Floella Benjamin

Floella Karen Yunies Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin, DBE, DL[1] (born 23 September 1949[2]) is a Trinidadian-British actress, author,[3] television presenter, singer, businesswoman and politician. She is known as presenter of children's programmes such as Play School, Play Away and Fast Forward. On 28 June 2010, Lady Benjamin was introduced to the House of Lords as a life peer nominated by the Liberal Democrats.


The Baroness Benjamin

DBE DL
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
26 June 2010
Life Peerage
Personal details
Born
Floella Karen Yunies Benjamin

(1949-09-23) 23 September 1949
Pointe-à-Pierre, Trinidad and Tobago
Political partyLiberal Democrats
OccupationPresenter, actress, author, singer, businesswoman, politician

Early life

Benjamin was born in Pointe-à-Pierre, Trinidad and Tobago, one of six siblings, with three brothers and two sisters.[4]

When her father, "a policeman and a talented jazz musician",[4] decided to emigrate to Britain, the children were left in the care of family friends. In 1960 the children went to join him in Beckenham, Kent. She has discussed the racist experiences she had when arriving in Britain as an immigrant.[5]

Having left school to work in a bank, she studied for A-levels at night school.[6] After a spell as a stage actress in West End musicals, she began presenting children's television programmes in 1976, notably Play School for the BBC.

Entertainment

Benjamin has appeared in Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Black Mikado and The Husband-In-Law, as well as several pantomimes. On screen, she appeared in the 1975 horror film I Don't Want to Be Born and starred in the 1977 film Black Joy. Her television credits include Angels, Within These Walls, Crown Court, The Gentle Touch and Dixon of Dock Green. She appeared as Juniper in the first episode of Bergerac (1981).[7]

Benjamin read two stories for the Story Teller magazine series (1983 and 1984). She was chief executive of Floella Benjamin Productions Ltd, which had produced television programmes since 1987 and was dissolved in 2014.[8] She had done the voice work of "U" and "PG" Video Standards Council information clips. In 2006, she appeared in an episode of The Line of Beauty.

Between 2007 and 2011, she guest-starred in the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures as Professor Rivers of the Pharos Institute in the stories The Lost Boy The Day of the Clown, The Eternity Trap and Sky. She also narrated three "making-of" documentaries on the Doctor Who DVD boxed set The Black Guardian Trilogy.[9] In 2007, she played a small role in the British comedy Run Fatboy Run.

She is the singer for a rock and blues band Damn Right I Got The Blues, and says: "When I sing I am in my element."[10]

Filmography

Film

TitleRoleYear
RenditionCIA Staffer2007
Run Fatboy RunLibby's Mum2007
Brand Spanking (short)School Tannoy2004
Black JoyMiriam1977
I Don't Want to Be Born1st Nurse1975

TV

TitleRoleYearNotes
ChuggingtonMayor Pullman2010-14UK Voice
The Sarah Jane AdventuresProfessor Rivers2007-115 episodes
Mama Mirabelle's Home MoviesMama Mirabelle2007-08UK Voice
The Line of BeautyMrs Charles2006TV Mini-Series
Coming to EnglandTeacher2005TV Movie
Little Miss JocelynHerself2006TV Show
Fetch the VetKara2000-01TV Show, Voice Role
JamboreePresenter1998-2000
Family FortunesTiddles1990Celebrity Christmas Special 2
Roland Rat: The SeriesBBC 3 Announcer1986Episode 1.11
Father's DayTV Interviewer1984episode: "Liberty, Equality, Paternity"
StrangersRosy Baker1982episode: "With These Gloves You Can Pass Through Mirrors"
BergeracJuniper1981episode: "Picking It Up"
MayburyKayreen1981episode: "Hugo & Colin"
CBeebies: A Christmas CarolParty Guest2013TV Movie
Play Days1980s
Play School1980s
The Gentle TouchGloria1980episode: Shock
Play for TodayNorma / Marie-Louise / Solicitor's clerk1975-793 episodes
AngelsMarigold Glasspole / April Yallop1978-793 episodes
KidsElla Buckley1979episode: "Laurie"
Mixed BlessingsKaren1978episode: "The Housewarming"
Send in the GirlsMelody1978episode: "The Wild Bunch"
Within These WallsBarbara1974-755 episodes
Dixon of Dock GreenMrs Dallas1975episode: "Target"
Crown CourtJenny Marsh1974episode: "Victims of Prejudice: Part 1"

Publications

Benjamin's 20th book, a memoir, Coming to England, about moving from Trinidad, was published in 1997, and is now used to teach modern history to young people.[11] Other books written by Floella and published by various houses include titles such as Floella's Fun Book, Why the Agouti Has No Tail, Caribbean Cookery and Snotty and the Rod of Power. Many of her titles are aimed at children and development.[12][10]

Honours and offices

Benjamin in 2007

Benjamin was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to broadcasting in the 2001 New Year Honours.[13] At that time she was chairperson of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). She has also won a Special Lifetime Achievement award from BAFTA. She was chairperson of the Women of the Year Lunch[14] for five years and a Millennium Commissioner. She is president of the Elizabeth R Commonwealth Broadcasting Fund and a governor of the National Film and Television School. She was a governor of Dulwich College, where her mother once worked and her son attended.

In 2006, she was awarded the degree of honorary D.Litt. (Exon) by the University of Exeter for contributions to the life of the United Kingdom. Benjamin succeeded Lord Alexander of Weedon as Chancellor of the University of Exeter.[15] She famously hugged graduates instead of traditionally shaking their hands during the graduation ceremonies.[16] Benjamin stepped down from office in winter 2016 after ten years in the post.[17] A statue of Benjamin is outside the University's student guild.

In 2008 she was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London. In the 2010 Dissolution Honours List, she was appointed a Liberal Democrat life peer, being created Baroness Benjamin, of Beckenham in the London Borough of Bromley on 26 June 2010.[18][19] In 2010, she was appointed chair of governors at The Isle of Sheppey Academy until her term in office expired at the end of 2011.

In the 2020 Powerlist, Benjamin was listed in the Top 100 of the most influential people in the UK of African/African-Caribbean descent in the UK.[20] The same year saw Benjamin appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to charity.[21] On 12 March 2020, in an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, she received the award from Prince Charles.[22]

Educational and charitable interests

Floella Benjamin in 2009

Benjamin's interest in education has also seen her on the "4Rs Commission"[23] established by the Liberal Democrats to look into primary education in the UK.

Benjamin is vice-president of NCH Action for Children and Barnardo's, and was in the NSPCC's Hall of Fame. She runs the London Marathon to raise funds for Barnardo's and the Sickle Cell Society. She was a cultural ambassador for the 2012 Summer Olympics. In September 2011, she participated in the Great North Run.[24][25] She features in the BBCs CBeebies animation Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies.[26]

In July 2007 she spoke of what she saw as the low standard of children's television[27] and in March 2013, she used a speech marking International Women's Day to warn of the impact on children of the availability of violent pornographic material online, claiming this was leading to the increasing objectification of women.

She is a patron of the charity Beating Bowel Cancer, having lost her mother to the disease in 2009.[28]

In October 2015 in a talk to migrant children, Floella Benjamin said that dropping her accent was the key to her success and that migrant pupils should do the same to avoid racism and bullying.[29]

References

  1. "Floella Benjamin, OBE: About Me". Floellabenjamin.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
  2. GRO Register of Marriages: SEP 1980 14 0207 LAMBETH – Keith D. Taylor=Floella K.Y. Benjamin
  3. "Floella Benjamin, OBE – About Me". Floellabenjamin.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
  4. Floella Benjamin profile, Historical Geographies; 3 September 2011; accessed 21 March 2014.
  5. Ahmed, Samira (13 January 2011). "Swinging racism: Floella Benjamin's memoir of 60s London". samiraahmed.co.uk.
  6. "Floella Benjamin - Activist, Actress and Producer". h2g2. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  7. "Bergerac" Picking It Up (TV Episode 1981), retrieved 9 June 2017
  8. "FLOELLA BENJAMIN PRODUCTIONS LIMITED - Filing history (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk.
  9. Floella Benjamin biography and credits, BFIScreenonline.org; accessed 21 March 2014.
  10. "Floella Benjamin – About Me 2". floellabenjamin.com. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  11. "Union Blacks – a portrait of Black Brits", unionblacks.co.uk; accessed 21 March 2014.
  12. "Literary Information" Archived 7 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Floellabenjamin.com.
  13. "No. 56070". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2000. p. 10.
  14. "Women of the Year Lunch and Awards - Celebrating women since 1955". Women of the Year. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013.
  15. Office of the Chancellor, University of Exeter; accessed 21 March 2014.
  16. Exeposé - Going with the Flo-ella Archived 25 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine 16 October 2013
  17. "University of Exeter Chancellor Baroness Floella Benjamin steps down after ten fantastic years". University of Exeter. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  18. "No. 59476". The London Gazette. 1 July 2010. p. 12451.
  19. "Dissolution Honours: John Prescott made a peer". BBC News. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
  20. Mills, Kelly-Ann (25 October 2019). "Raheem Sterling joins Meghan and Stormzy in top 100 most influential black Brits". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  21. "No. 62866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 2019. p. N8.
  22. Clarence House (2020). "Today, The Prince of Wales held an Investiture Ceremony at Buckingham Palace on behalf of The Queen". twitter.com. London: Twitter. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  23. Christian Moon (16 April 2008). "Liberal Democrats: The 4Rs Commission". Liberalengland.blogspot.com. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
  24. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  25. "In pictures: Great North Run 2010 celebrities", BBC.co.uk; accessed 21 March 2014.
  26. "Press Office: CBeebies press pack: Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies and the Sarah Jane Adventures". BBC. 19 March 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
  27. Staff (26 July 2007). "Floella raises banner to save children's TV". Telegraph. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
  28. "Floella Benjamin becomes Patron of Beating Bowel Cancer" Archived 12 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine, beatingbowelcancer.org; 16 January 2013.
  29. Woolcock, Nicola (31 October 2015). "Ditch your accent in school, presenter tells migrant pupils". The Times. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
Academic offices
Preceded by
The Lord Alexander of Weedon
Chancellor of the University of Exeter
2006-2016
Succeeded by
The Lord Myners
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by
The Baroness Hussein-Ece
Ladies
Baroness Benjamin
Followed by
The Baroness Donaghy
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