Elizabeth Cowell (1912–1998) was a British broadcaster and television announcer. She was one of the first three BBC Television Service presenters, along with

Jasmine Bligh Jasmine Lydia Bligh (20 May 1913 – 21 July 1991) was one of the first three BBC Television Service presenters in the 1930s. Along with Leslie Mitchell and Elizabeth Cowell, she provided continuity announcements introducing programmes in-vi ...

and Leslie Mitchell. She began announcing when the Television Service started in 1936 and made her debut on Monday 31 August that year at

Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is a Grade II listed entertainment and sports venue in London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. It is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and the later Tottenham Wood Farm. Origi ...

in London. This was a few months before the official launch of BBC Television on 2 November 1936. She returned in 1946 after its nearly seven-year hiatus due to the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Cowell was the voice of 'the Woman' on the soundtrack of

Paul Rotha Paul Rotha (3 June 1907 – 7 March 1984) was a British documentary film-maker, film historian and critic. Early life and education He was born Paul Thompson in London, and educated at Highgate School and at the Slade School of Fine Art. Career ...

's documentary ''Land of Promise'' (1946). When BBC television started broadcasting again in 1946 Cowell was married to the laird of a Scottish estate and had left the BBC.

References

1912 births 1998 deaths British television presenters History of television in the United Kingdom 20th-century British writers Radio and television announcers

External links

Elizabeth Cowell
at BBC.co.uk {{UK-tv-journalist-stub