Penny Smith
Penny began her career as a reporter and features writer on the Peterborough Evening Telegraph. After four years, she left to backpack through Central and South America and South East Asia where she reported and presented on a current affairs programme for Radio Television Hong Kong.
In 1984 she joined Radio Trent as a reporter/presenter and then worked for Central Television as press officer for documentaries and drama. After that she co-presented the local evening news for Border Television and after a year she co-presented Thames News with Andrew Gardner. Penny then moved to Sky News before becoming presenter of GMTV`s 'News Hour’ in April 1993. She went onto co-present `GMTV` (Monday-Friday 6.00am - 7.00am) with John Stapleton. In June 2010, after 17 fun-filled years on the GMTV sofa, Penny left GMTV, deciding to concentrate on her writing and pursue other presenting opportunities.
Penny has also presented ‘I Want It Now’ and ‘Going For A Song’ for the BBC and ‘Celebrity’ for ITV. Radio work includes presenting shows on Classic FM, LBC, BBC London and Radio 2.
Penny has written for a number of national newspapers and magazines, including columns in the Daily Mail and First magazine. Her first novel, ‘Coming Up Next’ was published in the summer of 2008. Penny then went on to write a second novel, ‘After The Break’, and her most recent novel "Summer Holiday" was published in 2011. Penny is a keen writer and regularly contributes to The Lady, covering the Social diary and Opera reviews.
Penny has produced three yoga videos, ‘Penny Smith’s Power Yoga’, `Penny Smith’s Essential Guide to Yoga’ and ‘Penny Smith’s Yoga Masterclass’. Penny's passions include opera, tennis, hiking and yoga.
TELEVISION
2012 Countdown (Dictionary Corner) Channel 4
2012 Pointless Celebrities - (Contestant) BBC
2011 Live with Gabby (Presenter Cover) Princess for Channel 5
2011 Have I Got News for You (pannelist) BBC
2011 The Alan Titchmarsh Show (Guest Judge) Spungold for ITV
2011 Countdown (Dictionary Corner) ITVS for ITV1
201o All Star Family Fortunes (Guest Panellist) ITVS for ITV1
2010 -11 Market Kitchen: The Big Adventure (Presenter) Good Food channel
2010 The Michael Ball Show (Guest Panellist) ITV
2010-11 The Alan Titchmarsh Show (Guest Panellist) ITV
2010 Monte Carlo or Bust (Contestant) ITV In House
1993 – 2010 GMTV (Presenter) ITV In House
RADIO
2012 Radio 2: Titanic - The Band That Played On (Co-Presenter)
2011 - 12 Radio 2 (Presenter Cover)
2011-12 BBC London (Presenter Cover)
2011 Radio 5 Live: Opera Special (co-presenter)
2011 Radio 2: The Arts Show (presenter - cover) BBC In house
2011 Classic FM (presenter)
2010 Radio 2: The Kiri Prize (presenter) BBC In house
2010 LBC (presenter)
BOOKS
2011 Summer Holiday - Fourth Estate Ltd
2009 After the Break – Fourth Estate Ltd
2008 Coming Up Next - Harper Perennial
JOURNALISM
2011 The Daily Mail
2009-10The Lady (Writer)
