Latest news with #TheBroomCupboard
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
BBC Broom Cupboard star Josie D'Arby's surprise new career and very famous ex
The BBC's hit children show The Broom Cupboard saw the birth of many iconic presenters - now Josie D'Arby's career has taken a surprising turn away from the cameras In a tiny, cramped booth nestled away in the BBC studios, a whole host of famous TV presenters kicked off their careers. Children's TV show The Broom Cupboard began in 1985, replacing the shaky voiceover and still slides linking CBBC shows with real-life presenters. Despite its practical beginnings it soon became a hit in itself, with the likes of Phillip Schofield, Debbie Flint and Zoe Ball all forging their famous TV personalities on the show. Iconic characters Edd the Duck, Otis the Aardvark and Gordon the Gopher even joined in on the fun, with letters and drawings from viewers plastered across the walls of the tiny studio room. Many of the programme's stars look completely different these days, with brand new careers - and Josie D'Arby is no exception. Where The Broom Cupboard's Andy Crane is now and unrecognisable new look Jesy Nelson admits being in 'constant state of fear' during tough pregnancy with twins After her stint in The Broom Cupboard, Josie went on to become an award-winning presenter, becoming a well-known face on the likes of Songs of Praise, Top of the Pops, Inside Out and Cardiff Singer of The World. In 1999, the 52-year-old star from Newport, Wales, became the youngest British woman to have her own chat show, titled Josie, on Channel 5. Josie's media ambitions didn't stop there and she soon pivoted to acting, where she starred as Alisha Adams in Holby City and made guest appearances in Casualty and Doctor Who. She's even tried her hand as a quiz show contestant, appearing on Richard Osman's House of Games and Pointless in 2022. More recently, Josie ditched the cameras for a career that's worlds away from presenting. The star has been pursuing her artistic talent, even showcasing her painting in a show at the Newport Museum Art Gallery in 2023. The BBC star started to take art more seriously after winning a televised art competition, South Wales Argus reports. The painting was called Less, which Josie said was "about how little it can take to make people happy." "Art is for everyone and I am happy if my piece is just a tiny little reminder that public galleries can be a space and a time to press pause, and enjoy a lovely space if you're in the city," she explained. Before her TV career took off, Josie was said to be in a relationship with Hollywood actor Gerard Butler - known for iconic roles in 300, Law Abiding Citizen and London Has Fallen. The pair apparently briefly dated in 2005. And Gerard isn't her only celebrity flame, as Josie reportedly went on a date with actor Joseph Fiennes - the brother of Harry Potter legend Ralph Fiennes - in 2006. Josie isn't the only Broom Cupboard presenter who took a different career path. Andy Crane, 61, has been brightening up people's days on Greatest Hits Radio since 2019 and he looks very different from his days on the CBBC show. He is now residing in the picturesque location of Lake District. Andy, who was born in the seaside town of Morecambe, Lancashire, presents three hours of the best songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s on Greatest Hits Radio, including The Top 10 at 10 and Midnight Music Marathon. Before hitting the radiowaves, Andy also presented children's show, Motormouth, for ITV on Saturdays. He also featured on What's Up Doc? and Challenge TV.
Daily Mirror
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Where The Broom Cupboard's Andy Crane is now and unrecognisable new look
TV presenter Andy Crane rose to fame when he first appeared on CBBC children's show The Broom Cupboard in 1986. Despite leaving TV, he is still enjoying a sucessful career in the public eye Popular presenter Andy Crane is best known for his debut on children's TV programme The Broom Cupboard which is 39 years old - but what is the TV personality doing now? Andy, now 61, has been brightening up people's days on Greatest Hits Radio since 2019 and he looks very different from his Broom Cupboard days. He first appeared on TV in 1986, taking over from Phillip Schofield on BBC's Broom. The show, which helped launch the careers of Andi Peters, Toby Anstis and Zoe Ball, featured stars in a control desk room as the presenters introduced the programs. The 61-year-old, who was one of the most memorable presenters on show, was just 29 at the time and worked alongside puppet Gordon, who went on to join him on Going Live! the next year. He continued with Broom until 1990 and then featured on major music show Top of the Pops. He was also the face of Bad Influence! and Violet Berlin in the 90s. READ MORE: This Morning star Lisa Snowdon's shock facelift confession - 'I love tweakments!' But his impressive career didn't stop there. Andy also presented children's show, Motormouth, for ITV on Saturdays. He also featured on What's Up Doc? and Challenge TV. The star was also a news presenter for Channel M in Manchester. He is now residing in the picturesque location of Lake District, reports Rayo. Before joining Greatest Hits Radio in 2019, Andy presented for Radio Manchester where he started off as a tea boy. Speaking about how he got the role, he said: "I wrote to Piccadilly Radio in Manchester when I was living in the USA – they wrote back! Started there as a tea boy in 1981 and did my first show in 1983 which means I've now been doing this for 35 years." Andy, who was born in the seaside town of Morecambe, Lancashire, presents three hours of the best songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s on Greatest Hits Radio, including The Top 10 at 10 and Midnight Music Marathon. Luckily for his fans, he also appears on radiowaves on weekday afternoons - featuring the most groovy disco tunes for Greatest Hits Radio 70s. He says his listeners will hear: "Great music naturally and plenty of laughing." Earlier this year, the presenter revealed what he loves about his job the most: "Being invited into people's homes, cars, bedrooms and bathrooms."
Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Lorraine host forced to pull out of show last minute and is replaced by 90s icon
Lorraine viewers were left wondering where Ranvir Singh was this morning as an icon from children's television stepped in to fill her shoes at the last minute Lorraine viewers had a surprise this morning after a popular host failed to appear on the show, and was replaced by a children's television icon. Ranvir Singh, who regularly hosts the Friday show, was missing from today's episode as presenter Andi Peters took her place. Andi, 54, told viewers that Ranvir had been forced to pull out due to health reasons. Lorraine Kelly herself has been missing from her show this week as she recovers from surgery. He explained: "Just want to say get well soon to Ranvir who can't be here today. That's why they have drafted in a man with a bright orange shirt this morning. Get well soon Ranvir, we send you all of our love." Andi became a staple of children's TV after first appearing on CBBC's The Broom Cupboard in 1989, after being poached from ITV. His role, alongside a puppet called Edd the Duck, was to introduce shows and fill in the gaps between programming. He later revealed to The Telegraph that as a The Broom Cupboard presenter, succeeding Phillip Schofield and Andy Crane, he did everything himself, even switching on the lights. Andi said: 'What The Broom Cupboard did was bring an intimacy between the presenter and the viewer. It was one camera, no bells and whistles, no graphics, just the presenter talking to the audience at home.' In more recent years, he has narrated the ITV2 series The Big Reunion and appeared on the ITV daytime show Show Me the Telly. He has also hosted competitions on Good Morning Britain, Ejector Seat, and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. Andi has also appeared as a contestant on Dancing on Ice and Celebrity MasterChef, during which he finished as runner-up. Earlier this week, Lorraine revealed that she would be taking time off the show due to a surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes. She shared the news on Instagram but assured fans that the procedure was 'purely preventative'. It was to be done by keyhole surgery, she explained, adding: 'I just wanted to let you know I'm having a wee procedure today. "I've not been feeling all that well for a little while, so I had some scans and tests, and I have to have my ovaries and my tubes taken out.' Following the operation, Lorraine shared a snap of her smiling, surrounded by healthcare workers. She wrote: 'Huge thanks to these kind, caring, gorgeous professionals who took care of me at @heatherwoodhospital - back home now and following doctors orders to rest up.' While Lorraine has been out of action, the show has been hosted by a range of presenters, including Christine Lampard, Ranvir, and Sian Welby.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gary Barlow reveals surprise link to Andi Peters
It turns out that Gary Barlow and Andi Peters go way back. On Friday, 11 April's edition of Lorraine, the award-winning musician joined presenter Ria Hebden for a quick chat about the new series of Wine Tour, which whisked him off Down Under this time around. It was during their conversation that Barlow revealed Peters, who accompanied him in Australia, was one of his "oldest friends." Barlow told Hebden: "Us Brits love Australia, but I think to get one level beneath the sort of tourism and get into the wine that country makes, it's off the scale." "I imagine when you're going through your black book picking people to be in the show, I bet everybody wants to be a part of it," pointed out the Lorraine star. "So we've got Sophie Ellis-Bextor; our own Andi Peters is in this as well! How did he wangle that?" Read more: Robbie Williams admits new film Better Man 'throws people under the bus' Robbie Williams 'knew' Gary Barlow 'didn't like or trust' him Gary Barlow admits he's still angry about his daughter's death That's when guest Barlow called back to a period of struggle for his boyband Take That, which was originally made up of himself, Robbie Williams, Mark Owen, Howard Donald and Jason Orange. "D'ya know, Andi's one of my oldest friends," he said. "When no-one else would put us on TV, this is like 1990, Andi would make any excuse to have us in The Broom Cupboard." Other celebrity guests set to appear on Wine Tour include Dannii Minogue, Tim Minchin and Ronan Keating. Launched in 1985 with Phillip Schofield as host, The Broom Cupboard was a CBBC programme where its stars would introduce segments from a tiny control desk dubbed the 'Broom Cupboard'. Four years into the show's run, Peters and Zoe Ball replaced Schofield and Andy Crane. His time in the studio also saw him working alongside iconic puppets Edd the Duck and Gordon the Gopher. Peters left in 1993, and once spoke about some of the bold wardrobe choices he made on there. "I always thought Andy Crane dressed badly, and Phillip too, so I thought I'd try some different combinations. I wore waistcoats a lot, and lots of tartan. And I was one of the people who originated wearing a short sleeve T-shirt over a long sleeve one," he claimed. "It kind of became a trademark. Some days I even wore a tie! I quite enjoyed changing things and making it different." Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV1 and ITVX, while Gary Barlow's Wine Tour: Australia premieres today at 2pm on the same channel.
