kids encyclopedia robot

Clarissa Dickson Wright facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This British surname is barrelled, being made up of multiple names. It should be written as Dickson Wright, not Wright.
Quick facts for kids
Clarissa Dickson Wright
Clarissa Dickson Wright 2011.jpg
Dickson Wright at a fundraising dinner for the Countryside Alliance in 2011
Born (1947-06-24)24 June 1947
St John's Wood, London, England
Died 15 March 2014(2014-03-15) (aged 66)
Edinburgh, Scotland
Occupation Television personality, celebrity cook, actress, businesswoman, author, barrister
Years active 1996–2014

Clarissa Dickson Wright (born June 24, 1947 – died March 15, 2014) was a famous English cook and TV star. She was also a writer and a businesswoman. Many people knew her best as one of the Two Fat Ladies. She starred in this popular cooking show with her friend, Jennifer Paterson. Clarissa was also a trained cricket umpire. She was one of only two women to become a Guild Butcher. This means she was a skilled expert in butchery.

Early Life and Education

Clarissa Dickson Wright was born in St John's Wood, London. She was the youngest of four children. Her father, Arthur Dickson Wright, was a surgeon for the Royal Family. Her mother, Aileen Mary Bath, came from a well-known family in Singapore.

When she was 11, Clarissa went to an independent girls' school. It was called the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Hove, Sussex. Later, she attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart at Woldingham. After finishing school, Clarissa studied law at University College London. She then trained to become a barrister at Gray's Inn. A barrister is a type of lawyer who speaks in court.

Career Highlights

Starting Her Career

Clarissa Dickson Wright officially became a barrister in 1970. She later worked as a cook-housekeeper for a family in Sussex. She also wrote a book in 2009 called Rifling Through My Drawers. In this book, she shared her belief in reincarnation. Clarissa was also a strong supporter of hunting.

Becoming a TV Cook

Clarissa became very famous for her cooking shows. BBC2 created a TV series called Two Fat Ladies. Four seasons of the show were made. It was shown to audiences all around the world. Sadly, her co-star, Jennifer Paterson, passed away in 1999. This happened during the filming of the fourth season. The Two Fat Ladies show ended after Jennifer's death.

Later Work and Achievements

After Two Fat Ladies, Clarissa continued her TV career. She appeared with Sir Johnny Scott in Clarissa and the Countryman. This show ran from 2000 to 2003. In 2003, she also played a gamekeeper in the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous.

In November 1998, Clarissa achieved a special honor. She was chosen as the Rector of the University of Aberdeen. She was the first woman to hold this position at the university. Her autobiography, Spilling the Beans, was published in September 2007. An autobiography is a book about a person's own life.

In 2008, Clarissa presented a special documentary for BBC Four. It was called Clarissa and the King's Cookbook. In this show, she cooked recipes from a very old cookbook. The cookbook dated back to the time of King Richard II. In November 2012, she presented another BBC4 TV series. This series explored the history of British breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Clarissa was a supporter of the Conservative Party. She lived in Inveresk, Scotland.

In her later years, Clarissa was known for her strong opinions. She often spoke out against groups that were against hunting. She also disagreed with vegetarianism. She supported hare coursing, which is a type of hunting. She also believed in a diet with lots of red meat, butter, and cream.

Death

Clarissa Dickson Wright was in the hospital starting in 2014. She passed away on March 15, 2014, in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. She died from pneumonia, which is a lung infection.

Her funeral service was held in Edinburgh. It took place at St Mary's Cathedral on April 7. After the service, she was cremated.

Books Written by Clarissa

Cookery Books

  • The Haggis: A Short History (1996)
  • Two Fat Ladies: Gastronomic Adventures with Jennifer Paterson (1996)
  • The Two Fat Ladies Ride Again, with Jennifer Paterson (1997)
  • The Two Fat Ladies Full Throttle, with Jennifer Paterson (1998)
  • Hieland Foodie: A Scottish Culinary Voyage with Clarissa, with Henry Crichton-Stuart (1999)
  • Living Large: A Life in Recipes (1999)
  • Two Fat Ladies – Obsessions, with Jennifer Paterson (1999)
  • The Very Best of Two Fat Ladies: Over 150 Favourite Recipes from Their Best Selling Books (2000)
  • Sunday Roast: The Complete Guide to Cooking and Carving, with Sir John Scott, 5th Baronet (2002)
  • The Game Cookbook, with Sir John Scott, 5th Baronet (2004)
  • Pre-Victorian English Cookery (2004)
  • Clarissa's Comfort Food (2008)
  • Potty! Clarissa's One Pot Cookbook (2010)
  • The Great British Food Revival, various authors (2011)
  • The Great British Food Revival: The Revolution Continues, various authors (2011)

Memoirs (Life Stories)

  • Spilling the Beans (2007)
  • Rifling Through My Drawers: My Life in a Year (2009)
  • Ancestors and Rellies (2015)

Other Books

  • Food: What We Eat and How We Eat (1999)
  • Clarissa and the Countryman, with Sir John Scott, 5th Baronet (2000)
  • Clarissa and the Countryman: Sally Forth, with Sir John Scott, 5th Baronet (2001)
  • A Greener Life: The Modern Country Compendium, with Sir John Scott, 5th Baronet (2005)
  • A History of English Food (2011)
  • Clarissa's England (2012)

Audio Books

  • Box of Beans Book (Spilling the Beans) and 2 CDs (2007)
  • Spilling the Beans (2007)
  • Rifling Through My Drawers (2009)
  • A History of English Food (2012)
  • Clarissa's England: A Gamely Gallop Through the English Counties (2013)

Forewords Written

Clarissa wrote introductions for these books:

  • The Essential Cook (2000)
  • Kick The Habit Paperback by Robert Lefever (2000)
  • A Caledonian Feast by Annette Hope (2002)
  • A Book of Mediterranean Food by Elizabeth David (2002)
  • William Evans Good Shoot Guide by Tony Jackson (2003)
  • Garlic, The Mighty Bulb (aka The Goodness of Garlic) by Natasha Edwards (2012)

Television Appearances

TV Series

  • Two Fat Ladies (1996–1999, 24 episodes), with Jennifer Paterson.
  • Clarissa and The Countryman (2000–2003, 24 episodes), with Johnny Scott.
  • Art School (October–November 2005, 6 episodes).
  • The Great British Food Revival (3 episodes: 2011, 2012, 2013).
  • Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (3 episodes: 2012).

Guest Appearances

Clarissa appeared as a guest on many TV shows, including:

  • Grow Your Greens, Eat Your Greens (1993)
  • In the National Trust - Chinese Silk Wallpaper (1995)
  • The End of the Year Show (1996, 1997)
  • All Over The Shop (1997)
  • Songs of Praise: Food Praise (1997)
  • Comedy Zone (1997)
  • Edinburgh Nights (1997, 1998)
  • The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1997)
  • The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1997)
  • Clive Anderson All Talk (1997)
  • Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee (1998)
  • Good Morning America (1998)
  • In the Kitchen With Bob (1998)
  • Organic Food Awards (1998)
  • Question Time (1998-2003, 4 episodes)
  • Entertainment Tonight (1998)
  • Sophie Grigson's Herbs (1999)
  • Royal Television Society Awards (1999)
  • Have I Got News for You (1999)
  • Mark Lamarr Leaving the 20th Century (1999)
  • Loose Women (1999-2012, 4 episodes)
  • Songs of Praise (1999)
  • Parkinson (2000)
  • Pass It On (2000)
  • Celebrity Rehab (2000)
  • Live Talk (2000)
  • Ruby (2000)
  • Friends for Dinner - Friends for Christmas Dinner (2000)
  • Breakfast with Frost (2001)
  • Holiday (2001)
  • Fifty Places to See Before You Die (2002)
  • Saturday Kitchen Live (2003)
  • Absolutely Fabulous (Episode: Huntin', Shootin' & Fishin) (2003)
  • Today with Des and Mel (2003, 2004)
  • The Nation's Favourite Christmas Food (2003)
  • One Man and His Dog (2003)
  • Britain's Best Sitcom (2004)
  • Happy Birthday BBC Two (2004)
  • The Wright Stuff (2004-2011, 4 episodes)
  • GMTV (2004)
  • Countdown (2006, 5 episodes)
  • Hannah Glasse: The First Domestic Goddess (2006)
  • Test the Nation: The National IQ Test 2006 (2006)
  • Friends For Dinner: Christmas Dinner (2006)
  • Balderdash & Piffle (2006-2007, 2 episodes)
  • The New Paul O'Grady Show (2007)
  • Clarissa and the King's Cookbook (2008)
  • The One Show (2008-2010, 2 episodes)
  • The Alan Titchmarsh Show (2009)
  • The Big Food Fight (2009)
  • Victoria Wood: Seen on TV (2009)
  • Mr Pepys's Diary (2010)
  • Newsnight at 30 (2010)
  • The Michael Ball Show (2010)
  • Fern Britton Meets Clarissa Dickson Wright (2010)
  • Welly Telly: The Countryside on Television (2011)
  • Meet The Author: Festive cooks (2011)
  • Roundhead or Cavalier: Which One Are You? (2012)
  • Fieldsports Britain (2012)
  • The One Show (2012)
  • Victoria Wood's Nice Cup of Tea (2013, 2 episodes)
  • The Mind of the Maker Clarissa Dickson Wright speaks at St Paul's Cathedral (2013)
  • Celebrity Eggheads (2013)
  • How to Get Ahead at Medieval Court (2014)

Awards

In 2008, Clarissa won the BA/Nielsen BookData Author of the Year Award.

DVD Release

The Two Fat Ladies TV show was released on DVD. The DVD set includes a 40-minute tribute to Jennifer Paterson. This tribute was shown by the BBC in 2004. The DVD set came out in the United States in July 2008. It has all 24 episodes across four discs. The show was also released in Britain as a Region 2 DVD set.

Images for kids

  • Clarissa Dickson Wright 2011

    Dickson Wright at a fundraising dinner for the Countryside Alliance in 2011

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Clarissa Dickson Wright Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.