Gillian Porter facts for kids

Gillian Porter was born on April 13, 1965, in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. She is a well-known television presenter from Northern Ireland. Many people know her best from her long career at UTV. For 27 years, she worked there as a continuity announcer and a newsreader. A continuity announcer introduces shows and tells you what's coming up next. A newsreader tells you the latest news.

Her TV Journey

Starting Out in TV

Before joining UTV, Gillian worked for a short time at BBC Northern Ireland. There, she was also a continuity announcer. She helped make sure TV shows ran smoothly.

UTV Life and Announcing

In 1998, Gillian became the presenter for the first series of a show called UTV Life. This show first aired weekly on Sundays. Later, it became a show that was on every weekday evening.

Over the years, Gillian was one of two main announcers at UTV. She worked alongside Julian Simmons. They often voiced pre-recorded messages. These messages would introduce programmes or tell viewers about upcoming shows.

Changes at UTV

In April 2020, UTV stopped using local announcers. This change happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It affected how staff could work at the Belfast studios.

In November 2020, Gillian announced that she had left UTV. This was because UTV decided to switch to using announcers from the main ITV network. Gillian voiced the very last local UTV announcement. It was broadcast early in the morning on April 2, 2020.

Today, Gillian Porter works as a freelance broadcaster. This means she works for different companies on various projects. She also does voiceover work, lending her voice to commercials or other recordings.

Life Outside of TV

Gillian Porter is married to Dee Corbett. They have two children together.