PAULA YATES
Name: Paula Elizabeth Yates
Born: 24 April 1959
Died: 17 September 2000
Paula Elizabeth Yates (24 April 1959- 17 September 2000) was a British
television presenter and writer, best known for her work on two iconic
television programmes, The Tube and The Big Breakfast.
Born in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, she was brought up in a show business family.
Her mother was Elaine Smith, a former showgirl, actress and writer of erotic
novels, who used the stage names Hellen Thornton and Heller Toren. Until late in
her life, Yates believed her father to be Jess Yates, who was known as "the
Bishop" and presented the ITV religious programme Stars On Sunday. Yates and
Smith were married from 1958 to 1975, though Yates was 16 years older than his
wife and their marriage was unconventional. Jess Yates was sacked from his job
in 1974 because of scandalous newspaper stories about his private life.
In an unsettled childhood, Paula attended school at Penrhos College, Ysgol
Aberconwy. The Yates' ran the Deganwy Castle Hotel for a time, before moving to
a large house in Rowen, Conwy. After the break-up of her parents' marriage in
1975, Paula lived mostly with her mother, including periods in Malta and
Mallorca, before returning to Britain.
Paula became an obsessed fan of Boomtown Rats and their lead singer, Bob Geldof.
Paula posed naked for Penthouse in 1978, just before she became a music
journalist, writing a column called "Natural Blonde" in the Record Mirror. She
first came to prominence in the 1980s, as co-presenter (with Jools Holland) of
the Channel 4 pop music programme The Tube. She also appeared alongside friend
Jennifer Saunders in French And Saunders in 1987 for a spoof 'mockumentary' on
Bananarama.
Name: Paula Elizabeth Yates
Born: 24 April 1959
Died: 17 September 2000
Paula Elizabeth Yates (24 April 1959- 17 September 2000) was a British
television presenter and writer, best known for her work on two iconic
television programmes, The Tube and The Big Breakfast.
Born in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, she was brought up in a show business family.
Her mother was Elaine Smith, a former showgirl, actress and writer of erotic
novels, who used the stage names Hellen Thornton and Heller Toren. Until late in
her life, Yates believed her father to be Jess Yates, who was known as "the
Bishop" and presented the ITV religious programme Stars On Sunday. Yates and
Smith were married from 1958 to 1975, though Yates was 16 years older than his
wife and their marriage was unconventional. Jess Yates was sacked from his job
in 1974 because of scandalous newspaper stories about his private life.
In an unsettled childhood, Paula attended school at Penrhos College, Ysgol
Aberconwy. The Yates' ran the Deganwy Castle Hotel for a time, before moving to
a large house in Rowen, Conwy. After the break-up of her parents' marriage in
1975, Paula lived mostly with her mother, including periods in Malta and
Mallorca, before returning to Britain.
Paula became an obsessed fan of Boomtown Rats and their lead singer, Bob Geldof.
Paula posed naked for Penthouse in 1978, just before she became a music
journalist, writing a column called "Natural Blonde" in the Record Mirror. She
first came to prominence in the 1980s, as co-presenter (with Jools Holland) of
the Channel 4 pop music programme The Tube. She also appeared alongside friend
Jennifer Saunders in French And Saunders in 1987 for a spoof 'mockumentary' on
Bananarama.