Carol Smillie

Carol Patricia Smillie (born 23 December 1961) is a Scottish television presenter and actress, and a former model, who was highly prominent as a presenter on British TV during the later 1990s and early 2000s.

Smillie has appeared on the BBC television channel, firstly as a reporter on The Travel Show, and then Holiday, often as the programme's presenter. However, it was the DIY programme Changing Rooms that established her name and led to her presenting other primetime shows for the BBC, such as the National Lottery and her own morning chat show Smillie's People.

Smillie is known 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.

Carol Smillie Posters

Carol Smillie Poster

Carol Smillie Poster

Carol Smillie Poster

Carol Smillie Poster

Early life and modelling

Smillie was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the daughter of George, an electrical engineer, and Isobel Smillie. She is the youngest of four siblings, with two sisters and a brother. Smillie had an idyllic childhood in Glasgow, sharing a room with her two older sisters.

Smillie attended Simshill Primary School and the independent Hutchesons' Grammar School. Academically, she did not shine there, but she did eventually attain seven O-grades, including in fabric and fashion. She left the following year with three Highers, but needed five to get into the Glasgow School of Art. Smillie studied at Langside College, but managed only one more, which she has attributed to too much freedom and enjoying herself. Undeterred, she spent another year at Cardonald College, finally achieving this goal.

At age 18, in 1979, Smillie embarked on her first year at the Glasgow School of Art, studying Art, Design, and Fashion, with the idea of becoming a fashion designer. Smillie felt she didn't really fit in with the typical punk students sporting green hair and pink shoes. To subsidise her studies, Smillie worked in a cocktail bar, modelling part-time. Smillie left to embark on a modelling career.

Smillie joined the Best Modelling Agency, run by Fiona Best. Too short at 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) for catwalk modelling, she booked photo shoots and promotions. Smillie worked for the agency throughout the 1980s. Smillie met her future husband, former model Alex Knight, through Fiona's agency.

Television

Smillie's presenting career launched in 1989, at age 27, 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, replaced by Jenny Powell.

Fashion series, presented by Carol Smillie, produced by Scottish Television.

BBC Manchester then offered Smillie the reporter's job on BBC Two's The Travel Show.

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.

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 a craze for DIY in the late 1990s. During her time on the show, Smillie and the Changing Rooms team won a National TV Award and an INDIE Award and were BAFTA nominated. Smillie remained the main presenter for 13 series, leaving in 2003. In September 1998, Smillie was presented with a Red Book about her life, on the television show This Is Your Life. Michael Aspel, surprising her with the Book at a recording of Changing Rooms.

In 1996, Smillie was selected to present the BBC The National Lottery Show. Smillie mainly appeared on the Wednesday Midweek Draw show, but also made occasional appearances on Saturday nights. Smillie presented various incarnations of the 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 appeared on The National Lottery: Everyone's A Winner! in Edinburgh with contestant Charley.

In 1998, Smillie hosted a mid-morning chat-show on BBC One entitled Smillie's People. The programme was 15 minutes in length. Each day, Smillie interviewed a different celebrity.

In 2003, after leaving Changing Rooms, Smillie joined the Channel 5 show Dream Holiday Homes. This new show was similar to Changing Rooms, although this time, entire properties were given a makeover. 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.

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

Later that year, she was the presenter of ITV's A Brush with Fame, searching for the UK's best amateur portrait artist.

Smillie returned to STV from November 2007 into 2008 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. Smillie said, "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".

On 22 September 2009, Smillie presented a 10 part series entitled Best of British Wedding Venues on Wedding TV, a woman's lifestyle channel on the Sky and Freesat platforms.

Smillie presented the 2013 and 2014 series of STV's Finding Scotland's Real Heroes.

In 2001, Smillie appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank and the following year appeared on The Sooty Show in the episode called "All New Sooty".

In the summer of 2009, Smillie appeared as a guest presenter of STV's The Hour for one week between 24 and 28 August, with main anchor Stephen Jardine.

In 2004, she took part in a television documentary called Gender Swap for Channel 5. Using silicon prosthetic makeup, she was transformed from female to male and was then given the challenge of attending a speed dating event as her new opposite sex self.

In 2004, Smillie was one of the celebrities to take part in Strictly Ice Dancing, a one-off ice dance version of Strictly Come Dancing.

From October to December 2006, Smillie took part in Series Four of Strictly Come Dancing with dance partner Matthew Cutler. Smillie gradually improved as the series progressed. Len Goodman often referred to her as the Dark Horse of the competition, and played music from the Black Beauty TV series over her training clips on the complementary show Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two.

Smillie came fifth out of the original fourteen competitors, despite achieving her highest scores of the competition and finishing third highest out of the remaining five competitors in the judges vote.

Radio

In June 2009, Smillie appeared in the BBC Radio Scotland comedy sketch show Ellis and Clarke. Smillie appeared in a number of sketches in the 30-minute production playing herself, in which she and the members of the cast parodied her television personality. The show was broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland on 5 June 2009.

On Bank Holiday 31 August 2009, Smillie hosted her own Radio show on 105.2 Smooth Radio, a Scottish Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Glasgow and the surrounding area.

Model

In her early years, Smillie worked the Exhibition circuit and was an occasional lingerie model. Smillie was allegedly one of the Tennent's Lager girls (a Scottish marketing promotion that put pictures of young women on the backs of cans of lager). Smillie denied a role in The Independent newspaper on 2 October 2006.

Smillie has continued to model occasionally since her rise to fame. Between 2007 and 2010 Smillie was the figurehead model for the Scottish company The Edinburgh Woollen Mill. Smillie featured in six seasonal catalogues, and her image was used extensively to promote the range of clothing throughout their stores and on the company website.

Smillie appeared in the catalogue for the 2007/08 Autumn/Winter collection and featured in their advertising campaign, appearing in a televised Christmas commercial for the company. In February 2008, she featured in the Spring/Summer 2008 catalogue. The shots were filmed in South Africa, with Smillie modelling swimwear 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 featured in another advert, promoting their Spring/Summer 2008 catalogue. In August 2008 she appeared in their Autumn/Winter 2008/09 catalogue. In February 2009, she appeared in their Spring/Summer 2009 catalogue. Smillie flew to Cape Town for the photo shoot. Smillie documented her experiences on this trip in a short film. In August 2009, Smillie featured in their Autumn/Winter 2009/10 catalogue, the photographs taken in Leeds. Smillie again appeared in a short film detailing the photo shoot. Again in 2010, she appeared in the company's Spring/Summer 2010 collection.

Author

In 2003, Smillie joined forces with Eileen Fursland to become a best selling author with the publication of Carol Smillie's Working Mum's Handbook. The book examined the practical problems and emotional issues that face women who go back to work. It considered work-life balance, time management, workplace rights to maternity leave and pay, tax credits.

Starting on 10 May 2008, Smillie co-authored with animal behaviourist Emma Magson a weekly based column in The Times entitled 'Perfect Pets'. The column was featured in the Body and Soul section of the Saturday edition and lasted 10 weeks.

Stage actress

In February 2006, Smillie made her début on the stage in the Eve Ensler play The Vagina Monologues. She completed three tours of Scotland, appearing in Aberdeen, Ayr, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth.

In February to March 2010, Smillie appeared on stage in Hormonal Housewives, a new comedy written by Julie Coombe and John MacIsaac. Appearing alongside Smillie were the co-writer Julie Coombe and Shonagh Price. The comedy portrayed three women juggling a career, childcare and being a housewife. The play begins with the three women getting ready for a night out and then moves into a series of self-contained sketches. The finale features a medley of music by Kylie Minogue, Madonna and Cher. Smillie takes the part of Madonna, dancing and miming to the track "Holiday", dressed in a pastiche outfit based on the Jean Paul Gaultier-designed conical bra corset, from the singer's 1990 Blond Ambition tour. Smillie took the play on a three-week tour of Scotland performing at theatres in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.

Film actress

In 2008, Smillie made her film debut in a short film entitled Infamy playing a television presenter named Joan. The story concerns a man who is so desperate to get on Reality TV that he will try anything, including ultimately, holding a shop up at gunpoint to make the local news.

Corporate work

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

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

In February 2008, Smillie presented a new safety DVD entitled ‘Fit to Tow’ for The Highways Agency. The DVD was intended to raise awareness of the safety risks involved when towing a caravan or trailer. Smillie said, "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."

DiaryDoll

In October 2012, Smillie started her own business, DiaryDoll, with partner and personal friend Annabel Croft, ex-international tennis player. Together they created a range of women's underwear specifically for use during periods, with a secret waterproof panel inside them to remove the possibility of leaks and stains on clothing and bedding. They were designed to look and feel like normal underwear – i.e. breathable, washable and not crackly – giving women the confidence to go about their usual activities. DiaryDoll then partnered with charity EndometriosisUK, giving confidence to some of the 1.5million British women who suffer painful and heavy periods as a result of Endometriosis. It was later noted that these were also useful to women in post-maternity and with pelvic floor weakness and the company was rebranded to include all of these groups.