Pam Rhodes

Here is an insight into the career and skills of Pam Rhodes, the journalist, presenter, writer and speaker who has become such a familiar face on our television screens and our book shelves.

Pam Rhodes cut her teeth in news journalism, firstly as Programme Organiser on Thames Television's network documentary series, THIS WEEK, then as the anchor for Anglia Television live daily evening news programme for seven years.  She's featured on a very wide range of television and radio programmes ever since, but since 1987, has been best known as the familiar face of BBC Television's SONGS OF PRAISE.  In that time she has interviewed people ranging from The Pope to Dolly Parton, earning herself a reputation as a highly professional and empathetic interviewer, especially when people are speaking about sensitive, perhaps traumatic experiences.   And SONGS OF PRAISE is the perfect programme for a presenter who truly loves hymns, old and new.  If you mention almost any hymn you can think of to Pam, she's likely to come back with the full story of who wrote it and why, as well as giving you renditions of a couple of tunes to which it can be sung - as you'd know if you've ever dipped into any of her weekly radio programmes WITH HEARTS AND HYMNS which have featured on Premier Christian Radio for a decade!

She has presented televised recordings in venues from the Sydney Opera House to London's Royal Albert hall, and is often asked to compere large orchestral or musical events at theatres and churches around the country - including, throughout Summer 2011, the famous BATTLE PROMS concerts which attract thousands to visitors to the gardens of glorious stately homes for an evening of picnic, patriotic music, Napoloeonic re-enactment, orchestral music, Spitfire fly-pasts and the largest collection of cannons and artillery you're likely to see in action anywhere!  Pam is also well known as an entertaining after-dinner speaker, and as a mainstream author with five novels and six factual books under her belt.   She regularly contributes articles and short stories to national newspapers like The Daily Mail, and publications such as CHOICE, MY WEEKLY, PEOPLE'S FRIEND, WOMAN'S WEEKLY and other specialist publications.

She is married to Richard Crow and lives with the family at a two-acre small holding in Bedfordshire.  It is there that they run BIGGLESWADE CAT LODGE which not only takes in cats while their owners are on holiday, but has also become known for boarding RSPCA animals who need loving care whilst new homes are found for them.  So Pam is likely to be cleaning out cat pens most days, or escaping for a potter in the garden when she's not happily tied to the computer by her first love of writing!  She also enjoys dancing so is often out ballroom, line or tap dancing - or at modern jive evenings similar to the one at which she met her husband Richard some years ago!

In addition to being the familiar face of BBC Television's SONGS OF PRAISE series for more than twenty years, Pam has presented a wide range of other programming, such as:
 

• LIFESTYLE TELEVISION - her own daily interview programme for two years.
• RADIO 2 - she regularly stood in for Debbie Thrower on the lunchtime music and chat programme on Radio 2, plus many weeks of presenting GOOD MORNING SUNDAY, as well as other one-off programmes including Christmas Morning.
• LONDON WEEKEND TELEVISION - live presentation announcing, a role she won even though the advertisement attracted 6000 applicants.
• THAMES TELEVISION - presenter of THE WORLD AROUND US School Series; STAR GAMES co-presenting with Michael Aspel; WHEELS, ITV's equivalent of TOP GEAR, plus other one-off productions.
• BRITISH FORCES BROADCASTING TELEVISION - presentation announcing and interviewer on programmes transmitted to British Forces in Germany.
• BBC TELEVISION - MERRY-GO-ROUND schools series; HURDY GURDY arts series for BBC Birmingham.
• 'SONGS OF PRAISE', BBC Television - the familiar face of this worldwide series for more than twenty years.
• PREMIER RADIO - presenter and producer of own radio weekly radio programme for eight years.

         Pam's Skills include:

• PRESENTING - with thirty years of presenting experience, Pam is recognised as one of the most professional and reliable presenters on mainstream television today.  She has fronted countless live productions, including complicated Outside Broadcast links around the world. She has an almost photographic memory for words, and prefers to work without autocue, even on live programmes.
• INTERVIEWING - Pam brings her journalistic background to her role as an interviewer, but in addition, because of her years on SONGS OF PRAISE, she has become known as an incisive and empathetic interviewer, especially when people are speaking about sensitive, perhaps traumatic experiences.  High profile interviewees range from The Pope, Dr. Christian Barnard, Sir James Galway, Jackie Collins, Marcel Marceau, Chris Rea, Sir Ian McKellern, Sting, Sir Cliff Richard, Roald Dahl, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Tim Rice, Rosemary Conley, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, members of the Royal Family, politicians, archbishops - and Dolly Parton!  However, they are a small percentage of the thousands of people she has interviewed both on radio and television over the years.
• NEWS - Pam's first job was as part of the production team on Thames Television's live evening news programme, TODAY.  She then moved on to become Programme Organiser on THIS WEEK, ITV's flagship weekly documentary series.  Once she stepped in front of the camera, Pam continued to work in news, and was not only the studio presenter and interviewer for the live evening news programme ABOUT ANGLIA, but also worked extensively as a news reporter. In addition, she regularly read the ITN news headlines and weather on LONDON WEEKEND TELEVISION.
• WRITING - Pam writes all her own scripts - as well as often being called in to write scripts for others!  She is also the author of five mainstream novels and six factual books, working for publishers of the calibre of HODDER AND STOUGHTON and MACMILLAN.
• ARTICLE AND SHORT STORY WRITING - Pam is often commissioned to write for national and local newspapers and magazines.  She has written two articles for The Daily Mail within the last three months, plus other articles in CHOICE and MY WEEKLY magazines.  She has had many short stories published in magazines like WOMAN'S WEEKLY, with one shortly to appear in PEOPLE'S FRIEND - with a variety of stories and articles in a range of other specialist or television publications.
• PUBLIC SPEAKING, CONFERENCES, SPEECHES - Pam is a professional speaker, often asked to chair conferences or discussion groups, as well as public speaking on specialist subjects ranging from the impact of a death in a family for a gathering of undertakers - to the welfare of Army personnel, their wives and children at The Army Families Federation Conference - or a prize-giving to medical staff at NHS Hospitals!  She usually has at least four speaking engagements a month for audiences numbering from a handful to several thousand - and groups who invite her include The Women's Institute, University of the Third Age, Rotary, Lion, Luncheon Clubs and fund-raising events.  She also presents events on behalf of charities in which she has an official role, such as patron - like Keech Cottage Children's Hospice, Livability, MHA Group providing housing for the elderly, Christian Aid and The British Legion.
• COMPERING CONCERTS - having compered prestigious television musical occasions in major concert halls around the world in venues such as The Golden Hall in Vienna, the Sydney Opera House or The Royal Albert Hall in London, Pam is often asked to compere large orchestral or musical events at symphony halls and theatres around the country