Lauren Harries
Encyclopedia
Lauren Charlotte Harries (born James Charles Harries in 1978), is a British media personality. In childhood Harries was known as James, a purported "child prodigy" in the field of antiques, appearing on numerous television shows including Wogan
. In later life, as Lauren Harries, she has become more notable as an aspiring celebrity transsexual.
when Harries was still a baby. From the age of five, Harries enjoyed art and antiques, and had an apparent ability to spot bargains at local car boot sale
s and second-hand shops. Harries spotted a piece of porcelain that was bought for pennies and sold for several thousand pounds, a story picked up by the Western Mail.
's UK chat show, Wogan
. The ten-year-old demonstrated what seemed to be a knowledge of antiques which, combined with an odd appearance including bow ties, hair in thick golden curls, formal attire and a precocious manner of speaking, made Harries memorable to British viewers.
Harries's father ran a kissogram
business; after Harries's appearance on Wogan, Mark supported the perception that Harries was an antiques expert. Business opportunities arose out of the TV appearance, and the family opened an antiques shop, costume hire business and florists, the latter two on Broadway, Roath
. Harries wrote a book entitled From Rags To Riches and tried to promote this when appearing on talk shows in the United States. However, the book failed to sell.
Harries's schooling suffered from the heightened publicity. By the age of 14, Harries, whose family had already been subject to abuse because of their unusual child, suffered depression and agoraphobia, which led to a nervous breakdown and suicide attempt. Media opportunities and resulting business reduced as Harries grew up. The family worked to maintain the businesses they had started but ran into problems during the recession of the early 1990s. One of the properties owned by the Harries family housed a costume hire business which Mark Harries set fire to in order to claim insurance money. In November 1992 Mark Harries was jailed for three years on charges of arson and filing a false insurance claim, and all the Harries family businesses failed. While the father was in prison, the family lived on social security. Harries tried to get on a drama course but was rejected.
, which was carried out in 2001. Funding for this was generated from publicity arranged by Max Clifford
.
broadcast a documentary Little Lady Fauntleroy made by actor Keith Allen in which he interviewed the Harries family. Throughout the film Allen comments on the dysfunctionality of the family and the fantasy world in which they live (including unmasking their professional qualifications as all either bought online or conferred by themselves) and ends up getting very angry with them after confronting them over this. The documentary was released on DVD on 4 July 2005.
On 8 July 2005, a gang of five to seven men attacked Harries, her father and her brother in the family home. One 17-year-old boy was later fined and given a supervision order for his role in the incident.
In October 2006, Harries appeared in a Five television series Trust Me...I'm A Beauty Therapist, which was filmed on location in a beauty therapists in Swansea
, Wales
.
In 2005, she appeared on Big Brother's Big Mouth to discuss the contestants on Big Brother, and in 2007 it was rumoured in the national press that she would participate as a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother
. However, she threatened to pull out unless she was able to bring incontinence supplies she has needed to use since her gender reassignment surgery, and eventually did not enter the house.
In November 2008 Harries was featured as a cover girl in the specialist lifestyle magazine Transliving.
Harries is a Buddhist and a vegetarian.
Wogan
Wogan was a chat show on British television, hosted by Terry Wogan. It followed the format of a series broadcast in 1980 entitled What's On Wogan?, which failed to gather viewers. The Wogan show was initially broadcast on Tuesday evenings on BBC1 in 1981 and from 1982 to 1984, it moved into the...
. In later life, as Lauren Harries, she has become more notable as an aspiring celebrity transsexual.
Early life
Her father is Mark Harries, who worked in the hotel business and catering trade. Harries was the youngest of three children. The family moved to CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
when Harries was still a baby. From the age of five, Harries enjoyed art and antiques, and had an apparent ability to spot bargains at local car boot sale
Car boot sale
Car boot/trunk sales or boot/trunk fairs are a mainly British form of market in which private individuals come together to sell household and garden goods.The term refers to the selling of items from a car's boot or trunk...
s and second-hand shops. Harries spotted a piece of porcelain that was bought for pennies and sold for several thousand pounds, a story picked up by the Western Mail.
Early career
Encouraged by the rest of the family to appear in the media, Harries began making television appearances, the first of which was in August 1988 on Terry WoganTerry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
's UK chat show, Wogan
Wogan
Wogan was a chat show on British television, hosted by Terry Wogan. It followed the format of a series broadcast in 1980 entitled What's On Wogan?, which failed to gather viewers. The Wogan show was initially broadcast on Tuesday evenings on BBC1 in 1981 and from 1982 to 1984, it moved into the...
. The ten-year-old demonstrated what seemed to be a knowledge of antiques which, combined with an odd appearance including bow ties, hair in thick golden curls, formal attire and a precocious manner of speaking, made Harries memorable to British viewers.
Harries's father ran a kissogram
Kissogram
A kissogram, also called kissagram , is a message delivered along with a kiss usually arranged as a fun surprise for a person for a special occasion...
business; after Harries's appearance on Wogan, Mark supported the perception that Harries was an antiques expert. Business opportunities arose out of the TV appearance, and the family opened an antiques shop, costume hire business and florists, the latter two on Broadway, Roath
Roath
Roath is a district in the east/north-east of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales.It lies just east/north east of the city centre, stretching from Adamsdown in the south to Roath Park in the north. Roath contains the Plasnewydd electoral ward. The name is believed to originate from Irish ráth,...
. Harries wrote a book entitled From Rags To Riches and tried to promote this when appearing on talk shows in the United States. However, the book failed to sell.
Harries's schooling suffered from the heightened publicity. By the age of 14, Harries, whose family had already been subject to abuse because of their unusual child, suffered depression and agoraphobia, which led to a nervous breakdown and suicide attempt. Media opportunities and resulting business reduced as Harries grew up. The family worked to maintain the businesses they had started but ran into problems during the recession of the early 1990s. One of the properties owned by the Harries family housed a costume hire business which Mark Harries set fire to in order to claim insurance money. In November 1992 Mark Harries was jailed for three years on charges of arson and filing a false insurance claim, and all the Harries family businesses failed. While the father was in prison, the family lived on social security. Harries tried to get on a drama course but was rejected.
Sexual reassignment
As a child, Harries was been taken to see a doctor due to displaying female mannerisms; while her father was in prison, Harries decided to change her birth name to Lauren Charlotte, transition to female, and investigate sex reassignment surgerySex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
, which was carried out in 2001. Funding for this was generated from publicity arranged by Max Clifford
Max Clifford
Maxwell Frank Clifford is an English publicist, considered the highest-profile and best-known publicist in the United Kingdom...
.
Later career
In 2004, after Harries had undergone gender reassignment, Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
broadcast a documentary Little Lady Fauntleroy made by actor Keith Allen in which he interviewed the Harries family. Throughout the film Allen comments on the dysfunctionality of the family and the fantasy world in which they live (including unmasking their professional qualifications as all either bought online or conferred by themselves) and ends up getting very angry with them after confronting them over this. The documentary was released on DVD on 4 July 2005.
On 8 July 2005, a gang of five to seven men attacked Harries, her father and her brother in the family home. One 17-year-old boy was later fined and given a supervision order for his role in the incident.
In October 2006, Harries appeared in a Five television series Trust Me...I'm A Beauty Therapist, which was filmed on location in a beauty therapists in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
In 2005, she appeared on Big Brother's Big Mouth to discuss the contestants on Big Brother, and in 2007 it was rumoured in the national press that she would participate as a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother
Celebrity Big Brother 2007 (UK)
Celebrity Big Brother 2007 was the highly controversial fifth series of the United Kingdom reality television series Celebrity Big Brother, a spin-off of Big Brother. The series was broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK , and involved a number of celebrities referred to as 'housemates', who live in the...
. However, she threatened to pull out unless she was able to bring incontinence supplies she has needed to use since her gender reassignment surgery, and eventually did not enter the house.
In November 2008 Harries was featured as a cover girl in the specialist lifestyle magazine Transliving.
Harries is a Buddhist and a vegetarian.
External links
- Lauren Harries - interviewed by James Doorne for Bizarre magazine (October 2005)