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Wincey Willis
Born
Florence Winsome Leighton

(1948-08-08) 8 August 1948 (age 76)
Gateshead, County Durham, England
NationalityBritish
TelevisionGood Morning Britain, Treasure Hunt
SpouseMalcolm Willis (1972-?)

Wincey Willis (born Florence Winsome Leighton; 8 August 1948)[1][2] is a British television and radio broadcaster who was most active in the 1980s. She is perhaps best known for being part of the line up at TV-am, the UK's first national operator of a commercial breakfast television franchise.

Early life and education

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Willis was born on 8 August 1948 in Gateshead, County Durham. She grew up in Hartlepool and Barnard Castle.[1][3][4] She was adopted by older parents, for whom she was an only child.[5] In 2011, Willis said that she had never attempted to find her birth parents. Her poem on this subject, "Adoption", was recorded for a CD to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the BBC's Poetry Please radio series. She described herself as having "quite a strict upbringing", with no alcohol in the house and regular Christian worship.[6] As a child, she wanted to be a vet.[7] Willis left school at 16 and took a year out, before going to France and doing the equivalent of A-levels there. She then got a place at Strasbourg University.[8]

Career

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Willis began her career as a travel rep, where she worked in North Africa, before moving to the record library and promotions department at Radio Tees in Stockton on Tees.[5][8][9] She joined Tyne Tees Television in September 1981.[5] Willis began presenting the weather for the network, despite admitting that it was not a subject she specialised in.[8] The following year, she hosted her own Granada Television series, Wincey's Pets.[10]

As part of the relaunch of TV-am by its new editor, Greg Dyke, Willis was "poached" from Tyne Tees. She replaced Commander David Philpott as the station's main weekday weather presenter on Good Morning Britain in May 1983.[11] In doing so, she became ITV's first national female weather presenter.[12] In addition to this, Willis hosted other segments on TV-am, such as those featuring pets and animals.[11]

In 1985, she joined the game show Treasure Hunt as an adjudicator, working with Anneka Rice and Kenneth Kendall.[1] Willis's first book, It's Raining Cats and Dogs, written about her animals, was published in 1986, with an introduction by naturalist Gerald Durrell.[13][14] The same year saw the launch of The Weather Game, a board game made by Waddingtons and devised by Willis.[15][16]

In 1987, she left TV-am to focus on other television work and conservation projects.[1][11] She appeared in the title role in the Dick Whittington pantomime at City Hall in St Albans, alongside the Chuckle Brothers, in 1988.[17] In 1989, she co-starred with Simon Groom in Dick Whittington at the Epsom Playhouse.[18] Her second book, Greendays, was published in 1990. This was a diary with facts about environmental issues, featuring suggestions of relevant activities and projects.[19] Her regular appearances on national television came to an end that year.[20]

Willis took several years out to be a conservation volunteer around the world, at one point living in a tent on a Greek beach for six months whilst she guarded the local turtle population. She returned to television as a wildlife presenter in 1993 when she was given a slot on Tyne Tees Weekend.[7][21] In 1999, it was reported that Willis was working for a worm composting company, and had said that her television work "had just dried up".[22]

Willis was the presenter and narrator of Left-handed children: a guide for teachers and parents, a 2010 educational video guide; she herself is left-handed.[23][24] That year, it was announced that she would be presenting The Big Day Out, a Saturday morning radio programme on BBC Hereford & Worcester.[12] Willis hosted the show from August 2010 until September 2012.[25] She appeared as a contestant on the BBC television quiz show Celebrity Eggheads in December 2011.[26]

Personal life

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Willis previously lived in the former Winston railway station in County Durham, which was on the closed Barnard Castle line.[27] Known for her love of animals, she had over 50 of them living in her home.[5] While at TV-am, Willis also lived in a flat in Camden, north west London, returning to Barnard Castle every other weekend.[28] She later moved to Hereford.[27] She is an advanced scuba diver.[12]

During her period of television fame, Willis was married to Malcolm, who worked in sales.[8]

Bibliography

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  • It's Raining Cats and Dogs, Elm Tree (ISBN 9780241118481, 1986)
  • Greendays, Red Fox (ISBN 9780099790006, 1990)
  • Words, Coleman, Bristow (ISBN 9780953376506, 1998)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Tait, Derek (2019). 1980s Childhood. Amberley. ISBN 978-1-4456-9242-5. OCLC 1132344892.
  2. ^ "Resignation of a president". Lincolnshire Echo. 1985-08-08. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  3. ^ Ledwith, Gavin (16 December 2022). "Heroes of Hartlepool: 32 famous names who were born, lived or studied here". Hartlepool Mail. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  4. ^ Davenport, Shirley (1986-02-19). "Wincey's weather winner!". Liverpool Echo. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  5. ^ a b c d Heeps, Donna (1986-09-15). "The wisdom of Wincey Willis". The Journal. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  6. ^ Willis, Wincey (2011-10-31). "The Wincey Willis Blog: I Never Knew My Mother". The Wincey Willis Blog. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  7. ^ a b Jones, Tony (6 May 1993). "Turtle-y crazy about her animal friends". Newcastle Journal. p. 17. Retrieved 7 February 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ a b c d "Wincey's world of telly". Evening Post. 1986-10-23. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  9. ^ Deane, Avril (1983-05-23). "Looking on the bright side". The journal. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  10. ^ "Wincey's Pets (1982)". BFI. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  11. ^ a b c "Presenters". TV-am. 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  12. ^ a b c "New radio show for Wincey Willis". BBC News. 2010-08-20. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  13. ^ "It's raining cats and dogs". WorldCat. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  14. ^ Finn, Mary (11 October 1986). "Squeaky clean except for one". Irish Independent. p. 11. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  15. ^ The Weather Game, 1986. Willis, Wincey. Waddingtons.
  16. ^ "Review - The Weather Game". 11 January 2015. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  17. ^ "1988 pantomime handbills". pantoarchive. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  18. ^ "Dick Whittington". Leatherhead Advertiser. 6 December 1989. p. 48. Retrieved 7 February 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. ^ "Greendays". WorldCat. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  20. ^ "Wincey Willis". BFI. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  21. ^ Dufton, Keith (23 May 1993). "Paul Sits On The Fence". Sunday Sun (Newcastle). p. 59. Retrieved 7 February 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ^ "Watering - a job that must be done". Bedworth Echo. 24 June 1999. p. 8. Retrieved 7 February 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ "Left-handed children : a guide for teachers and parents". WorldCat. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  24. ^ "Left-Handed Children: A Guide for Teachers and Parents". Alexander Street, part of Clarivate. 2013. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  25. ^ "BBC Hereford & Worcester - Wincey Willis - Episode guide". BBC. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  26. ^ "BBC Two - Celebrity Eggheads, Series 4, Episode 2". BBC. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  27. ^ a b Amos, Mike (18 July 2017). "Mike Amos: Is the former Tyne Tees weather girl about to make a comeback in Coronation Street?". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  28. ^ "Game for weather". Sunday Sun. 1986-02-23. p. 15. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
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