Carol Smillie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carol Smillie
Smillie performing as Madonna in Hormonal Housewives at the King's Theatre, Glasgow, November 2011
Born	Carol Patricia Smillie (1961-12-23) 23 December 1961 (age 63) Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Occupation	Television presenter, actress, entrepreneur, author, model, humanist celebrant
Years active	1989–2011
Spouse(s)	Alex Knight ​ (m. 1991)​
Children	3

Carol Smillie is a well-known British television presenter, actress, and model from Glasgow, Scotland. She became very famous in the 1990s and early 2000s for her TV work. Many people know her from the game show Wheel of Fortune, where she helped Nicky Campbell from 1989 to 1994. Later, from 1996 to 2003, she was the main presenter of the popular home makeover show Changing Rooms on BBC One.

After studying at the Glasgow School of Art, Carol worked as a model throughout the 1980s. Her big chance in television came in 1989 when she tried out for the role of hostess on Wheel of Fortune. After leaving that show in 1994, she joined the BBC. She first worked as a reporter for The Travel Show and then the Holiday show, eventually becoming its main presenter. The DIY show Changing Rooms made her a household name. This led to her presenting other popular shows for the BBC, like the National Lottery and her own morning chat show, Smillie's People.

In 2012, Carol decided to step away from regular TV presenting. She started a new business called DiaryDoll, which sold special leak-proof underwear for women. The brand name was later changed to Pretty Clever Pants. In 2018, she handed over control of her business, allowing another company, High Street TV, to manage the brand. Since 2018, Carol Smillie has been working as a humanist celebrant, leading special ceremonies for people. She qualified for this role with the Humanist Society Scotland.

Early Life & Career Beginnings

Carol Smillie was born in Glasgow on December 23, 1961. Her parents are Isobel and George Smillie, who was an electrical engineer. Carol has two older sisters and one older brother.

She went to Simshill Primary School and then Hutchesons' Grammar School. She earned several qualifications, including one in fabric and fashion. Carol then went on to study Art, Design, and Fashion at the Glasgow School of Art in 1979, hoping to become a fashion designer. To help pay for her studies, she worked part-time in a cocktail bar and also did some modeling. Eventually, she left art school to focus on her modeling career.

Carol joined the Best Modelling Agency, run by Fiona Best. She was 5 feet 5 inches tall, which was a bit too short for catwalk modeling. So, she mostly did photo shoots and promotional work. Carol worked for this agency throughout the 1980s. It was through this agency that she met her future husband, Alex Knight, who was also a model.

Carol's TV Journey

Starting Out: Wheel of Fortune

Carol Smillie's TV career began in 1989 when she was 27 years old. She was chosen from 5,000 people to be the hostess and puzzle board operator for Scottish Television's Wheel of Fortune game show. She worked on the show with Nicky Campbell until 1994.

Fashion & Travel Shows

After Wheel of Fortune, Carol presented a fashion series called Get It On, which was also made by Scottish Television. She also worked as a reporter for BBC Two's The Travel Show from 1992 to 1993. In 1995, she joined Hearts of Gold as a co-presenter. This show celebrated everyday heroes who showed great bravery. From 1996 to 2000, Carol was a regular presenter on BBC One's Holiday programme, which explored different travel destinations.

Becoming a Household Name: Changing Rooms

In 1996, Carol became the first presenter of BBC Two's new DIY show, Changing Rooms. The show quickly became very popular and moved to BBC One for its second series. Changing Rooms is often given credit for starting a big trend in home DIY projects in the late 1990s. While she was on the show, it won a National TV Award and an INDIE Award, and was nominated for a BAFTA. Carol was the main presenter for 13 series, leaving the show in 2003. In September 1998, she was featured on the show This Is Your Life.

More TV Roles

From 1996 to 2000, Carol was also a presenter for The National Lottery Show on the BBC. She mostly appeared on the Wednesday Midweek Draw but sometimes on Saturday nights too. In 1998, she hosted her own morning chat show on BBC One called Smillie's People, where she interviewed celebrities.

After leaving Changing Rooms in 2003, Carol joined the Channel 5 show Dream Holiday Homes. This show was similar to Changing Rooms, but it focused on giving entire properties makeovers in sunny European locations. At the end of each show, viewers could win the property. The show ran for five series.

Dancing on Ice & Other Shows

In 2004, Carol was one of the celebrities who took part in Strictly Ice Dancing, a special ice dance version of Strictly Come Dancing. In 2005, she returned to STV to present The People's Court, an ITV show. Later that year, she presented A Brush with Fame on ITV, a show that looked for the UK's best amateur portrait artist.

From October to December 2006, Carol competed in Series Four of Strictly Come Dancing with her dance partner Matthew Cutler. She got better and better as the series went on. The judge Len Goodman often called her the "Dark Horse" of the competition. She finished in fifth place out of fourteen contestants.

From 2007 to 2008, Carol hosted Postcode Challenge, a game show on STV where teams from the same postcode area answered general knowledge questions. In 2009, she presented Best of British Wedding Venues on Wedding TV. She also presented Finding Scotland's Real Heroes for STV in 2013 and 2014.

Guest Appearances on TV

Carol has made many guest appearances on various TV shows. In 1993, she was on Noel's House Party. In 2001, she appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank and in 2002, she was on The Sooty Show. In 2009, she was a guest presenter for a week on STV's The Hour. In 2004, she took part in a television documentary called Gender Swap for Channel 5, where she was transformed into a man using special makeup.

Beyond Television

Modeling Work

In her early career, Carol worked as a model for exhibitions and sometimes for lingerie. She was also rumored to be one of the "Tennent's Lager girls," a Scottish marketing campaign, but she denied this in an interview. Carol continued to model occasionally even after becoming famous. From 2007 to 2010, she was the main model for the Scottish company The Edinburgh Woollen Mill.

Radio Shows

In 1994, Carol presented a holiday show for BBC Radio 5 Live called Carol Smillie's Blue Skies. In June 2009, she appeared in the BBC Radio Scotland comedy sketch show Ellis and Clarke, playing a funny version of herself. On August 31, 2009, she hosted her own radio show on 105.2 Smooth Radio in Glasgow.

Author

In 2003, Carol became a best-selling author with her book Carol Smillie's Working Mum's Handbook. The book discussed the challenges and feelings that women face when they return to work after having children. It covered topics like balancing work and family, managing time, and understanding workplace rights. From May 2008, Carol also wrote a weekly column in The Times called 'Perfect Pets' with animal expert Emma Magson.

Acting Roles

Smillie performing with Shonagh Price in Hormonal Housewives, 2010

From 2006 to 2011, Carol also worked as an actress. In February 2006, she made her stage debut in a play. She toured Scotland with the play several times. In 2010, Carol appeared on stage in Hormonal Housewives, a new comedy. She performed alongside Julie Coombe and Shonagh Price. The play showed three women trying to balance their careers, childcare, and being a housewife. The show ended with a medley of songs by famous singers like Kylie Minogue, Madonna, and Cher. Carol played the part of Madonna, dancing and miming to the song "Holiday" in a fun costume. She took the play on a three-week tour of Scotland. In 2008, Carol made her film debut in a short film called Infamy, where she played a TV presenter named Joan.

Starting Her Own Business

In October 2012, Carol Smillie started her own business, DiaryDoll, with her friend and former tennis player Annabel Croft. They created a line of women's underwear designed to prevent leaks during periods. These special pants had a hidden waterproof panel to stop stains on clothes and bedding. They were made to look and feel like regular underwear, so women could feel confident doing their usual activities. In 2014, DiaryDoll partnered with the charity Endometriosis UK.

Humanist Celebrant

Since 2018, Carol Smillie has been working as a humanist celebrant. A humanist is someone who believes in human values and reason, rather than religious beliefs. As a celebrant, Carol leads non-religious ceremonies for important life events like weddings, funerals, and naming ceremonies. She became accredited by the Humanist Society Scotland.

Personal Life

Carol Smillie lives in Glasgow with her husband, Alex Knight, who owns restaurants. They got married in August 1991 and have three children. Carol's famous smile was even made fun of by impressionist Ronni Ancona on the TV show Big Impression. Ancona's impression of Carol used the funny phrase "I'm Smiley Smiley Carol Smillie."

Charity Work

Carol is involved with several charities, especially those that help children. One of her main charities is The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice (PPWH). She helps host a special "A Little Less Strictly Come Dancing" Ball for them every year. Carol also appeared on the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? to raise money for the charity NSPCC. She played with Michael Aspel but they only won £1,000 after missing a question about authors.

Trustee Roles

Carol is a trustee for several important places in Glasgow. She is on the board for The Kelvingrove Refurbishment Appeal (KRA) at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. This group helps raise money to fix up the museum. She also became a board member and trustee for The Riverside Museum. Carol supports the Glasgow School of Art, where she used to study. She is part of the Mackintosh Conservation and Access Project team. In July 2007, she launched The Digital MacIntosh Project to raise money to restore the MacIntosh Building at the school.

Mensa Test

In the early 1990s, when Carol was hosting Wheel of Fortune, a newspaper asked her to take the Mensa test. Mensa is a group for people with very high IQs. She said she passed with an IQ of 148. However, in 2003, she caused a bit of a stir when she admitted in an interview that she had cheated on the test. She said she didn't take it under proper exam conditions and even called a friend to help her finish it. Carol explained that she didn't feel too bad because it wasn't a "real" test to her, and Mensa had never officially invited her to take it.

Filmography

Television

Presenter

Guest appearances

Reality TV Appearances

Actress

Radio

• Ellis and Clarke 2009

Books

• Carol Smillie's Working Mums Handbook (2003)

Awards

• National Television Award for Changing Rooms
• INDIE Award for Changing Rooms
• Bafta Nominated for Changing Rooms
• Rear of the Year 1998 (an award for people with a notable posterior)
• In October 2008, Carol was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA for Most Popular Scottish Presenter.