drew on similarities to the DIY programme, she had just left, as again it consisted of fixing up properties. The difference being that this time, not just rooms were given a makeover, but the entire property. Also the properties were situated in various Southern European locations, and at the end of each show Smillie would auction off the property for the price of a £1 phone call to a lucky viewer picked at random. The show ran for five series.

Gender Swap

• In 2004 she took part in a reality television/documentary called Gender Swap for UK television station five. Using cleverly-applied silicon prosthetic makeup, she was transformed from female to male and ex-EastEnders actor Shaun Williamson male to female. They were then given the challenge of attending a speed dating event as their new opposite sex selves.

Strictly Ice Dancing

• Also in 2004, she became one of the celebrities to take part in Strictly Ice Dancing, a one-off ice dance version of Strictly Come Dancing.

The People's Court

• Smillie was back working for STV Productions in 2005 as presenter of the short-lived ITV daytime show The People's Court.

A Brush with Fame

• Later that year she was the presenter of the ITV reality show A Brush with Fame, a search for the UK's best amateur portrait artist.

Strictly Come Dancing

• During October to December 2006, Smillie took part in Series Four of Strictly Come Dancing with her dance partner Matthew Cutler.

Smillie gradually improved as the series progressed, as the scores in the table below reflect. Len Goodman, often referred to her as the Dark Horse of the competition, resulting in the music from the Black Beauty TV series accompanying many of the clips of her in training on the Monday to Friday complementary show Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two.

Smillie eventually came fifth in the competition, out of the original fourteen competitors. Smillie was eliminated after failing to garner enough public votes, despite achieving her highest scores of the competition and finishing third highest out of the remaining five competitors in the judges vote.

Performance scores

Week	Dance/Song	Judges' score					Result
		Hoorwood	Phillips	Goodman	Tonioli	Total
1	Female Group Dance	-	-	-	-	-	Safe
2	Quickstep / 9 to 5	7	5	6	7	25	Safe
3	Jive / Hanky Panky	6	7	7	7	27	Safe
4	Foxtrot / Stuck on You	6	7	8	8	29	Safe
5	Salsa / Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough	7	6	8	8	29	Safe
6	American Smooth / It's Oh So Quiet	6	7	7	7	27	Safe
7	Cha Cha Cha / Dancing in the Moonlight	7	7	8	8	30	Safe
8	Waltz / If You Don't Know Me by Now	7	7	8	8	30	Bottom 2
9	Viennese Waltz / Breakaway Samba / Club Tropicana	8 7	8 9	9 9	9 9	34 34	Eliminated

Postcode Challenge

• Smillie returned to STV in November 2007 to host the Scottish channel's new gameshow, Postcode Challenge. In each show four teams of six people from the same postcode area are tested on general knowledge. The show is currently on air Monday nights at 8pm. The first show was broadcast on 12 November 2007, and is due to run well into 2008. Smillie has been quoted as saying about the show "I feel like I've come full circle from my first job as hostess at STV on Wheel of Fortune, and now I'm back presenting what is the biggest quiz show from STV in years".

Television Guest Appearances

In 2002 Smillie appeared on The Sooty Show in the episode called 'All New Sooty'.

In the Summer of 2009, Smillie will be a guest presenter STV's daily lifestyle show The Hour for one week, alongside main anchor Stephen Jardine. The Scottish magazine programme airs weekdays at 5pm.

Modelling

In her early years, before she became famous, Smillie was a well travelled model on the Exhibition circuit and occasional lingerie model. It is often stated that Smillie was one of the famous Tennent's Lager girls (a successful marketing promotion in Scotland which saw pictures of young women on the backs of cans of the lager). Smillie was quoted in The Independent newspaper on October 2 2006 stating that this was a common misconception about her.

Smillie has continued to model occasionally since her rise to fame. Smillie is currently the model for the Scottish company The Edinburgh Woollen Mill. Smillie featured extensively in their advertising campaign for the 2007/08 Autumn/Winter collection, appearing in a televised Christmas commercial for the company.

On February 26th 2008, The Edinburgh Woollen Mill released their Spring/Summer Catalogue (Summer Essentials) featuring Smillie extensively. The shots for the Catalogue were shot in South Africa, with Smillie modeling swimwear again for the first time in over twenty years. Smillie stated "I thought my swimwear modeling days were over. It was a treat to fly to South Africa and leave the cold, wind and rain".

In May 2008, Smillie was featured in the latest Edinburgh Woollen Mill television advert, promoting their Spring/Summer catalogue.

In August 2008 Smillie modeled for the latest Edinburgh Woollen Mill Autumn/Winter Catalogue. She has also filmed their latest television advert to be broadcast in Autumn 2008.

Author

In 2003 Smillie joined forces with Eileen Fursland to became a best selling author with the publication of Carol Smillie's Working Mum's Handbook. In the book Smillie looked at the practical problems and emotional issues that face all of us when women go back to work. Whether you're at home for six months or six years. The ideas and information in the book aimed to help working mothers achieve the work-life balance that is right for them and their family. The book describes ways to get organised and manage your time at home and work, and know your rights to maternity leave and pay, parental leave and tax credits. In addition it offers advice on how to keep your family life and relationships happy and fulfilling, find a job, take career breaks, survive the nine to five, choose childcare to suit you and your child, streamline household chores, cook and entertain, and finally tackle the thorny issues like guilt, stress and sleep (or lack of it).

Commencing on 10 May 2008, Smillie co-authored with Emma Magson, an animal behaviourist, a weekly based column in The Times Newspaper entitled Perfect Pets. The column was featured in the Body and Soul section of the Saturday edition and lasted 10 weeks. Each week Smillie and Magson discuss questions on pet suitability to help readers explore the merits and responsibilities of their perfect pets. The articles are also accompanied by an online video at The Times Online. This can be accessed at the Times online site here.

Stage actress

In 2006 Smillie made her debut on the stage in the Eve Ensler play The Vagina Monologues. She has so far completed three tours of the play in various locations around Scotland.

Film actress

In 2008 Smillie made her film debut in a short film entitled Infamy. The role she played was based on her own television personality with Smillie portraying a television presenter named Joan. The story concerns a man who is so desperate to get on Reality TV that he will try anything to achieve his goal, including ultimately, holding a shop up at gunpoint to make the local news. The film may be aired on television later in 2008.

Corporate work

Smillie's television presenting and live event experience has enabled her to become a celebrity speaker for corporate events, conferences and exhibitions. Smillie has hosted numerous major conferences and award ceremonies.

As well as live events Smillie has also presented corporate videos either on-screen or through a voice-over. Smillie has also lent her name to various endorsements.

In February 2008, The Highways Agency launched a new safety DVD entitled ‘Fit to Tow’ which was presented by Smillie. The DVD was intended to raise awareness of the safety risks involved when towing a caravan or trailer. Smillie was quoted as saying "I was amazed when I discovered just how many towing-related incidents occurred on England's roads and how many fatalities and injuries resulted from them, not to mention the disruption they can cause. I was really pleased when the Highways Agency approached me to present this helpful DVD. I fully support this initiative and I would advise anyone who tows to follow the simple, practical checks and advice included in the film to ensure you are Fit to Tow."

Personal life

Smillie is very proud of her Scottish heritage and is a great promoter for the City of Glasgow. She still lives in the City with her restaurateur husband Alex Knight whom she married in August 1991. They have three children: Christie aged 13, Robbie aged 11 and Jodie aged 9.

Official website

Smillie launched her own official website on February 9 2005, The site features a mix of videos and photos of her career to date, together with information about her current TV projects, corporate work, writing and involvement with charities she patrons.

In October 2006 the site hosted personal video diaries filmed on a hand camera by Smillie herself, which she termed as ‘Carol Cams’, These short diaries showed Smillie’s preparation, progress and reactions to her time on Strictly Come Dancing something no other celebrity on this show has ever attempted and gave an insight into the behind the scenes working of the show.

In April 2008 her site was given a complete revamp and Smillie started her own monthly video blogs detailing her activity for that particular month.

Charity work

Smillie is patron to a number of charities, primarily based upon Children's welfare. One of her main charities is the Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS). Smillie was also a contestant on the British TV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. supporting the charity NSPCC. She appeared on the show with Michael Aspel and they failed to progress past the £16,000 mark when they got the question wrong on UMIST being a university in Manchester, dropping to £1,000.

In her October Video Blog on her website, Smillie announced that she would be posing topless along with various other celebrities to promote a Breast Cancer awareness campaign. She stated that "she had thought long and hard about doing this, but it was such a worthwhile campaign, she just couldn't say no".

On 07 June 2009, Smillie joined more than 17,000 women in the Glasgow 5k Race For Life to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. The Race was the largest Race For Life event in the UK and the organisers hoped to raise £900,000 for Cancer Research UK.. Smillie herself was sponsored by Edinburgh Woollen Mill for £1000.

Trustee status

Smillie is Trustee to a number of Glasgow institutions. These include Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, where she is on the board as trustee of The Kelvingrove Refurbishment Appeal (KRA). This is an independent trust established to raise £5million in sponsorship and donations towards the £27.9million refurbishment of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

She is also passionate about the Glasgow School of Art, being a former pupil, and current student of the School’s Continuing Education Programme. Smillie is a member of the Mackintosh Conservation and Access Project team. In July 2007 she launched The Digital MacIntosh Project to raise funds for the restoration and refubishment of the MacIntosh Building, which houses the Glasgow School of Art.

Mensa

When Smillie was hosting Wheel of Fortune in the early 1990s, she took the Mensa test for high IQs, to prove that Game Show hostesses were not stupid. She passed with an IQ of 148, and was duly entered into the ranks of the Mensa club. She courted controversy in 2003, when she announced in an interview that she had cheated on the test. She admitted that the test was not taken under exam conditions, and she only completed two thirds of it, coming unstuck at the end. Smillie had phoned a friend to complete the remainder of the test. She said "I felt slightly guilty at the time, but it hadn't really bothered me that I had cheated". Mensa removed her from their online list of members of the Mensa society.

Selected career credits

Television

Presenter

• Wheel of Fortune 1989-1994
• The Travel Show 1992
• Holiday 1994-2001

including Summer Holiday, Holiday Swaps, Holiday Heaven and Holiday Favourites

• Changing Rooms 1996-2003
• The National Lottery 1996-2000

including The National Lottery - Amazing Luck Stories, The National Lottery - We've Got Your Number, National Lottery - Local Heroes

• Smillie's People 1996-97
• New Year Live Hogmanay Show 1998
• Star Secrets 1999
• Surprising Stars 2001
• Dream Holiday Homes 2003-2005
• Baby Hospital Live 2004
• The Peoples Court 2005
• A Brush With Fame 2005
• Yorkhill 2005-2006 (Narrator)
• Postcode Challenge 2007-2008

Guest appearances

• The Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna 1994
• You Bet 1995 1996 1997
• The Alphabet Game 1996
• Shooting Stars 1996
• An Evening with Lily Savage 1996
• Confessions 1998
• Clive Anderson All Talk 1998
• Celebrity Ready Steady Cook 1999
• All Over The Shop' 1999
• It's Only TV...But I Like It 1999
• Blankety Blank 1999
• Clarkson 1999
• This Is Your Life 1999
• Heaven And Earth Show 2001
• Celebrity Friends Like These 2001
• Sooty 2001
• Hot Potatoes 2002
• Friday Night with Jonathon Ross 2002
• The Brian Conley Show 2002
• Alter Ego 2002
• Kelly 2003 and 2005
• V Graham Norton 2003
• Have I Got News for You 2003
• Today with Des and Mel 2003 2004
• Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway 2004
• Win, Lose or Draw Late 2004
• 29 Minutes of Fame 2005
• The Paul O'Grady Show 2005
• Stars In Fast Cars 2005
• Brainiac: Science Abuse 2005
• The Prince's Trust 30th Birthday: Live 2006
• Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 2006
• Your Country Needs You 2007
• The Aphrodisiac Test 2007
• The Meaning Of Life 2007
• Tonight With Trevor McDonald 2007
• The Pyramid Game 2007
• The Grumpy Guide To 2007
• Hider in the House 2008
• The Alan Titchmarsh Show 2008
• Take It Or Leave It 2008
• How TV Changed Britain - Property 2008
• Daily Cooks Challenge 2008
• What Are You Like ? 2008
• STV's Top 30 Best Loved Shows (Part 5) 2009
• The Hour 2009

Reality TV Appearances

• Gender Swap 2004
• Strictly Ice Dancing 2004
• Star Spell 2005
• Strictly Come Dancing 2006

Actress

• 2point4 children 1999
• Brookside 2000
• Infamy 2008

Theatre

• The Vagina Monologues written by Eve Ensler

Tour Dates 2006

• Aberdeen His Majesty's Theatre February 10-11.
• Perth Concert Hall March 1.
• Glasgow The King's Theatre March 20-25.
• Dundee Repertory Theatre April 4-8.

• The Vagina Monologues written by Eve Ensler

Tour Dates 2007

• Glasgow The King's Theatre January 29 - February 3.
• Edinburgh Festival Theatre February 20-24.
• Dundee Repertory Theatre March 13-17.
• Perth Concert Hall April 20-21.

• Glasgow The King's Theatre September 16.
• Aberdeen His Majesty's Theatre October 12-13.
• Dundee Caird Hall October 25

Videos

• Changing Shape with Carol Smillie (2000)
• Changing Rooms - Trust Me..I'm A Designer (2002)

Books

• Carol Smillie's Working Mums Handbook (2003)

Awards

• National Television Award for Changing Rooms
• INDIE Award for Changing Rooms
• Bafta Nominated for Changing Rooms
• Rear of the Year 1998, a British award for people with a notable posterior

• In October 2008, Carol was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA, in The Lloyds TSB Scotland Audience Award for Most Popular Scottish Presenter category.

External links

• Official website

Template:Persondata {{subst:#if:Smillie, Carol|}} [[Category:{{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:1961}}

|| UNKNOWN | MISSING = Year of birth missing {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:}}||LIVING=(living people)}}
| #default = 1961 births

}}]] {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:}}

|| LIVING  = 
| MISSING  = 
| UNKNOWN  = 
| #default = 

}}