Manchester's Television, Media & Film Celebrities

Manchester Celebrities
Television, Film, Media & Broadcasting (14)

Kenneth Wolstenholme DFC

(1921-2002)
Born in Farnworth, Bolton in 1921, football commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme is probably best remembered for the immortal line "they think it's all over… it is now" at the end of England's 1966 World Cup final win against West Germany at Wembley.

Wolstenholme was, in many ways, the 'voice of football', having been the first commentator on BBC's "Match of the Day".

He commentated for more than 20 years with the BBC, including 23 successive FA Cup finals and five World Cups until he left the BBC in 1970.
Wolstenholme had served as a bomber pilot during the Second World War, flying more than 100 missions for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar.

After the war, in 1948, he joined the BBC, claiming that he had never watched a television programme before his first commentary.

In his later years he returned to television sports commentary with Channel Four's Italian football coverage, though ill health forced him to give that up.

His last television appearance was on a football special of the BBC's "Weakest Link" programme.

Throughout his life he remained a big fan of Bolton Wanderers, but for him nothing could eclipse Sir Alf Ramsey's England team of 1966.

Kenneth Wolstenholme died in 2002 at a private hospital in Torquay - his daughter was by his side.

Vernon Kay

(b. 1977)
Vernon Kay was born in the Lostock district of Bolton in 1977 and became best known as a presenter on the BBC Radio 1 "Weekend Morning's Show" as well as presenting his own show "Vernon's Happy Hour" every Sunday on Radio One. He attended St Joseph's RC High School in nearby Horwich.
His first taste of fame came when he was spotted by a model scout from Select at the BBC's "Clothes Show Live".

Thereafter, there followed a fairly successful modelling career culminating in his selection by Channel 4 as Model of the Week on "The Big Breakfast" morning show. Vernon was the co-presenter for BBC 2's "Top of the Pops Plus" and the spin off series "Top of the Pops@Play" for Play UK .

He is also part of the T4 team on Channel 4 - including hosting the Saturday night show "Boys and Girls".

He also hosted the BBC's youth magazine show "FBI" and was a guest presenter at "T in the Park" for T4. Earlier he had co-presented Channel 5's live magazine format "The Mag" and reported for Trouble Television.
He now lives in London, with ex-model wife and terlevision presenter, Tess Daly, and no longer does any modelling, preferring to concentrate on his expanding TV career. His spontaneous wit and charming regional accent make him popular with both male and female viewers of all ages. He has also hosted the Saturday night show "Boys and Girls" on Channel 4.

ecently he has been presenting "Wife For William" on E4 and "The Grill" on Channel 4, and in late 2006 he began hosting the latest version of the "Family Fortunes" quiz show.

Jonathan Morris

(b.1960)
Born on 20th July 1960, in Urmston, Manchester, Jonathan Morris (sometimes spelt 'Jonathon') is a popular actor with a strong television presence. Some of his earliest appearances have included "The Professionals" in 1977 and a role in the "Doctor Who" series.

He also played Damien in "Screamtime" in 1982 and appeared as John in the TV series "Beau Geste" in 1983. But it was probably his role as Adrian Boswell in Carla Lane's most successful and long-running television situation comedy "Bread" that brought him to a wider public notice, and established him as somewhat of a sex symbol with women viewers.

He was also cast in "Wild Oats" as part of the ITV Comedy Playhouse series in 1993. More recently Jonathan has played the role of Ash in "The Vampire Journals" in 1997, appeared in "Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm" and in "The Awakening" on Cable TV in the USA in 1998, as well as in "The Fantasticks" in 2000.

He has also appeared on stage in "The Rocky Horror Show", and presented "The Movie Game". He has also been a guest on the panel in "Through The Keyhole".

Nick Conway

(b.1962)
Nick Conway, (real name Nick Campbell) was born on 26th December 1962 in Shrewsbury in Shropshire, but moved to live in Manchester when he was 4 and later went to college in Salford.

Nick has a distinguished acting career in London's West End where he is a regular performer, but is probably best known to the general public as Billy Boswell in Carla Lane's successful and long running television situation comedy "Bread" . He has also appeared in the ITV drama "The Bill".

Most recently he has appeared in the stage performance of Terry Pratchett's "Guards! Guards!" which was adapted by Geoffrey Cush, and began a second tour in January 1999. His theatre credits include the West End and national Tour of "An Evening With Gary Lineker".

Very versatile in voice impersonations, accents and characterisation, Nick does many voice-overs for television commercials, including, most recently, for Fairy, BT, The Army, Oil of Olay, Unison, Club Ibiza, NHS Direct and Peugeot. Apart from comedic qualities,

Nick is an accomplished and experienced narrative reader and popular club DJ.

Colin Baker

(b. 1943)
Colin Baker is probably best known as the 6th Doctor Who in the BBC TV series of that name. He was actually born on 8th June 1943 in the Royal Waterloo Lying-In Hospital in London during an air raid.

He spent his earliest years in London with his mother, while his father served in the armed forces. After ther war his family moved to live in Rochdale and Colin attended schools at St Gabriel's in Castleton, and at St Bede's Roman Catholic Grammar School in Whalley Range, Manchester.

At the age of twenty-three he decided to become a full-time actor and joined the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), where he trained for three years alongside fellow student, David Suchet.

Early television appearances included in Tolstoy's "War & Peace" in 1972 for BBC2, as well as "Roads to Freedom" in 1970, and "Balzac's Cousin Bette" in 1971, both also for the BBC.

He now lives in Cadmore End near High Wycombe. He was married to actress Lisa Goddard, but subsequently divorced her and later married Marrion Wyatt.

He came to the forefront of a wider public notice in the role of the colourfully dressed and eccentric Doctor Who for just under 3 years, from March 1984 to December 1986. During his tenure the programme was subject to increased criticism and controversy and saw declining viewing figures, which resulted in an 18 month period during which the series was 'rested' - taken off air.

At the end of this time the ever-popular programme returned to face renewed criticism from the press and some fans so that in 1986 the BBC management decided that Colin Baker should depart role - much against his will. As a result of this he did not make a return appearance for the traditional regeneration story.

Its return to the small screen in September 1996 was with the 14 part story "The Trial of a Timelord". During the same year, Colin also appeared in the documentary film "Bitter Paradise: The Sell-out of East Timor".

In the 1990s he concentrated mainly on a stage career, but made several television appearances, notably with "Eastenders" actress Louise Jameson in a special episode made for the 1993 "Children in Need" appeal - they also worked together on "The Terror Game", a spin-off from "The Stranger" series by producer Bill Baggs. He also appeared in pantomime in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" at Wycombe Swan Theatre in 2000, as well as in episodes of TV series like "Jonathan Creek", "Casualty", "The Bill", "Juliet Bravo" and earlier, the cult Sci-fi series "Blake's Seven".

He is now reportedly going back to his roots with Gilbert & Sullivan operettas, which he grew to love while on the stage as a schoolboy at St Bede's.

Janet Munro

Photo courtesy of Liam Byrne

(1934-1972)
Janet Munro was born in Blackpool in September 1934, the daughter of comedian Alex Munro. She began her acting career in 1951 at Preston Repertory Theatre with the Reggie Salberg Players, before moving on to Oldham Rep at the Oldham Coliseum in 1953.

Janet lived much of the time at 45 The Boulevard in Preston.

Her first movie came in 1956, in "Small Hotel" wirth Gordon Harker and in 1958 she was the first female to be placed on long term contract by the Walt Disney organisation when she starred in "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" with Sean Connery - a film for which she won a Golden Globe Award as Best Newcomer.

Later she appeared in "Third Man on the Mountain" with Michael Rennie and James MacArthur, and "Swiss Family Robinson" with John Mills.

In September 1960, by that time as a local celebrity, she was invited to switch on the Blackpool Illuminations. Other movies in which she subsequently starred were "Day the Earth Caught Fire" with Leo McKern, "Life for Ruth" with Michael Craig and Patrick McGoohan (for which she was nominated for a BAFTA as Best Actress) and in "Sebastian" with Dirk Bogarde in 1968.

Her marriage to Ian Hendry ended in divorce in 1971 and tragically she died in December 1972, at the tender age of 38, from a heart attack. She left two daughters, Sally and Corrie.

Much more details and photos of Janet Munro are available on Liam Byrne's excellent website at www.janetmunro.com.