Lauren Laverne | |
|---|---|
 Laverne speaking at theAIM Independent Music Awards in 2019 | |
| Born | Lauren Cecilia Gofton (1978-04-28)28 April 1978 (age 47) Sunderland, England |
| Alma mater | City of Sunderland College |
| Occupation(s) | Disc jockey, broadcaster, singer, author |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Television | The Culture Show 10 O'Clock Live The One Show |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Lauren Cecilia Fisher[1] (néeGofton; born 28 April 1978), known professionally asLauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, model, television presenter, author and singer. She was the lead singer and guitarist in the alternative rock bandKenickie.[2]
The group's albumAt The Club reached the top 10, although her greatest chart success came when she performed vocals onMint Royale's single "Don't Falter". Laverne has presented numerous television programmes, including10 O'Clock Live forChannel 4, andThe Culture Show and coverage of theGlastonbury Festival for theBBC. She has also written a published novel entitledCandypop: Candy and the Broken Biscuits. She presents the late morning to lunch time show onBBC Radio 6 Music, and in 2018 became the host of the long-running radio showDesert Island Discs.[3][4][5][6]
Born Lauren Cecelia Gofton on 28 April 1978,[7] she was brought up inSunderland,Tyne and Wear, in a large family.[8] Her father was one of nine and her mother was one of six.[9] One grandfather had been a shipbuilder, the other a coalminer.[9] Her father, Leslie Gofton, was a sociology lecturer atNewcastle University, and her mother was a teacher.[9] The family lived on Dunelm South, theA690.[10]
She first attended St Mary'sRoman Catholic Primary School in 1982, where she befriended Marie Nixon, later to become a fellow Kenickie guitarist, and thenSt Anthony's Girls' Catholic School between 1989 and 1994, where she and Nixon met Emma Jackson. Laverne went on to study atCity of Sunderland College from 1994 to 1996.[11]
During her time at college, Laverne, Nixon and Jackson, then all aged sixteen, formedKenickie with Laverne's brotherPeter,[2] taking the stage names Lauren Laverne (originallyLauren Le Laverne),[12][13] Marie du Santiago, Emmy-Kate Montrose and Johnny X (originally just X).[12][13] Initially affiliated to theSlampt label and the localpunk scene, the band later signed withEMI. In all, Kenickie achieved four top-40 hit singles and a top-10 hit album.
Laverne, Du Santiago and Montrose became as known for their funny and acerbic onstage banter and interview style as for their music, making all three of them popular contestants on comedy panel shows such asNever Mind the Buzzcocks. Laverne would later appear onHave I Got News for You.
In 2000 she brought out a solo EP,Take These Flowers Away, contributed a version of "In the Bleak Midwinter" toXfm London'sIt's a Cool, Cool Christmas album, played at theReading Festival, and made the top 20 for the only time in her singing career as vocalist on "Don't Falter" byMint Royale. She was also working on a solo album at this time, but this was permanently put on hold by the collapse ofDeceptive Records.
She subsequently provided guest vocals on theDivine Comedy's 2004 single "Come Home Billy Bird".[14]
Laverne's first television presenting role was forPlay UK's seriesThe Alphabet Show, withChris Addison, made while Kenickie were still together. She subsequently presentedPlanet Pop andLoves Like A Dog forChannel 4,Fanorama forE4,Party in the Park withMelanie Brown andPop forFive andOrange Playlist forITV, as well as reporting forRI:SE, leading the house band onJohnny Vaughan Tonight and appearing as an expert in a music special ofBBC One'sTest the Nation. Later, she became one ofBBC Two's main presenters for their coverage of theGlastonbury Festival and the host ofITV2's coverage of events such as theBritish Comedy Awards and theBRIT Awards.[15]
She also presented a documentary forSky One on the rise of popularity of the US hit TV ShowBuffy the Vampire Slayer, calledBuffy: Television With Bite. This aired when the show was returning for its sixth season in 2001.
In 2000, Laverne provided the voice of Shinobu in the BBC's one-off dub ofUrusei Yatsura.
In 2003, Laverne was a regular team captain, along with Jason Byrne, onElvis Has Left The Building, a comedy music panel show hosted by Colin Murphy for BBC Northern Ireland.
In 2004 she was a regular guest on the quiz showHeadJam. In 2005, she became host of ITV's Saturday morning music showCD:UK, along withMyleene Klass andJohny Pitts. The show finished in April 2006.
in April 2006, Laverne appeared as guest host ofNever Mind the Buzzcocks. In August, she presented Channel 4's coverage of theV Festival. In March 2007, she presented theNME Awards live from theHammersmith Palais.
In July 2007, Laverne appeared on the satirical comedy showMock the Week, and onHave I Got News for You on 14 December that same year. She appeared onNever Mind the Buzzcocks on 10 January 2008, this time as a guest. In September 2008, Laverne appeared again onMock the Week.
In March 2008, Laverne appeared on theLily Allen and Friends show with fellow Sunderland musiciansthe Futureheads, and onWould I Lie to You?.
From 2006 to 2010, she was a regular presenter with the weeklyBBC arts magazine programmeThe Culture Show, alongsideMark Kermode. She also presented the second series of the late-night Channel 4 music showTransmission with T-Mobile oppositeSteve Jones.
Laverne replaced radio DJJo Whiley on the talent showOrange Mobile Act Unsigned, which searches for the top unsigned acts in the country.
Laverne became a regular presenter in the new "magazine" format third series ofIt's Not Easy Being Green, first broadcast onBBC Two in January 2009. She also narratedTough Guy or Chicken? on BBC Three in August 2009.
On 6 May 2010, she was a co-host of Channel 4'sAlternative Election Night, along withJimmy Carr,David Mitchell andCharlie Brooker. Starting 20 January 2011, she re-joined her co-hosts on Channel 4's satirical news programme10 O'Clock Live.[16]
Laverne narrates the animated seriesTee and Mo about a little monkey and his monkey Mum, as shown on theCBeebies channel.[citation needed]
In May 2022, the BBC announced that Laverne would be one of the guest presenters to take overRichard Osman's role onPointless.[17]
In August 2023, the BBC announced that Laverne would be joining as one of two additional co-presenters ofThe One Show, along withRoman Kemp.[18]
Having previously sat in forBBC Radio 1'sSteve Lamacq, Laverne joinedXfm London in 2002, co-hosting a Saturday morning show withMark Webster, while occasionally standing in for various DJs onBBC Radio 6 Music, includingPhill Jupitus' breakfast show where one morning she interviewed her own brother Pete (who records under the nameJ Xaverre) Laverne took over XFM's drivetime slot fromZoe Ball at the start of 2004, winningBest Newcomer at theCommercial Radio Awards in 2004.[19]
She became host of the XFM breakfast show on 31 October 2005 afterChristian O'Connell moved toVirgin Radio, but left suddenly in April 2007 to pursue her television interests. However, Laverne went on to guest present onBBC Radio 2.
Laverne joinedBBC Radio 6 Music in June 2008 to present a Saturday weekend show[20] before taking over the Monday to Friday morning (10:00 to 13:00) slot fromGeorge Lamb in November 2009.[21] From January 2019, Laverne replacedShaun Keaveny on the 6 Music Breakfast Show in a station schedule re-shuffle, which airs Monday – Friday, 07:30 to 10:30.
In 2014, Laverne guest-editedWoman's Hour on Radio 4, and in 2015 began hostingLate Night Woman's Hour, a spinoff series.[22]
In September 2018, Laverne took over as host to Radio 4'sDesert Island Discs whenKirsty Young took time off because offibromyalgia treatment. It was later announced that Young would not be returning and Laverne would be her permanent replacement.
In June 2020, Laverne helped to launch m4d Radio, aninternet radio station designed for people withdementia and theircarers. As well as recording a welcome message for the radio station, Laverne spearheaded the station's #Song4You campaign, where celebrities and members of the public were encouraged to dedicate a song to someone they know who is affected by dementia.[23]
In 2010, Laverne published her first novelCandypop – Candy and the Broken Biscuits, about rock chick Candy Caine, 15, on her journey to the world's biggest music festival,Glastonbury. The book is published byHarperCollins.
She was a columnist forThe Guardian from 2012 to 2014, writing about style and British culture.
In April 2015, Laverne launchedThe Pool, an online platform aimed at women.[24] The site was co-founded with writer and magazine editorSam Baker and included features fromSali Hughes andViv Groskop. The website also included regular podcasts and videos withCaitlin Moran. The platform entered administration in January 2019.[25]
Evening Session, BBC Radio 1, August 2000
Air, BBC Radio Scotland, December 2000
Laverne married the television producer and DJ Graeme Fisher inCounty Durham in August 2005; the couple live inMuswell Hill, London, and she also has a flat in Sunderland. The couple had their first child in October 2007. On 30 March 2010, she announced on herBBC Radio 6 Music show that she was pregnant, and she gave birth to their second son in September 2010.[27][28][29]
Laverne's mother, Celia Gofton, was elected a councillor for the Pallion ward in the City of Sunderland in 2006, and sought nomination as Labour candidate in 2008 in theSunderland Central constituency but was defeated byJulie Elliott, who went on to win the seat for Labour in the2010 general election.[30] Her mother died in June 2022.[31]
Laverne is aRoman Catholic. In 2011, she said: "Once a Catholic... It's like the Mafia - you don't get to leave. I'm not sure I'd want to, but I'm incredibly angry with the Church at the moment."[32] She is a supporter ofSunderland Football Club.[33]
In 2005, Laverne became an ambassador for Sunderland, promoting and raising awareness of her home city.[34][35][non-primary source needed] She received an honorary fellowship from theUniversity of Sunderland in July 2009.
Laverne has been a vegetarian since the age of four.[36][37]
In August 2024, Laverne revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer, but was expected to make a full recovery.[38] On 24 November 2024, she announced that she had been given the "all clear" following treatment.[39]
Laverne has been a supporter of theLabour Party.[citation needed] In late 1996, on a children's TV programme, Laverne referred to theSpice Girls as "Tory scum" for their support for theConservatives. This was before the1997 general election.[40]
Others honoured at the Commercial Radio Awards included XFM's Lauren Laverne for best newcomer.
Lauren Laverne to replace controversial DJ after he moves to weekend show on 6Music
In the history of British celebs wading into politics, then, there have been minimal bright moments. Xfm DJ Lauren Laverne (then in rival band Kenickie) dismissing the Spice Girls as "Tory scum", for instance...
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