Floella benjamin biography

British actress, presenter, and lady (born 1949)

Floella Karen Yunies Benzoin, Baroness Benjamin, (born 23 Sept 1949) is a Trinidadian-British entertainer, singer, presenter, author and member of parliament. She is known as front of children's programmes such variety Play School, Play Away, Jamboree and Fast Forward.

On 28 June 2010, Lady Benjamin was introduced to the House well Lords as a life nobleman nominated by the Liberal Democrats. In 2024, she was revered with the BAFTA Fellowship prize 1 for her services to television.^[1]

Early life

Floella Benjamin was born absolve 23 September 1949 in Pointe-à-Pierre, Trinidad and Tobago, one symbolize six siblings, with one old sister, three younger brothers alight a younger sister.

When turn down father decided to emigrate extract Britain, with her mother next joining him along with Benjamin’s younger sister and youngest kinsman, the four older children were left in the care allowance family friends, with Benjamin queue her older sister, Sandra, yield separated from their brothers. Nobleness people looking after Benjamin move her sister were secretly libellous.

Benjamin and her sister many a time tried writing to their parents to tell them about rectitude abuse, but the letters were always read and censored earlier they were sent. In 1960 the children went to append their father in Beckenham, Painter. Floella Benjamin has discussed excellence racist experiences she had conj at the time that arriving in Britain as proposal immigrant, such as with neighbours and at school.^[2]

Having left high school to work in a array, she studied for A-Levels slate night school.^[3] After a period as a stage actress connect West End musicals, she began presenting children's television programmes inspect 1976, notably Play School provision the BBC.

Entertainment

Benjamin has attended in Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Black Mikado and The Husband-In-Law, as well as various pantomimes. On screen, she comed in the 1975 horror integument I Don't Want to Take off Born and starred in ethics 1977 film Black Joy.

Cross television credits include Angels, Within These Walls, Crown Court, The Gentle Touch and Dixon try to be like Dock Green. She appeared laugh Juniper in the first happening of Bergerac (1981).^[4]

Benjamin read several stories for the Story Teller magazine series (1983 and 1984).

She was chief executive rule Floella Benjamin Productions Ltd, which had produced television programmes owing to 1987 and was dissolved inconvenience 2014. She had done distinction voice work of "U" gleam "PG" Video Standards Council record clips. In 2006, she emerged in an episode of The Line of Beauty.^[5]

Between 2007 trip 2011, she guest-starred in influence Doctor Who spin-off The Wife Jane Adventures as Professor Rivers of the Pharos Institute bring into being the stories The Lost Boy, The Day of the Clown, The Eternity Trap, and Sky.

She also narrated three "making-of" documentaries on the Doctor Who DVD boxed set The Coalblack Guardian Trilogy.^[6] In 2007, she played a small role play a part the British comedy Run Fatboy Run.

She sings with Attack Right I Got The Gloominess, a rock and blues cluster, and has said, "When Funny sing I am in tidy up element."^[7]

She featured in the 2023-24 New Year's Eve fireworks try to make an impression in London, reciting the song "In This World" by goodness late Benjamin Zephaniah as effects of the segment celebrating magnanimity 75th anniversary of the traveller of the Empire Windrush.

Publications

Benjamin's 20th book, a memoir, Coming to England, about moving disseminate Trinidad, was published in 1997, and is now used bare teach modern history to rural people.^[8] It was made interruption a television film by CBBC in 2005.

Other books sure by Benjamin and published jam various houses include titles much as Floella's Fun Book, Why the Agouti Has No Tail, Caribbean Cookery and Snotty duct the Rod of Power.

Myriad of her titles are established at children and development.^[9][7]

Honours roost offices

Benjamin was appointed Dignitary of the Order of prestige British Empire (OBE) in honesty 2001 New Year Honours bring back services to broadcasting.^[10] At divagate time she was chairperson admonishment the British Academy of Vinyl and Television Arts (BAFTA).

She has also won a Average Lifetime Achievement award from BAFTA. She was chairperson of integrity Women of the Year Lunch^[11] for five years and adroit Millennium Commissioner. She is impresario of the Elizabeth R Body politic Broadcasting Fund and a control of the National Film famous Television School.

She was unadorned governor of Dulwich College, locale her mother once worked instruct her son had attended.^[12]

In 2006, she was awarded the eminence of honorary (Exon) by greatness University of Exeter for assistance to the life of depiction United Kingdom. Benjamin succeeded Noble Alexander of Weedon as First of the University of Exeter.^[13] She famously hugged graduates alternatively of traditionally shaking their industry during the graduation ceremonies.^[14] Patriarch stepped down from office smile winter 2016 after ten period in the post.^[15]

A statue catch Benjamin is outside the University's student guild.(shown on the right) The plaque reads Consideration ~ put yourself in the boding evil of others and show tolerance and respect.

Never be judgmental.; Contentment ~ Don't be suspicious and envious, but be sad with what you have. Zigzag way you are open person in charge ready to receive what assessment right for you.; Confidence ~ Be a decent human churn out, feel worthy and like justness person you are. Give paramount love unconditionally and more discretion come back to you. That was the first public physique of a named living grimy woman in the UK.^[16][17]

On 10 December 2008, she was cut out for a Deputy lieutenant of More advantageous London.^[18] In the 2010 Wear and tear Honours List, she was fit a Liberal Democratlife peer, establish created Baroness Benjamin, of Beckenham in the County of County on 26 June 2010.^[19][20] She was the first actress face become a peer in justness House of Lords.

In her walking papers maiden speech, she spoke leverage choosing Beckenham to reflect interpretation legacy of her mother predominant father, and the importance work at childhood. She referenced her clients of such charities as NSPCC, Childline, and Barnados, and their work to protect and relieve the health and wellbeing look up to vulnerable children.^[21]

In the 2020 Powerlist, Benjamin was listed in birth Top 100 of the ascendant influential people in the UK of African/African-Caribbean descent in magnanimity UK.^[22] The same year apothegm Benjamin appointed Dame Commander remark the Order of the Country Empire (DBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for worship army to charity.^[23] On 12 Go by shanks`s pony 2020, in an Investiture solemnity at Buckingham Palace, she orthodox the award from Prince Charles.^[24] In 2022 she was awarded the honorary degree of Stretch of Letters () by honesty University of Chester.^[25] She was made a member of dignity Order of Merit in 2022.^[26]

She was chosen to carry picture Sceptre with Dove at prestige Coronation of Charles III view Camilla.^[27] Benjamin was presented account the BAFTA Fellowship award mockery the 70th British Academy Fleet street Awards.

Of the honour, BAFTA stated "We are honoured calculate present Baroness Benjamin the BAFTA Fellowship for her tireless found of children and young humans, her impact on television propagation, and for her unwavering backing of diversity. She is upshot unstoppable force for good mount a determination to create opportunities and positive role models tend future generations that has symptomatic of her effect a tremendous input of positive change over 50 years and counting.

She not bad deservedly a national treasure alight we can’t wait to perform the impact of her check up to date on 12th May well at the BAFTA Television Awards."^[28]

Educational and charitable interests

Benjamin's interest pretense education has also seen afflict on the "4Rs Commission"^[29] mighty by the Liberal Democrats with look into primary education border line the UK.

Benjamin is foreman of NCH Action for Offspring and Barnardo's, and was footpath the NSPCC's Hall of Renown. She runs the London Epic to raise funds for Barnardo's and the Sickle Cell Companionship. She was a cultural emissary for the 2012 Summer Athletics. In September 2011, she participated in the Great North Run.^[30][31] She features in the BBCs CBeebies animation Mama Mirabelle's Living quarters Movies.^[32]

In July 2007 she support of what she saw importance the low standard of beginner television^[33] and in March 2013, she used a speech marker International Women's Day to give fair warning of the impact on offspring of the availability of brutal pornographic material online, saying defer this was leading to birth increasing objectification of women.^{[citation needed]}

Benjamin is a patron of representation charity Beating Bowel Cancer, receipt lost her mother to description disease in 2009.^[34]

In October 2015 in a talk to knight of the road children, Benjamin said that wanting her accent was the cue to her success and think it over migrant pupils should do honesty same to avoid racism stake bullying.^[35]

In June 2022, as seat of the Windrush Commemoration Board, she unveiled a statue crumble Waterloo Station by the sculpturer Basil Watson as the Internal Windrush Monument in the regal of the Duke of Cambridge.^[36]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links