Fiona Phillips

Fiona Phillips (born 1 January 1961, Canterbury, Kent) is an English journalist, broadcaster and television presenter.

Early life

Phillips was born in Kent and Canterbury Hospital in 1961.Her grandparents ran the Duke's Head pub in Church Street St. Paul's. Phillips attended Kingsmead Primary School. The family later moved to Southampton where Phillips completed her schooling at Millbrook Community School. After leaving school, Phillips worked for a short time at Mr Kipling's Bakery in Eastleigh, near Southampton. Phillips graduated from Birmingham Polytechnic (now Birmingham City University) with 

Fiona Phillips
Born	1 January 1961 (age 50) Canterbury, England
Occupation	Television broadcaster
Spouse	Martin Frizell
Children	Nathaniel and Mackenzie, Jamie Sawdon (stepson)

r a BA (Hons) in English; she also undertook a PGC in journalism.

Early career

Phillips started her career in independent radio working as a reporter for local stations County Sound in Surrey, Hereward Radio and Radio Mercury in Sussex.

Moving from radio to television several years later, she joined BBC South East's Weekend Programme as co-presenter, before becoming a reporter with CNN News, later moving on to become the station's entertainments editor, producing, reporting and presenting CNN News' entertainment output.

GMTV

In 1993, Phillips joined GMTV as entertainment correspondent and was promoted to GMTV/Reuters Television's LA correspondent in December 1993. For over two years Phillips provided daily and weekly reports and covered a number of big news stories including the Michael Jackson alleged child molestation case, the LA earthquake, the first OJ Simpson trial and the Oscars. She also interviewed some of the industry's biggest stars from Leonardo DiCaprio and Clint Eastwood, to Brad Pitt and Mel Gibson.

From 1997 to 2008, she was the main anchor on GMTV, presenting GMTV Today every Monday to Wednesday. On 28 August 2008 Phillips announced that she was to quit her role as main anchor on GMTV for family reasons.She presented her final show on 18 December 2008.

Phillips returned to GMTV in 2010 in its last series GMTV with Lorraine.

Other activities

Phillips has also presented other programmes, including as the celebrity lifestyle show OK!TV, Baby House and Room to Rent, Carlton's entertainment guide Good Stuff, LWT's Friday evening entertainment show Start the Weekend, ITV's Sunday Night and the Rich and Famous series. Phillips currently writes an opinion column in the Daily Mirror on Saturdays and works as an agony aunt in New! magazine

Fiona was a regular panellist on Loose Women in 2002, and was a guest anchor in 2004 and 2005. She returned to Loose Women as a guest anchor in March 2009 and again in March 2010.

She has also stood in for Simon Mayo on Radio 5 Live from 30 March to 3 April 2009. Phillips was a guest host on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff in April/May 2009 and in March 2010 on ITV's Loose Women.

In August 2010 she appeared as a panellist on ITV's new show 3@Three.

She voiced the character of Katie Current in the British release of Shark Tale. She took part in the third series (2005) of Strictly Come Dancing with professional partner Brendan Cole. The pair were voted out on Week 4 following several weeks of low scores.

Fiona had also been in the documentary The Killer in Me on 8 November 2007, a show that saw four celebrities agree to take a groundbreaking test that revealed the secret killers lurking in their genes. Fiona joined former England footballer John Barnes, political commentator and presenter Andrew Neil, and Heart FM DJ Toby Anstis who all found out their risk of developing 11 major diseases, including cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Phillips hosted a show on Smooth Radio in the 2-5pm slot every Sunday, starting from Easter Sunday, 23 March 2008, until 2009 when she left the station. On 13 March 2008, Phillips, who is the Age Concern Ambassador, presented the Age Concern Grandparent Of The Year 2008, which took place in the Houses of Parliament.

On 7 September 2008 she was a guest on Soccer Aid and again on 12 September 2008, this time on Al Murray's Happy Hour both shown on ITV1.

It was revealed that Fiona will be guest-hosting ITV1's This Morning, on Fridays, with regular Friday presenter, Eamonn Holmes, as Eamonn's wife, Ruth Langsford will be covering Monday-Thursdays, when Holly Willoughby goes on Maternity leave in the Spring.

Politics

Phillips claimed to have been offered a job in November 2007 as public health minister in the administration of Gordon Brown, as well as a peerage. Phillips said she declined due to her responsibilities to her two small children. She attended the 2009 Labour Party Conference in Brighton, where she introduced an address by the Home Secretary Alan Johnson.

She was a panellist on BBC One's Question Time in June 2009, and in May 2010 appeared on This Week, her focus was on Party Political Broadcasts.

Charity work

Already a supporter of many charities, Phillips' mother suffered from breast cancer, before dying on 15 May 2006 from Alzheimer's disease. Phillips took a break from her work on GMTV, and has since supported many organisations associated with the two diseases. On 15 February 2007 she appeared as a contestant with her brother Andrew on Dale's Supermarket Sweep, playing to raise money for their charity for Alzheimer's sufferers.

Phillips is well known as one of the judges of the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, and for presenting the GMTV Emergency Services award. She has also been one of the judges for the Children of Courage awards. From 15 October 2007, she reported from Geita, North Tanzania, for one week to visit Neema, a 13-year-old girl who Phillips has been sponsoring, and her family, friends and local schools. On 1 March 2007 she published a 'Quick Reads' book for World Book Day A Day To Remember which is aimed at emergent readers and adult learners. Phillips hosted the Breast cancer Care's annual fashion show in October 2007.

Phillips is also a patron of Barnardos, Alzheimer's Society, Age Concern, Richard House Children's Hospice, and Mildmay Mission Hospital.

Honours

In 1996 Phillips was nominated for the Royal Television Society Interview of the Year Award.

On 7 November 2007, Phillips received an Honorary Master of Arts degree from Southampton Solent University, for "being a person distinguished in eminence and by attainments".

Personal life

Already the Los Angeles based entertainment reporter for GMTV, Phillips had previously thought her replacement for the Christmas holidays Martin Frizell "arrogant and cold." But when he came out to LA, the pair had dinner. When she returned to the UK four months later, the pair met up at a friend's dinner party, and began dating soon after. The couple married in May 1997 and have two sons, Nathaniel, born 1999, and Mackenzie, born 2002.

A vegetarian, in June 2007 Phillips was a nominee for PETA Europe’s “Sexiest Vegetarians” poll, and subsequently won the award as 'Sexiest Female Vegetarian 2007'.

Phillips is a supporter of Chelsea FC, although she followed her home town club, Southampton F.C. when she was younger before dropping them and proclaiming to support a more successful team. She also supports the Labour Party.

(source:wikipedia)

Michelle Obama,First Lady of the United States

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States. Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Obama attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School before returning to Chicago and to work at the law firm Sidley Austin, where she met her future husband. Subsequently, she worked as part of the staff of Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley, and for the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Throughout 2007 and 2008, she helped campaign for her husband's presidential bid and delivered a keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She is the mother of two daughters, Malia and Sasha, and is the sister of Craig Robinson, men's basketball coach at Oregon State University. As the wife of a Senator, and later the First Lady, she has become a fashion icon and role model for women, and a notable advocate for poverty awareness and healthy eating.

First Lady of the United States

Another woman sits in a stuffed chair, and Michelle Obama sits on an adjacent couch.

Then-First Lady Laura Bush sits with Obama in the private residence of the White House.

Barack and Michelle Obama hold hands and smile while walking; she waves to a crowd. She wears a gold embroidered dress and coat; he wears a black overcoat and burgundy scarf. A serious man in a dark suit watches nearby.

Michelle Obama wore Isabel Toledo clothes made of St. Gallen Embroidery in the 2009 presidential inauguration.

Barack and Michelle Obama dance arm-in-arm and smile. She wears a white dress, large ring, long earrings and a bracelet. He wears a black tuxedo.

The Obamas dance at a presidential inaugural ball.

Public image and style

With the ascent of her husband as a prominent national politician, Michelle Obama has become a part of popular culture. In May 2006, Essence listed her among "25 of the World's Most Inspiring Women." In July 2007, Vanity Fair listed her among "10 of the World's Best Dressed People." She was an honorary guest at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball as a "young'un" paying tribute to the 'Legends,' which helped pave the way for African American Women. In September 2007, 02138 magazine listed her 58th of 'The Harvard 100'; a list of the prior year's most influential Harvard alumni. Her husband was ranked fourth. In July 2008, she made a repeat appearance on the Vanity Fair international best dressed list. She also appeared on the 2008 People list of best-dressed women and was praised by the magazine for her "classic and confident" look.

Many sources have speculated that, as a high-profile African-American woman in a stable marriage, she will be a positive role model who will influence the view the world has of African-Americans. Her fashion choices were part of Fashion week, but Obama's influence in the field did not have an impact on the paucity of African-American models who participate, as some thought it might.

She has been compared to Jacqueline Kennedy due to her sense of style,and also to Barbara Bush for her discipline and decorum. Her white, one-shoulder Jason Wu 2009 inaugural gown was said to be "an unlikely combination of Nancy Reagan and Jackie Kennedy". Obama's style is described as populist. She often wears clothes by designers Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Isabel Toledo, Narciso Rodriguez, Donna Ricco and Maria Pinto,and has become a fashion trendsetter, in particular her favoring of sleeveless dresses that showcase her toned arms.

She appeared on the cover and in a photo spread in the March 2009 issue of Vogue. Every First Lady since Lou Hoover (except Bess Truman) has been in Vogue, but only Hillary Clinton had previously appeared on the cover.

The media have been criticized for focusing more on the first lady's fashion sense than her serious contributions.She has stated that she would like to focus attention as First Lady on issues of concern to military and working families.U.S.News & World Report blogger, PBS host and Scripps Howard columnist Bonnie Erbe has argued that Obama's own publicists seem to be feeding the emphasis on style over substance. Erbe has stated on several occasions that she is miscasting herself by overemphasizing style.

Work undertaken and causes promoted

Michelle Obama and Elizabeth II shake hands and smile at each other as Barack enters the room in the background.

Obama greets Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, April 1, 2009

Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni share a laugh while seated on adjacent couches.

Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni

During her early months as First Lady, she has frequently visited homeless shelters and soup kitchens. She has also sent representatives to schools and advocated public service. On her first trip abroad in April 2009, she toured a cancer ward with Sarah Brown, wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. She has begun advocating on behalf of military families. Like her predecessors Clinton and Bush, who supported the organic movement by instructing the White House kitchens to buy organic food, Obama has received attention by planting an organic garden and installing bee hives on the South Lawn of the White House, which will supply organic produce and honey to the First Family and for state dinners and other official gatherings

Obama has become an advocate of her husband's policy priorities by promoting bills that support it. Following the enactment of the Pay equity law, Obama hosted a White House reception for women's rights advocates in celebration. She has pronounced her support for the economic stimulus bill in visits to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and United States Department of Education. Some observers have looked favorably upon her legislative activities, while others have said that she should be less involved in politics. According to her representatives, she intends to visit all United States Cabinet-level agencies in order to get acquainted with Washington.

She has gained growing public support in her early months as first lady She is notable for her support from military families and some Republicans. As the public is growing accustomed to her, she is becoming more accepted as a role model. Newsweek described her first trip abroad as an exhibition of her so-called "star power" and MSN described it as an display of sartorial elegance.There were questions raised in the American and British media regarding protocol when the Obamas met Queen Elizabeth II, and Michelle reciprocated a touch on her back by the Queen during a reception, purportedly against traditional royal etiquette.Palace sources denied that any breach in etiquette had occurred.

On June 5, 2009, the White House announced that Michelle Obama was replacing her current chief of staff, Jackie Norris, with Susan Sher, a longtime friend and adviser. Norris will become a senior adviser to the Corporation for National and Community Service. Then in February 2010, the resignation of White House Social Secretary, Desiree Rogers was announced to be effective the following month.Rogers had been at odds with other administration officials, such as David Axelrod, and then the White House State Dinner snafu occurred on November 24, 2009. Rogers was replaced by Julianna Smoot.

After a year as First Lady, she undertook her first lead role in an administrationwide initiative. Her goal was to make progress in reversing the 21st century trend of childhood obesity.[119] She stated that her goal is to make this effort her legacy: "I want to leave something behind that we can say, ‘Because of this time that this person spent here, this thing has changed.’ And my hope is that that’s going to be in the area of childhood obesity." She has named the movement "Let's Move!".This effort does not supplant her other efforts: supporting military families, helping working women balance career and family, encouraging national service, promoting the arts and arts education, and fostering healthy eating and healthy living for children and families across the country. She has earned widespread publicity on the topic of healthy eating by planting the first white house vegetable garden since Eleanor Roosevelt served as first lady.

(source:wikipedia)