For over thirty years writer and broadcaster Gaby Roslin has been one of Britain’s favourite television hosts. Beginning her career in 1986 in the children’s series Hippo on Sky’s Superchannel before going on to appear in the ITV Saturday morning entertainment series Motormouth Neil Buchanan and Andy Crane. Motormouth ran from 1989 to 1992 and became ITV’s competition to the hugely popular Going Live on BBC1.
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Yet in 1992 Gaby secured one of her career defining posts when she starred alongside Chris Evans for Channel Four’s The Big Breakfast. This was the first show which echoed and satirised the biggest stories of the day interspersed with big stars and unpredictable events. Two hours of live television five days per week is no mean feat and as a broadcaster it’s vital that the chemistry between the two main presenters is natural to make the show look seamless. Luckily Gaby and Chris had this magic formula and instinctively knew the breathing patterns of the other. The early days of The Big Breakfast survived with no script and very limited direction meaning that when the red light was on, Gaby and Chris had free reign over the show. This was a dream for Gaby and made her four years on The Big Breakfast one of the most enjoyable times in her career.
In 1995 Gaby joined the presenting team on BBC Children In Need alongside Sue Cook and Terry Wogan. Just a year later Sue Cook left the show which began a long association with the late great broadcaster which in time transcended the seven hour telethon as TV executives realised the enormous chemistry which they created. This prompted Gaby’s former TV husband Chris Evans to devise a daily magazine show which showcased the magic between the two of them. The Terry and Gaby Show was first broadcasted on Channel Five on the 2nd June 2003 – 26 March 2004 and featured some of the biggest names in entertainment gracing this studio sofa. It was everything that Gaby thrives on: live TV and celebrity chat in the presence of broadcasting icon and her dear friend Sir Terry Wogan.
Throughout the late nineties, Gaby was one of the most recognisable faces on the box thanks in part to her Saturday night BBC1 series Whatever You Want making her the first female television presenter to host her own Saturday night show. This prompted her to be put forward as part of the presenting team for the BBC’s coverage of the new millennium. Together with Michael Parkinson, Michael Buerk and Jamie Theakston, Gaby was on air for a staggering twenty eight hours as she presided over the new year in each country in the world and brought us unmissable entertainment including The Two Ronnies, Black Adder and Parkinson. This was a real thrill for Gaby who loves the buzz of live television and instead of becoming tired at working continuously for well over a full day, for Gaby this was a dream come true.
In January 2010 Gaby replaced Joanne Good as the co-presenter of the breakfast show on BBC Radio London alongside former Big Breakfast colleague Paul Ross. For almost three years, the pair were live each morning discussing the days’ hottest topics. Gaby is the first one to admit that she’s not a journalist and her talent is more about making people feel good and letting them forget about the troubles of the world instead of debating them. So when she landed her Sunday afternoon show in 2013 she was determined to make it a sanctuary of light hearted fun and her loyal audience seems to share her philosophy.
Now into her third decade in entertainment, Gaby shows no sign of slowing down and her new Radio 4 panel show Gaby’s Talking Pictures epitomises her capacity to grow and adapt as a performer. In short her natural persona which resonates through the airwaves equips her with the ability to transcend years and genres. It was a great pleasure to speak with Gaby Roslin and wish her all the very best with the rest of her remarkable career.
Beyond The Title