Jill Franks
As our health and fitness specialist, Jill Franks certainly knows her stuff. Jill began dancing at the age of seven. She spent two years at stage school and three years in musical theatre training, preparing her for the rigours of showbiz. "If it wasn't for that grounding I would never have achieved what I have to date," says Jill. "The dance training in particular was gruelling."
At the age of 14, Jill landed roles in both theatre and television productions. She performed in a pantomime with Anita Harris (one of QVC's regular guests), and made TV appearances in To The Manor Born, Darling Buds of May, Tucker's Luck, Grange Hill and a welter of TV commercials – not to mention two years' modelling for fashion catalogues and teenage magazines.
At 19, Jill moved on to the top West End musical 42nd Street for 4 years (alongside our very own Jilly Halliday). She toured extensively with shows such as Me And My Girl, Hello Dolly and West Side Story. Her career highlights include two Royal Variety Shows and A Night Of A Hundred Stars at London's Drury Lane, where she danced with Superman himself, Christopher Reeve. Maybe this is a clue as to why Jill's a big superhero fan…
Even though Jill's acting and modelling career was flourishing, presenting was her true ambition. She started in Hospital Radio and went on to DJ her own Saturday Morning show, which led to six happy years at London's commercial radio station, 95.8 Capital FM. This is where Jill really learnt her craft, enabling her to pursue other presenting jobs – airborne travel reporting for Heart 106.2, stints at Kiss FM and Virgin radio, the BBC’s Big Bash Live Event, the launch of Sky Digital and work as a Children's BBC continuity announcer. But she still manages to find time to tread the boards, having performed in 14 pantos across the UK!
As a dancer, Jill had to be in peak fitness for 8 shows a week, so she's always been a bit of a fitness fanatic. As Jill says, "It's one thing having an interest in fitness, but it's another when your living depends on it!" Jill seeks out the best products for those who demand nothing less, fuelled by her strong interest in innovative fitness and personal care products and alternative therapies.
