Fearne Cotton

Fearne Cotton

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Fearne Cotton

Fearne Cotton (born 3 September 1981) is an English presenter known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops and Red Nose Day. She can also now be heard co-hosting the BBC Radio 1 Chart show and also request show with Reggie Yates.

Early career
Top of the Pops
Charity events
BBC Radio 1
Reality
Eurovision
Going Stateside
Other notable TV appearances

Personal life
TV appearances
References
External links

Early career

After being discovered in a nationwide talent search, she began her presenting career in 1998, at the age of 16, with early morning GMTV children's programme The Disney Club She soon found herself fronting several children's programmes for CITV, including Draw Your Own Toons

Cotton soon branched out from ITV, and her association with CBBC began when she presented children's science programme Eureka TV. She subsequently gained a role as co-presenter on CBBC's Sunday morning show, Smile and then The Saturday Show.

Top of the Pops

In 2003 Cotton started presenting Top of the Pops: Saturday (later called Top of the Pops: Reloaded) with her The Saturday Show co-presenter, Simon Grant

From 2004 to 2006 Cotton was the main presenter of Top Of The Pops, which she co-presented with Reggie Yates each week until the show was moved from BBC 1 to BBC 2. She was one of the final ever regular presenters for the programme, which ended in July 2006

Charity events

Cotton has fast become a large part Comic Relief, hosting part of the Red Nose Day telethon in 2005, and returning in 2007, presenting strands alongside Jonathan Ross and Lenny Henry.

In July 2005 she had her career highlight to date, presenting Live 8 in Hyde Park

In November 2005 she hosted the BBC's annual telethon, Children in Need, with Terry Wogan and Natasha Kaplinsky, a role that she reprised for the 2006, 2007 and 2008 events. In 2006, she designed the official BBC Children in Need t-shirt - featuring a henna style design of the charity's mascot, Pudsey Bear.

BBC Radio 1

In September 2005 she joined BBC Radio 1, to present the Friday early morning slot with Reggie Yates^[1] who she had previously worked with on CBBC as a presenter, and co-star of Only in America and Top Of The Pops.

Since 14 October 2007, Cotton and Yates have presented the BBC Radio 1 Chart Show, taking over from JK & Joel, who left the station.^[2] Cotton became the first ever permanent female presenter of a BBC radio chart show.

Reality

In 2006 Cotton also presented the second series of Love Island with Patrick Kielty on ITV, taking over from Kelly Brook.

She also presented the Friday night live eviction programme for the Five reality TV series Make Me A Supermodel

On 9 May 2007 it was announced in The Sun newspaper that she would be taking over from Ben Shephard as the host for the X Factor spin-off programme, The Xtra Factor on ITV2. But on the 6 February 2008 it was announced that she was quitting the show after just one series due to her busy schedule in America.^[3]

Eurovision

On 20 May 2006 Cotton read the United Kingdom votes for the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, held in Athens, Greece.

On 17 March 2007 she, along with Terry Wogan, hosted Making Your Mind Up 2007, ^[4] the show to decide which song the UK sent to the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki, Finland. On the night Cotton saved the blushes of her co-presenter when Wogan accidentally announced the wrong artist as winner. ^[5]

The Eurovision Song Contest, held in Helsinki, Finland on 12 May 2007, saw Cotton return to Europe's screens as the face for the UK vote.

Going Stateside

In January 2008, it was confirmed that Cotton would be heading to the US to host The Guinness Book of Records - Live.^[6]

Following this successful first US appearance, Cotton secured a job co-hosting the NBC reality show Last Comic Standing. It was announced that due to this she had quit her presenting role on The X Factor spin-off The Xtra Factor. ^[7]

Other notable TV appearances

In January 2007, Cotton presented The Brits Launch party and The Brits are coming for the ITV and ITV2 and on 14 February 2007 she was seen interviewing performers backstage at the 2007 BRIT Awards for ITV.

Cotton interviewed Princes William and Harry for the BBC before the Concert for Diana on 1 July 2007.^[8] She also interviewed performers and guests at the concert, which was held at the new Wembley Stadium.

Starting on 5 September 2007, Cotton took part in a dating programme with friend Holly Willoughby called Holly & Fearne Go Dating. In this programme they find dates for lonely singles.

Fearne is due to present Guinness World Records Smashed with Ben Shephard for Sky One. It is due to air in November 2008 and is seen as a new genrations version of Record Breakers.

Personal life

Cotton's personal life is well followed by the tabloids and she is presently linked by various publications to Channel 4 presenter Steve Jones.^[9]

Cotton is a keen artist having studied art at A level,^[10] a skill she made good use of whilst presenting the series Draw Your Own Toons. She also enjoys body art and claimed on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross that she has eleven tattoos over her body, the most notable of which is a fern leaf, covering her right hip up to her rib cage.^[11]

Cotton is a teetotal vegetarian and an animal lover.^[12]