{{Short description|English television & radio presenter, producer, author (born 1968)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}} {{Infobox person | name = Philippa Forrester | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Philippa Clare Ryan Forrester<ref name=halcyon>{{cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04217105/officers|title=Halcyon Media Limited - Officers|publisher=Companies House}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|09|20|df=y}} | birth_place = Winchester, Hampshire, England | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} --> | monuments = | nationality = | other_names = Philippa Clare Ryan Hamilton James | known_for = | television = | education = Westgate School, Peter Symonds College | alma_mater = University of Birmingham | employer = | notable works = | style = | agent = | occupation = Television & radio presenter, producer, author | years_active = 1986–present | spouse = {{Marriage|Charlie Hamilton James|2004|2020|end=div}} | children = 3 | parents = | relations = | awards = | website = }} '''Philippa Clare Ryan Forrester'''<ref name=halcyon/> (born 20 September 1968<ref name=halcyon/>) is a British television and radio presenter, producer and author.

Forrester has presented shows including CBBC, ''Tomorrow's World'', Crufts, ''The Heaven and Earth Show'' and ''Robot Wars''.

In 2015, Forrester moved with her family to Wyoming, US to support her husband's work with ''National Geographic'' magazine.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Forrester|first=Philippa|date=15 May 2020|title='I moved my family from Bath to the wilderness - and haven't looked back'|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/moved-family-bath-wilderness-havent-looked-back/|accessdate=10 July 2020|issn=0307-1235}}{{subscription required}}</ref>

==Education== Forrester was educated at Westgate School, a co-educational comprehensive school in Winchester, Hampshire, and at Peter Symonds College in the same city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippa Forrester - television presenter and producer|url=https://www.hampshire-life.co.uk/people/celebrity-interviews/philippa-forrester-television-presenter-and-producer-1-1637933|publisher=Archant Community Media|accessdate=9 September 2020|work=Hampshire Life}}</ref> She holds a degree in English from the University of Birmingham, and a degree in Ecology and Conservation from Birkbeck, University of London.<ref name=CV>{{cite web| publisher = Hilary Knight Management|title= Philippa Forrester CV| url = http://www.hkmanagement.co.uk/philippa_forrester/philippaforrestercv.html| accessdate = 2 August 2007| url-status = dead| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070703024828/http://www.hkmanagement.co.uk/philippa_forrester/philippaforrestercv.html| archivedate = 3 July 2007| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

==Broadcasting career== Forrester first worked as a children's presenter for BFBS television in 1986, and was often seen reading out birthday cards onscreen. She became a presenter on Children's BBC from the early 1990s, becoming a more regular fixture alongside Toby Anstis from July 1990 until 1994. She then hosted many programmes including ''Tomorrow's World'', ''Barking Mad'', ''The Heaven and Earth Show'' and ''Robot Wars'' series 1–3, 5, and 6 before being replaced by Jayne Middlemiss for series 7.<ref name=CV />

She also co-presented the BBC's coverage of the solar eclipse of August 1999. At the end of the same year, she was also part of the corporation's team covering the turn of the new millennium, and was duped into appearing on the spoof documentary ''Brass Eye''{{'}}s 2001 paedophilia special, in which she wore a large pair of gloves, and explained how a paedophile could use them to touch children through a screen, such as a television screen.<ref>{{cite news| work = The Observer | title = Stupidity scuttled Survivor | url = https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2001/jul/29/features.review117 | date = 29 July 2001 | access-date = 31 August 2007 | first=Kathryn | last=Flett}}</ref>

She was a co-presenter with Brett Westwood on ''World on the Move'', a BBC Radio 4 series that started in 2008 on migration in the animal kingdom.{{fact|date=October 2020}}

In September 2013, she co-presented the BBC show ''Harvest'', which followed the progress of Britain's vegetable, cereal and fruit harvests.

As of January 2022, she was presenting a YouTube series about switching to an electric car<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Daily Telegraph|title=Philippa Forrester: 'Thatcher set me on the way to financial security'|first=Samantha|last=Rea|date=9 January 2022|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/fame-fortune/philippa-forrester-thatcher-set-way-financial-security/}}</ref> sponsored by Hendy.<ref>{{cite web|author=Hendy|url= https://www.hendy.co.uk/news/hendy-ev-enlists-environmental-expert-philippa-forrester-for-customer-education-project/|title= Hendy EV enlists environmental expert Philippa Forrester for customer education project |date=22 February 2022|accessdate=31 December 2022}}</ref>

==TV production== Forrester's first collaboration with her husband was ''My Halcyon River''. Following its success, in 2003 they set up a production company, Halcyon Media, which specialises in wildlife productions. In 2007, they co-produced ''An Otter in the Family'', a short documentary series about the adoption of an otter cub called Grace and their attempts to raise her as a wild animal in order to be released into the wild.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/listings/programme.shtml?day=yesterday&service_id=4224&filename=20071216/20071216_1830_4224_5903_30|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722101208/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/listings/programme.shtml?day=yesterday&service_id=4224&filename=20071216/20071216_1830_4224_5903_30|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-22|title=Programme guide|publisher=BBC Two}}</ref>

Forrester and her husband also produced the four-part ''Halcyon River Diaries'', the first episode of which was broadcast in May 2010 on BBC1. The series follows the wildlife found near their home. An additional episode was shown at Christmas 2010.

==Personal life== Forrester married wildlife cameraman and producer Charlie Hamilton James in July 2004.<ref>{{cite news| title = The Telegraph – Interview|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2006/08/02/pcounty02.xml|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130421083058/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2006/08/02/pcounty02.xml|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 April 2013|accessdate = 21 June 2007 | work=The Telegraph | first=Adam | last=Edwards | date=2 August 2006}}</ref> She is an environmentalist.<ref name="environment"/> She took a part-time degree in Ecology and Conservation at Birkbeck, University of London while presenting ''Tomorrow's World'', graduating with first class honours.<ref name="CV"/>

She has been vice president of St Tiggywinkles wildlife hospital and Patron of the Seahorse Trust with Nick Baker, Vice President of the Avon Wildlife Trust with Simon King<ref name="HalcyonMediaBio">{{cite web|url=http://www.halcyonmedia.org/pf.php|title=Philippa Forrester|publisher=Halcyon Media |accessdate=27 December 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110110084852/http://www.halcyonmedia.org/pf.php|archivedate=10 January 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and is a brand ambassador for Anglian Windows.

She supported the Recycle Now campaign to encourage more people to take up home composting.<ref name="environment">{{cite web| title =Philippa Forrester|work= Recycle Now| url = http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/celebrity_composters/index.html| accessdate = 21 June 2007| url-status = dead| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070629215759/http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/celebrity_composters/index.html| archivedate = 29 June 2007| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

==Bibliography== *{{cite book|first=Philippa|last=Forrester|title=The River|publisher=Orion|date=2004|isbn=0-7528-5685-5}} * {{cite book|first1=Charlie|last1=Hamilton James|first2=Philippa|last2=Forrester|title=Halcyon River Diaries|publisher=Preface Publishing|date=2010|isbn=978-1-84809-225-9}} * {{cite book|first=Philippa|last=Forrester|title=Get Out: Halcyon River Activity Book|publisher=Preface Publishing|date=2010|isbn=978-1-84809-226-6}} (with her sons Gus Hamilton James, Fred Hamilton James, and Arthur Hamilton James) * {{cite book|first=Philippa|last=Forrester|title=On the Trail of Wolves|publisher=Bloomsbury|date=2020|isbn=978-147297-204-0}} * {{cite book|first=Philippa|last=Forrester|title=Wild Woman|publisher=Bloomsbury|date=2024|isbn=978-139940-087-9}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb name|id=286741}} *{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070322214123/http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/MP-32220/The-River.htm |title=The River|url=http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/MP-32220/The-River.htm|archivedate=22 March 2007|publisher=Orion Books|date=Winter 2004}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Forrester, Philippa}} Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:Mass media people from Winchester Category:Alumni of the University of Birmingham Category:Alumni of Birkbeck, University of London Category:English television presenters Category:English television producers Category:English women television producers Category:English non-fiction writers Category:People educated at Peter Symonds College Category:Writers from Winchester