Janet Ellis

Janet Ellis is a British Television Presenter, actor, and a writer best associated with children’s television series such as Blue Peter and Jigsaw of the BBC network productions. She is the mother of Sophie Ellis- Bextor (singer), Jackson Ellis-Leach (drummer) and art historian Martha Ellis-Leach.

Even though she was born in Kent, Janet often had to change schools because of the uncertainty in her dad’s regional postings in the Army. Having had to switch as many as seven schools in Germany and England, she claimed it was since the age of five that she had a keen interest in drama and stage plays where she applied and successfully got accepted into the “Central School of Speech and Drama” in London. Sadly she was asked to averse her admission by a year as she was considered to be too young for the course.  Janet spent a year at the Comedy Theater Comedy Theater, an Urdu TV series that aired on th >> Read More... in central London and as an assistant stage manager in Richmond at the “Orange Tree Theater” to gain more hands-on experience in the field.

During the year 1978, Ellis was offered her first Television appearance in BBC network in children’s show Jackanory Playhouse, in a brief role. Her first breakthrough came in the year 1979 in the English cult television series Dr. Who, where she played the character of “Teka.” And her career shot into the ascent when she was signed on as a presenter on the show “Jigsaw” produced by Clive Doig. The following four years marked the show with success and in 1983; she joined the team of “Blue Peter” after she quit Jigsaw. She collaborated with the likes of Simon Groom, Sarah Greene, Peter Duncan and Caron Keating, co-presenting the show with them. Post her last show on June 29, 1987, rumors surrounded her sack, where the people claimed she was allegedly given the chop for being pregnant with her son, Jackson, but the production and Janet have always denied any wrongdoing as such.

In 1994, she authored “How to Get Married without Divorcing Your Family.” Following a hiatus in presentation, to spend more time with her family, Janet finally featured as a TV reporter in an episode of “Waking the Dead.” She also was a regular panelist on the show “The Wright Stuff”, valued as her comeback on television. Subsequently, Janet also appeared briefly in series ranging from Hotel Babylon in 2007 to “The Million Pound Drop Live” in 2010. In 2012, she returned to theater and stage plays at the “Tabard Theater” in Alan Bennett’s comedy, “Green Form.”