Liza Tarbuck ( ; born 21 November 1964) is an English actress, comedian, and television and radio presenter.

Early life

Liza Tarbuck was born in Liverpool. She is the daughter of comedian

Jimmy Tarbuck James Joseph Tarbuck (born 6 February 1940) is an English comedian, singer, actor, entertainer and game show host. He was a host of ''Sunday Night at the London Palladium'' in the mid-1960s, and hosted numerous game shows and quiz shows on ITV ...

and his wife Pauline, with an older sister, Cheryl, and a younger brother, James. She trained at the National Youth Theatre and

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the S ...

graduating in 1986 alongside

Clive Owen Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for playing the lead role in the ITV series ''Chancer'' from 1990 to 1991. He received critical acclaim for his work in the film '' Close ...

, Rebecca Pidgeon, and Mark Womack.

Acting

Tarbuck's first big break came in 1987 when she landed a starring role in the

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was its ...

comedy series '' Watching'', opposite Emma Wray. She stayed with ''Watching'' for its entire seven-year run. She also appeared as Angie in the 1988 Falklands War drama '' Tumbledown'', which starred

Colin Firth Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He was identified in the mid-1980s with the " Brit Pack" of rising young British actors, undertaking a challenging series of roles, including leading roles in '' A M ...

, Paul Rhys and David Calder. In 2001, she took the title role in '' Linda Green'', which ran for two series, ending in 2002. She guest starred on the

Ricky Gervais Ricky Dene Gervais ( ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcoms ''The Office'' (2001–2003), '' Extras'' (2005–2007), and ''An Idiot Abroad'' ...

comedy '' Extras'', and appeared in '' The Inspector Lynley Mysteries'' as DI Fiona Knight. In 2004, she appeared in Series 6 of the

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

comedy '' French & Saunders'', as a fictionalised version of herself, where she had the role of producer for "Saunders & French Productions" with Christopher Hague-Moody. In 2005, she appeared as Mrs Jellyby in the BBC One serial '' Bleak House'', and in 2006 she appeared in episode six of the sitcom ''

Saxondale ''Saxondale'' is an English television situation comedy programme, starring Steve Coogan and co-written by Coogan and Neil Maclennan. The series is directed by Matt Lipsey and produced by Ted Dowd. Coogan and Henry Normal served as executive ...

'', as a full-figured rock chick. In 2007, she provided a voiceover for the animated ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

'' adventure '' The Infinite Quest''. 2007 also saw her starring in the ITV1 comedy drama '' Bonkers''. In 2009 she starred as Tina in her first role in a feature film, in '' The Be All and End All'', and since 2016 she has played the part of Anne Hathaway in the

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...

comedy series '' Upstart Crow''. In 2019, she starred in ''How Europe Stole My Mum''. This

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

documentary, presented by comedian

Kieran Hodgson Kieran Hodgson is a British character comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his role as Gordon in Two Doors Down. Early life and education Kieran Hodgson was raised in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire and educated at Holmfirth High Schoo ...

and also starring Harry Enfield, examines how

Brexit Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 Greenwich Mean Time, GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 Central Eur ...

came about and how the divided country might be put back together.

Presenting

She presented the fashion programme ''She's Gotta Have It'' in 1998 and '' The Big Breakfast'' with Johnny Vaughan, Sara Cox and Richard Bacon. In 2001, she teamed up with her father for a celebrity edition of '' Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' In the early 2000s, she hosted the Sky One game show '' Blockbusters'' and has been a guest presenter on '' Have I Got News for You''. In 2003, she hosted Channel 4's

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

winning panel-discussion/gameshow ''

Without Prejudice? ''Without Prejudice?'' is a British game show that aired on Channel 4 from 4 January 2003 to 16 April 2004 and was hosted by Liza Tarbuck. Format The object involves five random people deciding which one of five strangers is worthy of winning ...

''. She hosted a late-night edition of '' Win, Lose or Draw'', and has presented ''Britain's Top Dog'', as well as narrating the last series of the documentary ''

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

'' in 2005. She presented a one-off quiz for

Five 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awa ...

called ''I Blame the Spice Girls'' to celebrate Five's tenth birthday. She has also appeared in advertisements for the supermarket Asda. She signed a deal with Sky One to present a show called '' Pet Nation'' alongside

Huey Morgan Hugh Thomas Diaz Morgan (born 8 August 1968) is an American musician best known as the former frontman of rock/hip hop band Fun Lovin' Criminals. Morgan performs both vocals and guitar and combines rock, hip hop, jazz, reggae, and funk influen ...

in 2010. She narrated the

dieting Dieting is the practice of eating food in a regulated way to decrease, maintain, or increase body weight, or to prevent and treat diseases such as diabetes and obesity. As weight loss depends on calorie intake, different kinds of calorie-red ...

show ''

Supersize vs Superskinny ''Supersize vs Superskinny'' is a British television programme on Channel 4 that featured information about dieting and extreme eating lifestyles. One of the main show features was a weekly comparison between an overweight person, and an un ...

'' since 2008. In 2015, Tarbuck narrated the Animal Planet series ''Meet The Orangutans''.

Radio

BBC Radio 4

Tarbuck played Helen Golightly in the

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...

programme '' Clare in the Community'' from series 5 to series 9, taking over from Gemma Craven. She has also appeared in other shows for BBC Radio 4, such as '' Just a Minute'' and a story about Jayne Mansfield. In December 2016 she presented ''Remembering Ronnie Corbett'', a tribute to the late comedy star. In October 2017 she appeared on '' Front Row'' with Harry Hill. In December 2017 she was a guest on Radio 4's '' Saturday Live''. In January 2018 she was a guest on ''

Great Lives ''Great Lives'' is a BBC Radio 4 biography series, produced in Bristol. It has been presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and currently (since April 2006) Matthew Parris. A distinguished guest is asked to nominate the pe ...

'', talking about the Serbian-American scientist

Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla ( ; ,"Tesla"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. ; 1856 – 7 January 1943 ...

BBC Radio 2

During September 2007 Tarbuck co-presented the weekday afternoon show on

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...

with Mark Radcliffe, whilst Steve Wright was on leave. In December 2007 (and again in January and March 2008), she once more hosted the show, this time as a solo presenter. In July 2008 she once again co-presented with Radcliffe. In December 2008 and January 2009 she presented the Saturday morning slot on

with Martin Freeman whilst

Jonathan Ross Jonathan Stephen Ross (born 17 November 1960) is an English broadcaster, film critic, comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He presented the BBC One chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' during the 2000s, hosted his own radio show on ...

was away from the station, and again in August 2009 alongside

of Fun Lovin' Criminals. The pair presented the show again in November 2009. For a week in March 2009 she stood in for Sarah Kennedy's popular ''Dawn Patrol'' show. Tarbuck stood in for

Simon Mayo Simon Andrew Hicks Mayo (born 21 September 1958) is an English radio presenter and author who worked for BBC Radio from 1982 until 2022. Mayo has presented across three BBC stations for extended periods. From 1986 to 2001 he worked for Radio ...

on his

''Drivetime Show'' for three weeks in July/August 2010 also covering the show on 18–22 April in 2011, 1–19 August in 2011, 4–8 June 2012, 14–18 February 2013, 15 July 2013, 26–30 May 2014, 6–10 April 2015 and 14 June 2016. On 9 October 2018, she presented the '' Drivetime'' show (5pm–8pm) with

while Jo Whiley was away from the station. On 25 December 2009, she presented a four-hour show on

called ''Liza Tarbuck's

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

'', from midnight until 4am. In 2013, she presented a

special celebrating the career of the British comedian Ken Dodd called ''How Tickled I've Been''. In 2015, she visited Mary Berry at her home for a

Christmas Eve special. On Sunday 8 October 2017, she stood in for Michael Ball on his 11am1pm show. On Wednesday 25 December 2019, she presented a Christmas day special called 'Family Rhythms', 6pm8pm. Guests included film director Richard Curtis, ''

Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (informally known as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of usually 4 j ...

'' star AJ Pritchard, ''Love Island'' star

Curtis Pritchard Curtis Pritchard (born 8 February 1996) is an English dancer and choreographer, known for his role as a professional dancer on the Irish version of ''Dancing with the Stars''. In 2019, Pritchard appeared in the fifth series of the British dati ...

, and Spandau Ballet brothers Martin Kemp and Gary Kemp. Tarbuck presented another Christmas Day special in 2020. Since May 2012 she has presented her own radio show on

, between 6pm and 8pm, on Saturdays, replacing ''

Going out with Alan Carr ''Going Out with Alan Carr'' was the incarnation of the Saturday evening show on BBC Radio 2 between 25 April 2009 and 31 March 2012, produced by Open Mike Productions, which also produced Carr's TV series '' Chatty Man''. It was hosted by Briti ...

'' presented by Carr and

Melanie Sykes Melanie Ann Sykes (born 7 August 1970) is an English television and radio presenter. She is best known for co-hosting '' Today with Des and Mel'' with Des O'Connor and '' Let's Do Lunch'' with Gino D'Acampo. She also co-hosted ''Going Out with A ...

UK Radio Aid

UK Radio Aid UK Radio Aid was a charitable event in the United Kingdom held on Monday 17 January 2005 to raise money for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal for the victims of the Asian tsunami. Format The event consisted of a twelve-hour radio sh ...

was a charitable event in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

held on Monday 17 January 2005 to raise money for the DEC appeal for the victims of the

Asian tsunami An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time ( UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern ...

. The event consisted of a twelve-hour radio show broadcast on 268 radio stations with an audience of over 20 million. Tarbuck presented the 16:00–18:00 slot with her former '' Big Breakfast'' co-host Johnny Vaughan.

Writing

''I An Distracted By Everything'' ic written by Tarbuck, was published in November 2017.-Tarbuck described the one-off publication as "an annual for grown-ups".

Film and television appearances

References

External links

''Liza Tarbuck''
(BBC Radio 2) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tarbuck, Liza 1964 births Living people Actresses from Liverpool Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art BBC Radio 2 presenters English game show hosts English film actresses English television actresses English television presenters National Youth Theatre members Radio presenters from Liverpool Television presenters from Liverpool British women radio presenters