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Carol Smillie
Carol Smillie is the special charities ambassador of the People's Postcode Lottery. She is one of Scotland’s most famous personalities and an award-winning television presenter whose career has, unbelievably, spanned three decades. Since she was selected to co-present stv’s Wheel of Fortune in 1989, she’s been a regular face on British television, presenting successful shows like BBC’s Changing Rooms and Holiday.
The mum of three has managed to combine an illustrious television career with bringing up her young family. Her guide for busy working mums, ‘The Working Mum’s Handbook’, was published in 2003.
As she kicked off her career at stv, Carol felt she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to present Postcode Challenge on the same channel. “I started my career on Wheel of Fortune for stv – so it’s great to be presenting a quiz show that’s made in Scotland, for Scotland.”
Biography Carol Smillie
Career
After leaving Art College Carol embarked on a modelling career. Her presenting career began in 1989 when she became co-presenter of Scottish Television's Wheel of Fortune game show. In 1996 she was one of the original presenters of BBC Two's new DIY show Changing Rooms.
In 2004 she took part in a reality television/documentary called Gender Swap for UK television station five. Using cleverly-applied silicon prosthetic makeup, she was transformed from female to male and ex-EastEnders actor Shaun Williamson male to female. They were then given the challenge of attending a speed dating event as their new opposite sex selves.
Also in 2004, she became one of the celebrities to take part in Strictly Ice Dancing, a one-off ice dance version of Strictly Come Dancing.She joined ITV in 2005 as presenter of the reality show A Brush With Fame, a search for the UK's best amateur portrait artist.
She was also the presenter of the short-lived ITV daytime show The People's Court.
In September 2006, she was seen live on The National Lottery: Everyone's A Winner! in Edinburgh with contestant Charley. In 2006, Carol took part in series four of Strictly Come Dancing in which her dance partner was Matthew Cutler. They came fifth in the competition.
Smillie returned to STV in November 2007 to host the Scottish channel's new gameshow, Postcode Challenge.
Awards
National Television Award for Changing Rooms INDIE Award for Changing Rooms Bafta Nominated for Changing Rooms Rear Of The Year 1998 Trivia She lives in Glasgow with her restaurateur husband Alex Knight whom she married in 1990. They have three children: Christie, Robbie and Jodie.
In 1998 she was the female recipient of the Rear of the Year, a British award for people with a notable posterior.
It is often stated that Carol was one of the famous Tennent's Lager girls (a successful marketing promotion in Scotland which saw pictures of semi nude young women on the backs of cans of the lager). Carol Smillie was quoted in The Independent Newspaper on 2nd October 2006 stating that this was a common misconception about her. She is a former pupil of the independent Hutchesons' Grammar School.
Ambassadors
Street Prize Ambassadors
Angus Purden
Jean Johansson
Judie McCourt
Wales
Scott Quinnell
Scotland
Gavin Hastings
John Michie
Libby McArthur
Kaye Adams
Mark Beaumont
England
Janet Ellis
Lesley Garrett
Paul Hudson
Lorraine Kelly
Louise Minchin
Chris Packham
Pauline Quirke
Simon Rouse
Penny Smith
International
Bill Clinton