Carol Patricia Smillie (born 23 December 1961) is a Scottish former television presenter, actress and model. Smillie became famous as a presenter on British TV during the 1990s and early 2000s. She was best known for assisting

Nicky Campbell Nicholas Andrew Argyll Campbell OBE (born Nicholas Lackey; 10 April 1961) is a Scottish broadcaster and journalist. He has worked in television and radio since 1981 and as a network presenter with BBC Radio since 1987. Early life Campbell wa ...

on the UK version of the game show '' Wheel of Fortune'' between 1989 and 1994. Between 1996 and 2003, she was the main presenter on the

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

home makeover show ''

Changing Rooms ''Changing Rooms'' is a do-it-yourself home improvement show broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC between 1996 and 2004. The series was revived on Channel 4 in 2021. The show was one of a number of home improvement and lifestyle shows ...

''. After leaving the

Glasgow School of Art The Glasgow School of Art (GSA; ) is a higher education art school based in Glasgow, Scotland, offering undergraduate degrees, post-graduate awards (both taught and research-led), and PhDs in architecture, fine art, and design. These are all awa ...

, Smillie was a model throughout the 1980s. Her break in television came in 1989 when she auditioned for the role of hostess on '' Wheel of Fortune.'' After leaving the show in 1994, Smillie appeared on the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

television channel, firstly as a reporter on ''The Travel Show'', and then the ''

Holiday A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...

'' show, eventually becoming the programme's main presenter. The DIY programme ''

'' established her name and led to her presenting other primetime shows for the BBC, such as the ''

National Lottery National Lottery may refer to: *National Lottery (Ireland), the state lottery of Ireland *National Lottery (United Kingdom), the lottery franchise in the United Kingdom *South African National Lottery, established in 2000 *A number of countries con ...

'' and her own morning chat show ''Smillie's People''. In 2012 Smillie decided to leave mainstream TV and created a new business venture, launching a brand of leak-proof underwear for women, named DiaryDoll. This was later changed to Pretty Clever Pants. In 2018 Smillie relinquished control of her business, licensing the brand to the company High Street TV. Smillie is pursuing a career conducting humanist ceremonies, having qualified as a

humanist celebrant A humanist celebrant or humanist officiant is a person who performs humanist celebrancy services, such as non-religious weddings, funerals, child namings, coming of age ceremonies and other rituals. Some humanist celebrants are accredited by huma ...

with the

Humanist Society Scotland Humanist Society Scotland is a Scottish registered charity that promotes humanist views and offers humanist wedding, funeral, and baby-naming ceremonies. It is a member of the European Humanist Federation and Humanists International. In t ...

1961–1988: Early life and career beginnings

Smillie was born on 23 December 1961, in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, Scotland, the daughter of Isobel and electrical engineer George Smillie. She has two older sisters and one older brother. Smillie attended Simshill Primary School and the independent

Hutchesons' Grammar School Hutchesons' Grammar School is a private, co-educational day school for pupils aged 3–18 in Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded as Hutchesons' Boys' Grammar School by George Hutcheson and Thomas Hutcheson in 1641, making it the 19th oldest scho ...

. She attained seven

O-grade The Ordinary Grade (commonly known as the "O-Grade") of the Scottish Certificate of Education is a now-discontinued qualification which was studied for as part of the Scottish secondary education system. It could be considered broadly equivalen ...

s, including a qualification in fabric and fashion. She left the following year with three

Highers In the Scottish secondary education system, the Higher () is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate (SQC) offered by the Scottish Qualifications ...

. Five were required to be admitted into the

. Smillie ultimately obtained one each from

Langside College Langside College was a List of further and higher education colleges in Scotland, further and higher education college located in the Mount Florida / Battlefield, Glasgow, Battlefield region of Glasgow. History It was established in 1947 and in t ...

and

Cardonald College Cardonald College was a medium-sized Further education institute located in Glasgow's South Side, in Scotland. Officially opened in 1972, it had over 12,000 full-time and part-time students. Cardonald College merged with Anniesland College an ...

, thus completing the entry requirements. At age 18, in 1979, Smillie embarked on her first year at the Glasgow School of Art, studying Art, Design, and Fashion, with the idea of becoming a fashion designer, but felt she didn't really fit in with the typical punk students sporting green hair and pink shoes. To subsidise her studies, Smillie worked in a cocktail bar, modelling part-time, and eventually left to embark on a modelling career. Smillie then joined the Best Modelling Agency, run by Fiona Best. Too short at for catwalk modelling, she booked photo shoots and promotions. Smillie worked for the agency throughout the 1980s. Smillie met her future husband, former model Alex Knight, through Fiona's agency.

Life and career

1989–2011, 2013, 2022: Television career

1989–1994: ''Wheel of Fortune''

Smillie's presenting career launched in 1989, at age 27, when she beat 5,000 other applicants to become the hostess and puzzle board operator of

Scottish Television Scottish Television (now legally known as STV Central Limited) is the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchisee for Central Belt, Central Scotland. The channel — the largest of the three ITV franchises in Scotland — has been in operation si ...

's ''Wheel of Fortune'' game show. She co-presented the show until 1994 with

1994–1996: ''Get It On''

Fashion series presented by Smillie and produced by Scottish Television.

1992–1993: ''The Travel Show''

Reporter on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

's ''

The Travel Show ''The Travel Show'' is an Extended play, EP by British hip hop, British rapper Braintax, was released through Low Life Records in 1999. The EP was never released on compact disc, CD; however, it can be purchased on the Internet as a digital down ...

''.

1995–1996: ''Hearts of Gold''

Smillie joined the show as co-presenter with Mickey Hutton, alongside the main presenter Esther Rantzen. The show recognised unsung heroes and heroines who had shown outstanding bravery and dedication to public life.

1996–2000: ''Holiday''

Stints followed on

for the ''

'' programme. Smillie continued to present holiday programmes such as ''Summer Holiday'', ''Holiday Swaps'', ''Holiday Heaven'' and ''Holiday Favourites'' throughout the 1990s.

1996–2003: ''Changing Rooms''

In 1996, Smillie became the original presenter of BBC Two's new DIY show ''Changing Rooms''. The show was an immediate success and was transferred to BBC One for series 2. The programme is credited with starting a craze for DIY in the late 1990s. During her time on the show, it won a National TV Award and an INDIE Award and were

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

nominated. Smillie remained the main presenter for 13 series, leaving in 2003. In September 1998, she was the subject of '' This Is Your Life''.

1996–2000: ''The National Lottery Show''

In 1996, Smillie was selected as a presenter of the BBC ''The National Lottery Show''. She mainly appeared on the Wednesday Midweek Draw show, but also made occasional appearances on Saturday nights. Smillie presented various incarnations of the show between 1996 and 2000. In September 2006, she appeared on ''The National Lottery: Everyone's A Winner!'' in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

1996–1997: ''Smillie's People''

In 1998, Smillie hosted a short mid-morning celebrity chat-show on BBC One entitled ''Smillie's People''.

2003–2005: ''Dream Holiday Homes''

In 2003, after leaving ''Changing Rooms'', Smillie joined the Channel 5 show ''Dream Holiday Homes''. This new show was similar to ''Changing Rooms'', although this time, entire properties were given a makeover. The properties were situated in various Southern European locations, and at the end of each show Smillie would sell off the property for the price of a £1 phone call to a lucky viewer picked at random. The show ran for five series.

2004: ''Strictly Ice Dancing''

In 2004, Smillie was one of the celebrities to take part in '' Strictly Ice Dancing'', a one-off ice dance version of ''

Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (commonly referred to as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly Ballroom dance, ballroom and Latin dance, Latin dance. Each couple is ...

''.

2005: ''The People's Court''

Smillie was back working for

STV Productions STV Studios (previously STV Productions, SMG Productions, and originally known as Scottish Television Enterprises) is the television production arm of the Scottish company STV Group plc. Its headquarters are in Glasgow, Scotland with an office ...

in 2005 as presenter of the short-lived ITV show ''

The People's Court ''The People's Court'' is an American Court show#Arbitration-based reality court show, arbitration-based reality court show, featuring an arbitrator handling small claims court, small claims disputes in a simulation, simulated courtroom set. W ...

''.

2005: ''A Brush with Fame''

Later that year, she was the presenter of ITV's ''

A Brush with Fame ''A Brush with Fame'' is a British lifestyle game show that aired on ITV from 10 October to 4 November 2005 and hosted by Carol Smillie. Background The programme series was initially piloted by Granada Television using the name Celebrity Fac ...

'', searching for the UK's best amateur portrait artist.

2006: ''Strictly Come Dancing''

From October to December 2006, Smillie took part in Series Four of ''Strictly Come Dancing'' with dance partner

Matthew Cutler Matthew David Cutler (born 30 October 1973) is an English dancer and former World Amateur Latin-American champion. He was a professional dancer on the BBC dancing show ''Strictly Come Dancing''. Early life Cutler was born in Chelmsford, Essex. ...

. She improved as the series progressed.

Len Goodman Leonard Gordon Goodman (25 April 1944 – 22 April 2023) was an English professional ballroom dancer, dance teacher, and dance competition adjudicator. He appeared as head judge on the UK television programme ''Strictly Come Dancing'' – in w ...

often referred to her as the ''Dark Horse'' of the competition, and played music from the ''

Black Beauty ''Black Beauty: His Grooms and Companions, the Autobiography of a Horse'' is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. It was written from a horse as main character's perspective. She wrote it in the last years of her life, during which s ...

'' TV series over her training clips on the complementary show '' Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two''. She came fifth out of the fourteen competitors.

2007–2008: ''Postcode Challenge''

Smillie returned to STV from November 2007 into 2008 to host the Scottish channel's new gameshow, '' Postcode Challenge''. In each show, four teams of six people from the same postcode area are tested on general knowledge.

2009: ''Best of British Wedding Venues''

On 22 September 2009, Smillie presented a 10 part series entitled ''Best of British Wedding Venues'' on

Wedding TV Wedding TV was a woman's lifestyle television channel broadcast in the United Kingdom. Separate versions of the channel were available in Poland and Italy. The channel claims to be the first TV channel of its kind, concentrating on love, life, re ...

, a woman's lifestyle channel on the

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the planetary surface, surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from ...

and

Freesat Freesat is a British free-to-air satellite television service, first formed as a joint venture between the BBC and ITV plc and now owned by Everyone TV (itself owned by all of the four UK Public broadcasting, public service broadcasters, BBC, ...

platforms. 2009

2013–2014: ''Finding Scotland's Real Heroes''

Smillie presented the 2013 and 2014 series of STV's ''Finding Scotland's Real Heroes''.

Television guest appearances

In 1993, she appeared on the Saturday evening

light entertainment show ''

Noel's House Party ''Noel's House Party'' is a BBC light entertainment series that was hosted by Noel Edmonds. Set in a large house in the fictional village of Crinkley Bottom, leading to much innuendo, it ran from 23 November 1991 to 20 March 1999 on BBC One and ...

'', when her "Gotcha" tape was shown to viewers. In 2001, Smillie appeared on ''

Lily Savage's Blankety Blank ''Blankety Blank'' is a British comedy game show which first aired in 1979. The show is based on the American game show ''Match Game'', with contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panellists to fill-in-the-blank questions. The ...

'' and the following year appeared on ''

The Sooty Show ''The Sooty Show'' is a British children's television series, created by Harry Corbett, and produced for the BBC from 1955 to 1967, and then for ITV from 1968 until 1992. The show, part of the ''Sooty'' franchise, focuses on the mischievous ad ...

'' in the episode called "All New Sooty". In the summer of 2009, Smillie appeared as a guest presenter of STV's ''

The Hour An hour is a unit of measurement of time. (The) Hour(s) may also refer to: Measurement * Hour angle, the measurement of angle in units of hours ** Right ascension, the astronomical unit of measure of angle * light hour or hour, distance equival ...

'' for one week, with main anchor

Stephen Jardine Stephen Jardine (born 28 February 1963) is a Scottish journalist, broadcaster and presenter. He has worked for the BBC, Scottish Television, GMTV and Radio Tay. Early years Born in Dumfries, Jardine is the son of the late Bill Jardine, a former ...

. In 2004, she took part in a

television documentary Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries. Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film. * Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...

called ''Gender Swap'' for Channel 5. Using silicon

prosthetic In medicine, a prosthesis (: prostheses; from ), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth (Congenital, congenital disord ...

makeup, she was transformed from female to male and was then given the challenge of attending a

speed dating Speed dating is a formalized matchmaking process with the purpose of encouraging eligible singles to meet new potential partners in a very short period of time, so that interested pairs can continue meeting each other after the event. Organiz ...

event as her new opposite sex self.

Outside television

1982–2010: Model

In her early years, Smillie worked the exhibition circuit and was an occasional lingerie model. Smillie was allegedly one of the

Tennent's Lager Tennent Caledonian is a brewing company based in Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1740 on the bank of the Molendinar Burn by Hugh and Robert Tennent. It is owned by C&C Group plc, which purchased the Tennent Caledonian Breweries subsidiar ...

girls (a Scottish marketing promotion that put pictures of young women on the backs of cans of lager). Smillie denied having had this role in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' newspaper on 2 October 2006. Smillie has continued to model occasionally since her rise to fame. Between 2007 and 2010 Smillie was the figurehead model for the Scottish company The

Edinburgh Woollen Mill Purepay Retail Limited, trading as The Edinburgh Woollen Mill, is a British clothing retailer founded in 1946 by Drew Stevenson. It is headquartered in Carlisle, England. In November 2002, Philip Day led a management buy-out of the retailer. Th ...

1994 and 2009: Radio

In 1994, Smillie presented a holiday show for

BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts mainly news, sport, Talk show, discussion, interviews and phone-ins, and is on air 24 hours a day. It is the principal BBC radio station Broadca ...

called ''Carol Smillie's Blue Skies'', featuring reports from various worldwide destinations and holiday tips for would be travellers. In June 2009, Smillie appeared in the BBC Radio Scotland comedy sketch show Ellis and Clarke. Smillie appeared in a number of sketches in the 30-minute production playing herself, in which she and the members of the cast parodied her television personality. The show was broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland on 5 June 2009. On Bank Holiday 31 August 2009, Smillie hosted her own Radio show on 105.2 Smooth Radio, a Scottish Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Glasgow and the surrounding area.

2003: Author

In 2003, Smillie joined forces with Eileen Fursland to become a best selling author with the publication of ''Carol Smillie's Working Mum's Handbook''. The book examined the practical problems and emotional issues that face women who go back to work. It considered work-life balance, time management, workplace rights to maternity leave and pay, tax credits. Starting on 10 May 2008, Smillie co-wrote – with animal behaviourist Emma Magson – a weekly column in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' entitled 'Perfect Pets'. The column was featured in the Body and Soul section of the Saturday edition and lasted 10 weeks.

2006–2011: Actress

=2006–2007 and 2010–2011: Stage actress

= In February 2006, Smillie made her début on the stage in the

Eve Ensler V, formerly Eve Ensler (; born May 25, 1953), is an American playwright, author, performer, feminist, and activist. V is best known for her play ''The Vagina Monologues''.

play ''

The Vagina Monologues ''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run at the Westside Theatre. The play explores ...

''. She completed three tours of Scotland, appearing in

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

Ayr Ayr ( ; ; , meaning "confluence of the River Àir"), is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. A former royal burgh, today it is the administrative centre of South Ayrshire Council, and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With ...

Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...

, Edinburgh,

and

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

In February to March 2010, Smillie appeared on stage in ''Hormonal Housewives'', a new comedy written by Julie Coombe and John MacIsaac. Appearing alongside Smillie were the co-writer Julie Coombe and Shonagh Price. The comedy portrayed three women juggling a career, childcare and being a housewife. The play begins with the three women getting ready for a night out and then moves into a series of self-contained sketches. The finale features a medley of music by

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

and

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

. Smillie takes the part of Madonna, dancing and miming to the track "

", dressed in a pastiche outfit based on the

Jean Paul Gaultier Jean Paul Gaultier (; born 24 June 1952) is a French haute couture and Ready-to-wear, prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs in ...

-designed conical bra

corset A corset /ˈkɔːrsɪt/ is a support garment worn to constrict the torso into the desired shape and Posture correction, posture. They are traditionally constructed out of fabric with boning made of Baleen, whalebone or steel, a stiff panel in th ...

, from the singer's 1990 Blond Ambition tour. Smillie took the play on a three-week tour of Scotland performing at theatres in

, Edinburgh,

and

Inverness Inverness (; ; from the , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness") is a city in the Scottish Highlands, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highland ...

=2008: Film Actress

= In 2008, Smillie made her film debut in a short film entitled ''Infamy'' playing a television presenter named Joan. The story concerns a man who is so desperate to get on Reality TV that he will try anything, including ultimately, holding up a shop at gunpoint to make the local news.

2012–2018: Entrepreneur

=2012–2018: DiaryDoll/Pretty Clever Pants

= In October 2012, Smillie started her own business, DiaryDoll, with business partner and friend

Annabel Croft Annabel Nicola Croft (born 12 July 1966) is a British former professional tennis player and current radio and television presenter. As a tennis player she won the WTA Tour event Virginia Slims of San Diego and represented Great Britain in the ...

, an ex-international tennis player. Together they created a range of women's underwear specifically for use during periods, with a secret waterproof panel inside them to remove the possibility of leaks and stains on clothing and bedding. They were designed to look and feel like normal underwear – i.e. breathable, washable and not crackly – giving women the confidence to go about their usual activities. In 2014 DiaryDoll partnered with charity Endometriosis UK.

2018–present: Humanist celebrant

Smillie is a

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humanism" ha ...

. In 2018 she became an accredited

with the

, and began to conduct humanist ceremonies.

Personal life

Smillie lives in Glasgow with husband Alex Knight, a restaurateur, whom she married in August 1991. They have three children. Smillie's smile was caricatured by the British impressionist

Ronni Ancona Veronica Jane Ancona (born 4 July 1966) is a British actress, comedian, impressionist and writer best known for '' The Big Impression'', which she co-wrote and starred in and was, for four years, one of BBC One's top-rated comedy programmes, win ...

in the UK television show ''Big Impression''. Ancona's impression of Smillie used the catchphrase "I'm Smiley Smiley Carol Smillie".

Charity work

Smillie is involved with several charities, primarily ones concerned with child welfare. One of her main charities is The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice (PPWH). She hosts 'A Little Less Strictly Come Dancing' Ball for them every year alongside Angus Purden. Smillie was a contestant on the British television game show ''

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (WWTBAM) is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Televis ...

'' supporting the charity

NSPCC The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity founded as the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (LSPCC) by Thomas Agnew on 19 April 1883. The NSPCC lobbies t ...

. She appeared on the show with

Michael Aspel Michael Terence Aspel (born 12 January 1933) is an English retired television presenter and newsreader. He hosted programmes such as '' Crackerjack!'', '' Ask Aspel'', ''Aspel & Company'', '' Give Us a Clue'', '' This Is Your Life'', '' Strange ...

. They failed to progress past the £16,000 mark when they missed the question about authors, dropping to £1,000.

Trustee

Smillie is trustee to a number of Glasgow institutions. These include

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a museum and art gallery in Glasgow, Scotland, managed by Glasgow Museums. The building is located in Kelvingrove Park in the West End of the city, adjacent to Argyle Street. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Mu ...

, where she is on the board as trustee of The Kelvingrove Refurbishment Appeal (KRA). This is an independent trust established to raise £5 million in sponsorship and donations towards the £27.9million refurbishment of Kelvingrove. She became a board member and Trustee for The Riverside Museum. She supports the Glasgow School of Art, as a former and current student of the School’s Continuing Education Programme. Smillie is a member of the Mackintosh Conservation and Access Project team. In July 2007 she launched The Digital MacIntosh Project to raise funds for the restoration and refurbishment of the MacIntosh Building, which houses the school.

Mensa

When Smillie was hosting ''Wheel of Fortune'' in the early 1990s, she was invited to take the Mensa test for high IQs by a tabloid newspaper, to prove that game show hostesses were not stupid. She said she had passed with an IQ of 148. She courted controversy in 2003, when she announced in an interview that she had cheated on the test. She admitted that the test was not taken under exam conditions, and she completed only two thirds of it, coming unstuck at the end. Smillie had phoned a friend to complete the remainder of the test. She said, "I felt slightly guilty at the time, but it hadn't really bothered me that I had cheated because it was never a real test to me, and Mensa had never invited me to take part."

Filmography

Television

Presenter *'' Wheel of Fortune'' 1989–1994 *''The Travel Show'' 1992 *''Holiday'' 1994–2001 ''including'' ''Summer Holiday'', ''Holiday Swaps'', ''Holiday Heaven'' and ''Holiday Favourites'' *''

Hearts of Gold ''Hearts of Gold'' was a BBC television programme devised and presented by Esther Rantzen, with Michael Groth, Mike Smith and Carol Smillie as co-presenters. Running for six years in the 1980s and 1990s, the programme commended members of the pu ...

'' 1995 – 1996 *''Get It On'' 1996 *''

'' 1996–2003 *''The National Lottery'' 1996–2000 ''including'' ''The National Lottery – Amazing Luck Stories'', ''The National Lottery – We've Got Your Number'', ''National Lottery – Local Heroes'' *''Smillie's People'' 1996–97 *''Crazy For Love'' 1996 *''Edinburgh Hogmanay Live'' 1996 *''Edinburgh Hogmanay Live'' 1997 *''New Year Live Hogmanay Show'' 1998 *''Star Secrets'' 1999 *''Surprising Stars'' 2001 *''Dream Holiday Homes'' 2003–2005 *''Baby Hospital Live'' 2004 *''The Peoples Court'' 2005 *''

A Brush With Fame ''A Brush with Fame'' is a British lifestyle game show that aired on ITV from 10 October to 4 November 2005 and hosted by Carol Smillie. Background The programme series was initially piloted by Granada Television using the name Celebrity Fac ...

'' 2005 *''

Yorkhill Yorkhill () is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated north of the River Clyde in the West End of the city. It is known for its famous hospitals and remains the location of the West Glasgow Ambulatory Care Hospital. The Kel ...

'' 2005–2006 (Narrator) *''Postcode Challenge'' 2007–2008 *''

'' 2009 *''Best of British Wedding Venues'' 2009 *''Scotland's Winter Wonderland'' 2010 (Narrator) *''3@Three'' 2010 *''

'' 2010 *''Vet School'' 2011 (Narrator) Guest appearances *''The Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna'' 1994 *''You Bet'' 1995 1996 1997 *''The Alphabet Game'' 1996 *'' Shooting Stars'' 1996 *''An Evening with Lily Savage'' 1996 *''Confessions'' 1998 *''Clive Anderson All Talk'' 1998 *''McCoist & MacAulay'' 1998 *''Celebrity Ready Steady Cook'' 1999 *''All Over The Shop'' 1999 *''It's Only TV...But I Like It'' 1999 *''Blankety Blank'' 1999 *''Clarkson'' 1999 *'' This Is Your Life'' 1999 *''Heaven And Earth Show'' 2001 *''Celebrity Friends Like These'' 2001 *''Sooty'' 2001 *''Hot Potatoes'' 2002 *''Friday Night with Jonathon Ross'' 2002 *''The Brian Conley Show'' 2002 *''Alter Ego'' 2002 *''Kelly'' 2003 and 2005 *''V Graham Norton'' 2003 *''

Have I Got News for You ''Have I Got News for You'' (''HIGNFY'') is a British television panel show, produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC, which premiered on 28 September 1990. The programme focuses on two teams, one usually captained by Ian Hislop and one ...

'' 2003 *''Today with Des and Mel'' 2003 2004 *''Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway'' 2004 *''Win, Lose or Draw Late'' 2004 *''29 Minutes of Fame'' 2005 *''

The Paul O'Grady Show ''The Paul O'Grady Show'' was a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Paul O'Grady, first shown on 11 October 2004. The programme was a teatime chat show consisting of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances ...

'' 2005 *''Stars in Fast Cars'' 2005 *''Brainiac: Science Abuse'' 2005 *''

The Prince's Trust The King's Trust (formerly the Prince's Trust) is a United Kingdom-based charity founded in 1976 by Charles III, King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11-to-30-year-olds w ...

30th Birthday: Live'' 2006 *''Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two'' 2006 *''Your Country Needs You'' 2007 *''The Aphrodisiac Test'' 2007 *''The Meaning Of Life'' 2007 *''Tonight With Trevor McDonald'' 2007 *''The Pyramid Game'' 2007 *''The Grumpy Guide To'' 2007 *'' Hider in the House'' 2008 *''The Alan Titchmarsh Show'' 2008 *''Take It Or Leave It'' 2008 *''How TV Changed Britain – Property'' 2008 *''Daily Cooks Challenge'' 2008 *''What Are You Like ?'' 2008 *''STV's Top 30 Best Loved Shows (Part 5)'' 2009 *''Loose Women'' 2009 *''

All Star Mr & Mrs ''All Star Mr & Mrs'' is a British television show which first began airing on 12 April 2008 on ITV. It is a celebrity revival of the original '' Mr and Mrs'' that aired on ITV from 1968 to 1988 with two separate revivals in 1995–1996 and 1 ...

'' 2010 *''

The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weekdays at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Roman Kemp, Ronan Keating ...

(Children in Need Reporter)'' 2010 *''Coronation Street:The Big 50'' 2010 *''

Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...

'' 2011 *''Pointless Celebrities'' 2013 *''Pointless Celebrities'' 2019 *''

Richard Osman's House of Games ''Richard Osman's House of Games'' is a British quiz show hosted by Richard Osman and produced by Banijay UK Productions subsidiary Remarkable Entertainment for the BBC. The show is played on a weekly basis, with four celebrities playing on f ...

'' 2022 Reality TV Appearances *''Gender Swap'' 2004 *'' Strictly Ice Dancing'' 2004 *''

Star Spell ''Star Spell'' is a BBC game show which put celebrities against each other in spelling related games, each one was subsequently eliminated until there was one Star Spell Champion. It was presented by Eamonn Holmes and was a spin-off from the BBC ...

'' 2005 *''

'' 2006 *'' Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two'' 2006 *''

Kitchen Burnout ''Kitchen Burnout'' is a British cookery reality show airing on ITV, and was created by ITV Studios, which features prospective chefs competing with each other for a final prize. The series aired in April 2010, presented by Marco Pierre White ...

'' 2010 Actress *''

2point4 Children ''2point4 Children'' is a BBC Television sitcom that was created and written by Andrew Marshall. It follows the lives of the Porters, a seemingly average, working-class London family whose world is frequently turned upside-down by bad luck and ...

'' 1999 *''

Brookside Brookside may refer to: Geography Canada * Brookside, Edmonton * Brookside, Newfoundland and Labrador * Brookside, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Brookside, Berkshire, England * Brookside, Telford, an area of Telford, England United States * Bro ...

'' 2000 *''Infamy'' 2008 Radio *''Ellis and Clarke'' 2009

Videos

*''Changing Shape with Carol Smillie'' (2000) *''Changing Rooms – Trust Me..I'm A Designer'' (2002)

Books

*''Carol Smillie's Working Mums Handbook'' (2003)

Awards

* National Television Award for ''

'' * INDIE Award for ''

'' * Bafta Nominated for ''

'' *

Rear of the Year Rear of the Year was a British award for celebrities who were considered to have attractive buttocks. It was created by publicity consultant Anthony Edwards in 1976. Initially, it was awarded only to women, but in 1986 the first award was made t ...

1998, a British award for people with a notable posterior. *In October 2008, Carol was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA, in The Lloyds TSB Scotland Audience Award for Most Popular Scottish Presenter category.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smillie, Carol 1961 births Living people People educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School Actresses from Glasgow Mass media people from Glasgow Scottish female models Scottish atheists Scottish humanists Scottish women non-fiction writers Scottish women television presenters 20th-century Scottish people Scottish models 21st-century Scottish people 20th-century Scottish actresses 21st-century Scottish actresses 20th-century Scottish women writers 21st-century Scottish women writers 20th-century Scottish non-fiction writers 21st-century Scottish non-fiction writers