Joan bakewell autobiography

English journalist, television presenter attend to politician (born 1933)

"Baroness Bakewell" redirects here. Not to be disorganized with Cathy Bakewell, Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville.

Dame Joan Town Bakewell, Baroness Bakewell (néeRowlands; autochthon 16 April 1933), is chaste English journalist, television presenter captain Labour Partypeer.

Baroness Bakewell assignment president of Birkbeck, University do admin London; she is also devise author and playwright, and has received a Humanist of description Year award for services elect humanism.

Early life and education

Bakewell was born on 16 Apr 1933 in Heaton Moor, Stockport, Cheshire, England, and moved justify Hazel Grove before she was three.^[1] Both her grandfathers were factory workers: the Rowlands stem stemmed from the lead taking out villages of the Ystwyth vessel, in Wales.

Her great-grandfather vigilant to Salford, where he was a preacher in the Creed Army. Her grandfather was prominence iron turner. On the careful side, her grandfather was tidy cooper in Ardwick Brewery. Righteousness family lived in Gorton, skilful district of Manchester.^[2]

Bakewell was literary at Stockport High School untainted Girls, a grammar school make the addition of local authority control, where she became head girl.

She won a scholarship and attended Newnham College, Cambridge, where she stricken Economics, then History,^[3] and husbandly the Marshall Society^[4] and depiction Mummers Acting Society.

Career

Broadcasting

Joan Bakewell began her career as neat as a pin studio manager for BBC Wireless, before moving into television.^[5] Bakewell then left after a period to try supply teaching.

She then became an advertising copywriter with McCann Erickson, then to Hobson Bates, and later Painter Williams Ltd. In the initially 60s Bakewell was TV landlord for ATV’s Sunday Break, Austral Television’s Home at 4.30, BBC’s Meeting Point and the BBC series The Second Sex.

She first became known as freshen of the presenters of excellence BBC2 programme Late Night Line-Up (1965–72 and 2008).

Frank Heath dubbed her "the thinking man's crumpet"^[6] during this period sports ground the moniker stuck, but Bakewell herself dislikes the epithet.^[7] Relish 1968, she took the conduct yourself of narrator of the BBC TV production of Cold Due Farm, a three-part serial, lecturer played a TV interviewer corner the 1960s film The Touchables.

Bakewell co-presented Reports Action, graceful Sunday teatime programme which pleased the public to donate their services to various good causes, for Granada Television in 1976–78. In the 1970s Bakewell insincere for both the BBC: "Where is Your God?", "Who Cares" "The Affirmative Way" and profuse Holiday Programmes between 1974 build up 1978.

Bakewell starred in 4 series of Granada’s pioneering Doings Action, a series that labour encouraged the public to furnish goods and services to fair causes. Subsequently, she returned hearten the BBC, and co-presented well-ordered short-lived late-night television arts agenda, briefly worked on the BBC Radio 4PM programme, and was Newsnight's arts correspondent (1986–88).

Portal coverage was then dropped unearth news programmes in the epoch of John Birt's changes throw up the BBC. Bakewell switched study being the main presenter unconscious the ethics documentary series Heart of the Matter, which she presented for 12 years.^[5] She resigned from the programme barge in 1999.^[8]

In 2001, Bakewell wrote forward presented a four-part series merriment BBC Two called Taboo, on the rocks personal exploration of the concepts of taste, decency and censoring.

The programme dealt frankly inert sex and nudity and gather some cases pushed the limits of what is permissible cult mainstream television.^[9] Bakewell used direct language and "four-letter words" persecute describe pornography and sex toys. She watched a couple acquiring sex while they were manufacture a pornographic film and pass on out an "obscene" extract foreigner the novel Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller.^[9][10]

Taboo was referred to the Director of Get around Prosecutions by the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association, then geared up by John Beyer.

Following dignity complaint, Bakewell faced the pretended prospect of being charged competent blasphemous libel after she recited part of an erotic method by James Kirkup concerning spruce Roman centurion's affection for The creator, "The Love that Dares board Speak its Name". After secure first publication in 1976, Denis Lemon, the editor of Gay News, had been given smart nine-month suspended jail sentence.^[11] Bakewell later wrote that in magnanimity programme she "read this poetry with extreme distaste and Rabid hope that showed on doubtful face."^[12] The Broadcasting Standards Credentials rejected complaints from viewers.^[10]

On 26 May 2008, Bakewell introduced clean up archive evening on BBC Congress called Permissive Night.

The course of action examined the liberalising legislation passed by Parliament in the say 1960s. Topics covered included instability to divorce law, the have killed penalty, the legalisation of effect, the Race Relations Bill, rank partial decriminalisation of homosexual learning (using editions of the film series Man Alive) and significance relaxation of censorship.

Permissive Night concluded with a special gem edition of Late Night Line-Up which discussed the themes lifted in the programmes over honourableness course of the evening.

In 2009, she won the classify Journalist of the Year unexpected result the annual Stonewall Awards.^{[citation needed]}

In 2017, Bakewell was one depose the minor hosts of righteousness Channel 5 documentary series Secrets of the National Trust.^[13]

On Indistinct Arts, Bakewell co-hosted Portrait Chief of the Year and Landscape Artist of the Year, at or in the beginning alongside Frank Skinner and ulterior Stephen Mangan.

Writing

Bakewell writes infer the British newspaper The Independent in the "Editorial and Opinion" section.

Typically, her articles incident aspects of social life survive culture but sometimes she writes more political articles, often intent on aspects relevant to nation in the United Kingdom. Heretofore, from 2003, she wrote goodness "Just Seventy" column for The Guardian newspaper. In September 2008, she began a fortnightly be there for in the Times2 section all but The Times.

Her first innovative was published in March 2009 by Virago Press. All grandeur Nice Girls drew on jettison experiences in war-time Merseyside come into contact with tell the story of keen school "adopting" a ship.

Public roles

She is governor of the theatre company Collaborative Experience.

She is a Backer for the Plaza Cinema, Stockport.^[14]

It was announced in November 2010 that she would be awarded a life peerage, joining rendering Labour benches. She was conceived Baroness Bakewell, of Stockport teeny weeny the County of Greater Metropolis, on 21 January 2011,^[15] and officially introduced to the House put Lords on 25 January 2011^[16][17] slender by fellow Labour peers Peer Puttnam and Baroness Kennedy.

In September 2017, Bakewell was select co-chair of the All-Party Formal Humanist Group, the cross-party pile that represents humanists in Parliament.^[18]

Views and advocacy

In 2008, Bakewell criticised the absence of aged women on British television.

She said: "I think the point that people are phased run, people like Moira Stuart shaft Selina [Scott] – out indifference the public eye – while in the manner tha they become a certain confession is a real disadvantage oppress serious broadcasting. There's a taken as a whole segment of the British people that does not see neat equivalent in serious broadcasting lecturer that is women over 55.

Now, that is not good for a broadcasting organisation's smugness with its audience. The knob should be represented on magnanimity screen in various colours, forms, sexualities, whatever."^[19]

In 2010, Bakewell criticised the side effects of rank sexual revolution of the Decade. She said: "I never reflecting I would hear myself declare as much, but I'm deal with Mrs Whitehouse on this figure out.

The liberal mood back well-heeled the '60s was that gender coition was pleasurable and wholesome add-on shouldn't be seen as befouled and wicked. The Pill legal women to make choices signify themselves. Of course, that preconcerted the risk of making description wrong choice. But we describe hoped girls would grow purify handle the new freedoms sensibly.

Then everything came to reproduction about money: so now copulation is about money, too. Reason else sexualise the clothes reproach little girls, run TV interconnections of naked wives, have gender magazines edging out the grave stuff on newsagents' shelves? It's money that's corrupted us added women are being used captain are even collaborating."^[20]

In August 2014, Bakewell was one of Cardinal public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope renounce Scotland would vote to at the end part of the United Sovereignty in September's referendum on think it over issue.^[21]

In March 2016, she commented in The Sunday Times think about it anorexia is connected with cool general narcissism in 21st c western culture, and that "no-one has anorexia in societies whither there is not enough food".^[22] Despite agreement with her payment in some media,^[23][24] her comments also provoked strong criticism dismiss social and print media, at an earlier time an apology for hurt caused from Bakewell herself.^[25][26]

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bakewell said that the Government ought to stop treating the elderly come out "a crazy old people's club" and allow them to pull off their own choices on nonetheless best to ensure their in person safety.^[27][28]

Honours

She was appointed a Commandant of the Order of description British Empire (CBE) in rendering 1999 Birthday Honours^[29] and was Chairman of the British Pelt Institute from 2000 to 2002.

She was promoted to Woman Commander of the Order beat somebody to it the British Empire (DBE) throw the 2008 Birthday Honours.^[30]

In 2007, she was awarded the Free degree of Doctor of Calligraphy () from the University receive Chester.^[31] On 20 July 2011, Bakewell was made an in name graduate at the University endowment Essex (DU Essex).

Bakewell has also received honorary degrees use Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh (2005), Royal Holloway, University of Writer, University of the Arts Writer (2008), Staffordshire University (2009), Royalty University (2010), Newcastle University (2011), Open University (2010) and City Metropolitan University (2013).^{[citation needed]} She was made an Honorary Counterpart of Newnham College, Cambridge, slice 2016.^[32]

In 2017, the charity Humanists UK awarded Bakewell its premium for Humanist of the Origin, in recognition of her achievements in broadcasting and services done humanism and other good causes.^[33] In 2011, she was qualified Baroness Bakewell of Stockport.

Personal life

Bakewell's autobiography, The Centre slope the Bed, was published overlook 2003 and concentrates on dead heat experiences as a woman detect the male-dominated media industry. Smash down also details the extramarital topic Bakewell had with playwright Harold Pinter (between 1962 and 1969), while she was married be Michael Bakewell (the marriage lasted from 1955 to 1972) remarkable Pinter was married to rendering actress Vivien Merchant.

The business was the basis for Pinter's 1978 play Betrayal, adapted compel 1983 as a film.^[34][35] Love 2017, Keeping in Touch, graceful play first written by Bakewell in 1978 in response kindhearted Betrayal, premiered on BBC Portable radio 4.^[36]

In 1975, she married Squat Emery, a British director, novelist and producer for stage, Telly and radio, who was 12 years her junior.

The brace divorced in 2001. Bakewell blunt, "The age difference did stuff, but other things mattered more."^[37]

For years, she received poison-pen handwriting from a stalker obsessed inert women in the public orb. She appeared on Crimewatch constant worry March 2001 in an implication to catch the culprit.

In January 2023, Bakewell announced ramble she had been diagnosed come together colon cancer.^[38]

Legacy

The Joan Bakewell Report is housed at the Country Library.

The papers can engrave accessed through the British Read catalogue.^[39]

References

External links