Robert Smith (broadcaster)
Encyclopedia
Robert John Smith was born on June 5, 1971 in Nottingham
, United Kingdom.
Smith was a well known presenter of factual entertainment and children's TV shows in the late nineties and in early 2000. He now produces and directs series for UK broadcasters and corporate films for blue chip companies.
Occupation broadcaster, producer and artist. He was formally a presenter for the BBC
, ITV
and Channel 4
.
He attended Middleton Primary School in Wollaton and Margaret Glen Bott School in Wollaton, Nottingham. He trained as a chef at Clarendon College of Further Education.
and went on to own a deli in Nottingham City Centre called Smith's Delicatessen. It was here that a feature was made for an ITV Digital
food programme and he was asked to become a presenter for the show.
's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
at the Nottingham Theatre Royal over seven years. He was a babe in the Nottingham Theatre Royal pantomime Babes in the Wood with Barbara Windsor
and in the late eighties he appeared as Gibbs in the Nottingham Playhouse
production of Kes, directed by Kenneth Alan Taylor. He successfully auditioned for drama school in the early 1990s and studied at London's Central School of Speech and Drama, after graduating he found work opportunities were sparse therefore decided to train as a chef. It was only in later years that he began working in broadcast entertainment; this was after opening a Deli in Nottingham. After Carlton broadcast his business on a documentary celebrating foods in Nottingham, Smith expressed his interest in television and was invited to the studios for an audition. It was this that started off his loved career in the media.
. He started as a guest chef but was soon asked to be a regular presenter. He presented the gossip section of the show and presenter Sarah Greene
nicknamed him 'Scoop'. Robert went on to present various strands for the show including the red carpet at the ITV London Restaurant Awards and 'Stars and their Bites' (famous people interviewed at their favourite restaurants).
series Very Important Party with former Animal Hospital
presenter Shauna Lowry
, presented strands on Live & Kicking
Saturday morning BBC
and presented on the Channel 4 show Collectors Lot
which once again featured the presenter Sarah Greene.
. In December 2007 he directed the filming of Dame Shirley Bassey
's 70th birthday party at Cliveden
, the former home of Viscount Astor
, which is the house where the Profumo
affair occurred and is now an exclusive hotel.
.
Collectors Lot (C4),
Very Important Party (CBBC),
Live & Kicking (BBC),
Can't Cook, Won't Cook (BBC),
Auntie's Bloomers (BBC).
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, United Kingdom.
Smith was a well known presenter of factual entertainment and children's TV shows in the late nineties and in early 2000. He now produces and directs series for UK broadcasters and corporate films for blue chip companies.
Occupation broadcaster, producer and artist. He was formally a presenter for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and Channel 4
Channel 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...
.
Early life
Born in Nottingham, Smith is the son of deaf parents.He attended Middleton Primary School in Wollaton and Margaret Glen Bott School in Wollaton, Nottingham. He trained as a chef at Clarendon College of Further Education.
Career
Smith began his career as a chefChef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
and went on to own a deli in Nottingham City Centre called Smith's Delicatessen. It was here that a feature was made for an ITV Digital
ITV Digital
ITV Digital was a British digital terrestrial television broadcaster, which launched a pay-TV service on the world's first digital terrestrial television network as ONdigital in 1998 and briefly re-branded as ITV Digital in July 2001, before the service ceased in May 2002. Its main shareholders...
food programme and he was asked to become a presenter for the show.
Early career
Smith went to drama school at the Tozer School of Dance and Drama, Nottingham. He appeared in the choir of the touring production of Bill KenwrightBill Kenwright
Bill Kenwright CBE is a leading West End theatre producer and film producer.He is also the Chairman of Everton Football Club, an English professional football club from the city of Liverpool....
's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
at the Nottingham Theatre Royal over seven years. He was a babe in the Nottingham Theatre Royal pantomime Babes in the Wood with Barbara Windsor
Barbara Windsor
Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE , better known by her stage name Barbara Windsor, is an English actress. Her best known roles are in the Carry On films and as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders....
and in the late eighties he appeared as Gibbs in the Nottingham Playhouse
Nottingham Playhouse
The Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in the 1950s when it operated from a former cinema. Directors during this period included Val May and Frank Dunlop.-The building:...
production of Kes, directed by Kenneth Alan Taylor. He successfully auditioned for drama school in the early 1990s and studied at London's Central School of Speech and Drama, after graduating he found work opportunities were sparse therefore decided to train as a chef. It was only in later years that he began working in broadcast entertainment; this was after opening a Deli in Nottingham. After Carlton broadcast his business on a documentary celebrating foods in Nottingham, Smith expressed his interest in television and was invited to the studios for an audition. It was this that started off his loved career in the media.
Food Network Daily
In 1997 Robert began his media career on the food series, Food Network Daily on the Carlton Food NetworkCarlton Food Network
Carlton Food Network was a British digital television channel, provided by Carlton Television, showing food and cookery programmes. It launched in September 1996, and closed in November 2001...
. He started as a guest chef but was soon asked to be a regular presenter. He presented the gossip section of the show and presenter Sarah Greene
Sarah Greene
Sarah Greene is a British television personality well known for presenting live TV: long-running series e.g. Blue Peter, from 19 May 1980 until 27 June 1983, Saturday Superstore, Going Live for 10 years and big event/awards shows.- Early life and career :Greene was born in London, England, the...
nicknamed him 'Scoop'. Robert went on to present various strands for the show including the red carpet at the ITV London Restaurant Awards and 'Stars and their Bites' (famous people interviewed at their favourite restaurants).
Terrestrial Television
In early 2000 Smith co-presented on the children's CBBCCBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
series Very Important Party with former Animal Hospital
Animal Hospital
Animal Hospital was a television show starring Rolf Harris that ran on the BBC from 1994 until 2004. The story showed animal welfare stories from RSPCA hospitals.-Location:...
presenter Shauna Lowry
Shauna Lowry
Shauna Lowry is a television presenter from Belfast, Northern Ireland. She is probably most famous for being the reporter on the popular BBC series, Animal Hospital and ITV 1's Style Challenge. She also presented the National Lottery and presented coverage of Northern Ireland's celebrations on...
, presented strands on Live & Kicking
Live & Kicking
Live & Kicking was a BBC Saturday morning children's magazine programme, running from 1993 to 2001. The fourth in a succession of Saturday morning shows, it was the replacement for Going Live!, and took many of its features from it, such as phone-ins, games, comedy, competitions and the showing of...
Saturday morning BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and presented on the Channel 4 show Collectors Lot
Collectors Lot
Collectors Lot was a tv programme produced from 1997 to 2001 by Twofour Broadcast for the UKs Channel 4. Shown on weekday afternoons, the programme visited every corner of Britain to explore the weird and wonderful things that people choose to collect...
which once again featured the presenter Sarah Greene.
Director/Producer
Smith soon diversified in to the directing and producing side of television and he worked behind the camera for ITV. He directed several series including 'Cheesy Rider' with presenter Rowland RivronRowland Rivron
Rowland J. Rivron is a British comedian, musician, writer and television presenter.-Early life: Rivron was brought up in Hillingdon, West London and attended Abbotsfield Secondary School...
. In December 2007 he directed the filming of Dame Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
's 70th birthday party at Cliveden
Cliveden
Cliveden is an Italianate mansion and estate at Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England. Set on banks above the River Thames, its grounds slope down to the river. The site has been home to an Earl, two Dukes, a Prince of Wales and the Viscounts Astor....
, the former home of Viscount Astor
Viscount Astor
Viscount Astor, of Hever Castle in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1917 for the financier and statesman William Waldorf Astor, 1st Baron Astor. He had already been created Baron Astor, of Hever Castle in the County of Kent, in 1916, also in the...
, which is the house where the Profumo
Profumo
Profumo may refer to* Alessandro Profumo , Italian banker, the CEO of the Gruppo Unicredito* Francesco Profumo , Dean of the Engineering Faculty of the Politecnico di Torino* Baron Profumo of the Kingdom of Sardinia...
affair occurred and is now an exclusive hotel.
Own Productions
Smith develeloped a media company called Gemineye with business partner Jocelyn Platt and made two series of 'Out of the Frying Pan' with presenter James MartinJames Martin
-Actors, musicians, and other performers:*James Martin , saxophonist, singer, and record producer*James Martin , actor on EastEnders*James Martin , actor on Still Game...
.
Corporate
Smith has become a well known maker of corporate films. He currently makes films for Lloyds TSB, Nestlé, McCains and BMW.Artist
Smith had his first art exhibition Galerie http://www.galerie.co.uk, Newark, Notts in 2008. Smith produced an exciting and distinctive body of work featuring figurative and abstract forms, using painting to explore colour and texture, drawing to reveal emblematic forms. His work has been described as a visual balancing act where imagery hovers between abstraction and figuration.TV appearances
Food Network Daily (ITV),Collectors Lot (C4),
Very Important Party (CBBC),
Live & Kicking (BBC),
Can't Cook, Won't Cook (BBC),
Auntie's Bloomers (BBC).