Daisy Donovan
Daisy Donovan | |
---|---|
Born | Daisy Constance Donovan 23 July 1973 |
Nationality | British |
Spouse(s) | Dan Mazer (m. 2005; 2 children) |
Daisy Constance Donovan[2] (born 23 July 1973)[1][3][4] is an English television presenter, actress and writer.
Early life[]
Donovan was born in London.[1] Her father was fashion photographer and film director Terence Donovan; her mother, Diana (née St. Felix Dare),[5] was chairwoman of the English National Ballet School. She is sister to Rockstar Games co-founder Terry Donovan and half-sister to Big Audio Dynamite keyboard player Dan Donovan – and former sister-in-law of Patsy Kensit.[3] Donovan went to the independent St Paul's Girls School in Hammersmith, London, where she met her inspiration – the High Mistress, Baroness Brigstocke. She started reading Classics at the University of Cambridge before switching to study English at the University of Edinburgh, where she performed with the Drama Society.[6] She then studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.[7]
Career[]
Donovan became a receptionist,[4] and then a runner on the first series of The Eleven O'Clock Show. The producers were looking for a female interviewer who would act straight but use comedic lines, and searched everywhere – until they tried their receptionist, the rather posh-talking Donovan. She made occasional appearance as "It Girl" Pandora Box-Grainger. In the second series she presented shorts, 'Angel of Delight', in which she interviewed politicians (she once asked Denis Healey whether he would ever give Margaret Thatcher a "pearl necklace")[8] and got the co-host job with Iain Lee from late 1999–2000.
In 2000, Donovan was featured prominently in series one of sitcom My Family, playing Brigitte, Ben's annoying, superstitious dental assistant.
Donovan subsequently hosted quiz shows: and the eponymous , which she also wrote and produced. In 2006, Donovan presented the British Fashion awards and later presented one series of a programme based in America called Daisy Does America.
Since 2006 she has concentrated on writing screenplays and acting in minor roles. Donovan appeared in Death at a Funeral (2007),[9] Wild Child (2008) and I Give it a Year (2012).[4]
Personal life[]
In 2005 she married her longtime boyfriend, Dan Mazer, a comedy writer and producer, in Morocco.[10] They have two daughters, Maisy[9] and Mini Ivy.[11]
She lives in west London.[8]
Filmography[]
- Spiceworld: The Movie (reporter, uncredited) 1997
- Still Crazy (female reporter) 1998
- Parting Shots 1998
- The Eleven O'Clock Show (presenter) 1998–2000
- The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (Alexanda/Marina) 1999
- My Family BBC television comedy series 1 (Brigitte) (2000)
- Daisy, Daisy (host) 2001
- Does Doug Know? (host) 2002
- Second Nature (Kristina Kane/Amy O'Brien) 2003
- Death on the Nile for UK television (Cornelia Robson) 2004
- Coming Up (Jen) Pillow Talk episode 2004
- Millions (Dorothy) 2004
- Angel's Hell (Polly) 2005
- Daisy Does America (host) 2005
- Death at a Funeral (Martha) 2007
- Wild Child (Miss Rees-Withers) 2008
- The Greatest Shows on Earth (host) 2013[12]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "My Week: Daisy Donovan". The Guardian (30 April 2006). Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ^ https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/06025181/officers[bare URL]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Leith, William (30 March 2002)."Queen of Cringe". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Power, Vicki (10 June 2013). "Daisy Donovan: 'I still can't believe I asked Denis Healey if he'd given Margaret Thatcher a pearl necklace'". The Daily Telegraph. London.
- ^ "Terence Donovan, 60, Society Photographer – New York Times". Nytimes.com. 25 November 1996. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
- ^ "It's funny how being a mum changed Daisy Donovan". Daily Record. 20 May 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
- ^ "Daisy Does America – Daisy Donovan". Tbs.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Liam O'Brien (22 June 2013). "The Conversation: Daisy Donovan, TV presenter – Profiles – People". The Independent. London. Retrieved 26 January 2014.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- ^ Jump up to: a b https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/daisys-blooming-517576[bare URL]
- ^ "The Times | UK News, World News and Opinion". Women.timesonline.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
- ^ Jones, Alice (27 January 2016). "Dan Mazer interview: Sacha Baron Cohen's partner in crime on Dirty Grandpa and the new Bridget Jones film". The Independent. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
- ^ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a488516/daisy-donovan-makes-tv-comeback-i-became-a-low-grade-celebrity.html[bare URL]
External links[]
- 1973 births
- Living people
- Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
- Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
- English film actresses
- English women writers
- English stage actresses
- British television presenters
- Participants in American reality television series
- People educated at St Paul's Girls' School
- British women television presenters