Jodie Kidd

Jodie Elizabeth Kidd (born 25 September 1978) is an English fashion model, racing driver, and television personality.

Early life

Kidd was born in 1978 and is the daughter of the businessman and former showjumper Johnny Kidd. She is the granddaughter of The Honourable Janet Gladys Aitken. One of Kidd's maternal great-grandfathers was the Canadian press baron Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook.''Burke's Peerage'', volume 1 (1999), p. 232 Kidd's mother, Wendy Madeleine Kidd (née Hodge), is one of the three daughters of Sir John Rowland Hodge, 2nd Baronet, and runs the Holders Festival on Barbados. Kidd's aunt is the model Vicki Hodge.

Jodie was a showjumper as a child and attended St Michael's School, Burton Park, Petworth, West Sussex. Kidd has two siblings. Her elder sister, Jemma Kidd (born 1974), married Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Mornington, son of the current Duke of Wellington, in June 2005. Kidd's brother, Jack Kidd (born 1973) is a polo player. Kidd also has a half brother, the entrepreneur Nick D'Arcy Whiting (born 1962) and a half sister Debbie Parris (born 1964).

Career

Modelling

Kidd was 15 when she was discovered by photographer Terry O'Neil on a beach in Barbados. Her modelling career began when he introduced her to model agent Laraine Ashton. When Kidd began modelling at 16 there was an uproar – accusations were made that promotion of her slender figure encouraged teenage girls to become anorexic when they tried to mimic her looks. Her skeletal figure led to accusations, because she is tall 185 cm (6 ft 1) and at the time her weight was (BMI of 13.6; WHO class at 16 years, "severe thinness") and a German magazine called her "locuste model", sometimes referred to as "heroin chic". However, following an eight-month break in modelling, Kidd increased weight to become a Size 14 dress size.

Kidd modelled with the leading models from Capellino, Chanel, Ernesto Esposito, Fendissime, Gai Mattiolo, Ghost, Lagerfeld, Malhas, Monsoon, and Motorola and also featured in campaigns for Chloé 'Innocence' perfume and Yves Saint Laurent. She also appeared on the cover of ''Elle'' magazine in Australia, Italy, Portugal, Singapore, Sweden and the United States and made appearances on ''The Face'' and ''Comme des Garçons''.

In 2014, Kidd was the face of Jaeger's AW/14 campaign. She was one of three iconic British models who were photographed with their mothers, alongside Jasmine Guinness and Kirsty Hume.

Racing

She drove a Maserati and became known for completing the fastest Celebrity Lap in the Suzuki Liana on the ''Top Gear'' car show (Series 2 Episode 8 : 6 July 2003). She was later beaten by Simon Cowell (Series 3 Episode 5 : 9 November 2003) and is now ranked 11th fastest.

On 4 December 2004, Kidd and her co-driver, Fabio Babini, took first place in Bologna, Italy at a Maserati Trofeo Pro-Am event. It was only Kidd's third race. She has also taken part in several Gumball 3000 rallies.

Television

Kidd's career as a television personality has included participation on ''Strictly Come Dancing'' 2008, in which she partnered with professional dancer Ian Waite; they finished in sixth place, and Kidd left the show in a "dance-off" against former model and television presenter Lisa Snowdon. In 2014, Kidd was a finalist in the BBC
...