Katie Boyle

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Katie Boyle
Katie Boyle
Boyle appearing on After Dark, July 1988
Born
Caterina Irene Elena Maria Imperiali dei Principi di Francavilla

(1926-05-29)29 May 1926
Died20 March 2018(2018-03-20) (aged 91)
NationalityBritish
Other namesLady Saunders
Occupation(s)Actress, presenter, writer
Known forWhat's My Line?
Eurovision Song Contest
Spouses
Hon. Richard Bentinck Boyle
(m. 1947; div. 1955)
Greville Baylis
(m. 1955; died 1976)
(m. 1979; died 2003)

Caterina Irene Elena Maria Boyle, Lady Saunders (née Imperiali dei Principi di Francavilla; 29 May 1926 – 20 March 2018), usually known as Katie Boyle, was an Italian-born British actress, writer, radio announcer, television personality and game-show panellist. She became best known for presenting the Eurovision Song Contest on a record four occasions: in 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1974; the first three in London and the last in Brighton, England. She was also an agony aunt, answering problems that had been posted by readers of the TVTimes.

Early life, modelling and film career

She was born in a royal palace in Florence, Tuscany, Italy, which had once belonged to the Italian royal family, the daughter of an Italian marquis (the Marchese Demetrio Imperiali di Francavilla), and his English wife, Dorothy Kate Ramsden. She came to the United Kingdom in 1946 and started a modelling career, which included work for such publications as Vogue. She also appeared in several 1950s films, the first being Old Mother Riley Headmistress (1950) in which she was billed as Catherine Carleton,[1] followed by I'll Never Forget You (uncredited, 1951), The Diary of Major Thompson (filmed in France in 1955), Not Wanted on Voyage (1957), The Truth About Women (also 1957), and Intent to Kill (1958).[2]

Radio and television

Boyle was an on-screen continuity announcer for the BBC in the 1950s. A decade later she became a television personality, regularly appearing on panel games and programmes such as What's My Line?, Juke Box Jury and the medical game show Lance That Boyle, on which she appeared with comedian Lance Percival.[3][4] Boyle was the presenter for the 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1974 Eurovision Song Contests (all of which were hosted in the UK), making her the person who presented the most editions of the contest.[5] She hosted the 1974 contest wearing no underwear; it had been cut off from under her satin dress moments before the broadcast began.[6] She also hosted the UK qualifying heat, A Song for Europe, in 1961. In the 1960s she appeared in a long-running series of television advertisements for Camay soap.[7][8]

Boyle was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1982, when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews while in Rome.[citation needed] That same year she played herself in the BBC radio play The Competition, which told the story of a fictitious international song contest being staged in Bridlington. Boyle was guest of honour at the Eurovision fan club conventions staged in 1988 and 1992, and appeared at the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 held in Birmingham as a special guest of the BBC. Her other work has included theatre, television (What's Up Dog?) and radio (Katie and Friends). In 2004 Boyle was a guest on a special Eurovision-themed celebrity version of Weakest Link on BBC One, hosted by Anne Robinson.[9] Boyle became the first, and to date the only, contestant ever to vote herself off the programme.[10]

Personal life

In 1947, she married The Hon. Richard Bentinck Boyle, a captain in the Irish Guards and heir to the 8th Earl of Shannon; the marriage was dissolved in 1955 but she kept his surname, Boyle.[11] Later that year she married Greville Baylis, a racehorse owner, who died in 1976. In 1979 she married theatre impresario Sir Peter Saunders, who died in 2003. In Queen Elizabeth II: A Woman Who Is Not Amused by Nicholas Davies it is alleged that Boyle had a long-standing relationship with Prince Philip in the 1950s.[12] Boyle told Gyles Brandreth: "It's ludicrous, pure fabrication. When it appears in print, people believe it. You can't take legal action because it fans the flames, so you just have to accept people telling complete lies about you."[13] She was represented for most of her working life by agent Bunny Lewis. A keen owner of Yorkshire terriers, she was a committee member of Battersea Dogs Home for more than 25 years. She died at home on Tuesday 20 March 2018.[14][15]

Alternative crediting

She was also credited as Catherine Boyle and Catherine Boyl.[citation needed]

Filmography

Appearing in 1988 - together with her dogs and others including Miriam Rothschild and Frank Evans - on After Dark
Year Title Role Notes
1950 Old Mother Riley Headmistress Miss Ashton
1951 I'll Never Forget You Girl Uncredited
1955 The French, They Are a Funny Race Minor Role
1957 The Truth About Women Diana
Not Wanted on Voyage Julie Haines
1958 Intent to Kill Margaret McLaurin
1959 First Love Luciana

Bibliography

She also wrote four books:

  • Dear Katie – tips from her days as agony aunt for TV Times, 1975, ISBN 978-0552990783
  • What This Katie Did – autobiography, 1980, ISBN 978-0297778141
  • Boyle's Law - household tips, 1982, ISBN 978-0297781486
  • Battersea Tales – stories of rescues from the Battersea Dogs Home, 1997[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Former Eurovision host Katie Boyle, Lady Saunders dies aged 91". Irish News. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  2. ^ Boyle, Katie, What This Katie Did: An Autobiography.Littlehampton Book Services Ltd, 1st edition (9 October 1980); ISBN 978-0-297-77814-1.
  3. ^ "Former Eurovision Presenter Katie Boyle Has Died, At The Age Of 91". HuffPost UK. 20 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Terry Leahy's retail career in two acts". www.ft.com.
  5. ^ "Katie Boyle, iconic Eurovision Song Contest host, dies at 91". Eurovision.tv. EBU. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  6. ^ O'Connor, John Kennedy. The Eurovision Song Contest – The Official History. Carlton Books, UK. 2007; ISBN 978-1-84442-994-3
  7. ^ "Camay 'Letter To Katie Boyle' TV ad – 45 sec advert". www.tellyads.com. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  8. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: findaclip (4 August 2013). "017 Camay Katie Boyle European Soap Contest 1". Retrieved 24 September 2017 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ Osborn, Michael (13 May 2009). "The A to Z of Eurovision". BBC News.
  10. ^ Welsh, Daniel (20 March 2018). "Katie Boyle Dead: Eurovision Song Contest Host Lady Saunders Dies, Aged 91". HuffPost. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Obituary: Katie Boyle". BBC News. 20 March 2018.
  12. ^ Davies, Nicholas. Queen Elizabeth II: A Woman Who Is Not Amused. Birch Lane Press; ISBN 1-55972-217-7
  13. ^ Brandreth, Gyles (5 September 2004). "Portrait of a marriage". The Sunday Telegraph. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  14. ^ "Press statement: Katie Boyle, Lady Saunders, dies peacefully at home". The Corner Shop. 20 March 2018. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  15. ^ Barker, Dennis (20 March 2018). "Katie Boyle obituary" – via The Guardian.

External links

Preceded by Eurovision Song Contest presenter
1960
Succeeded by
Preceded by Eurovision Song Contest presenter
1963
Succeeded by
Preceded by Eurovision Song Contest presenter
1968
Succeeded by
Preceded by Eurovision Song Contest presenter
1974
Succeeded by