Jay Burridge

Jay Burridge is an artist and former television presenter. He fronted the BBC children's art programme "SMart" from 1994 until 2003, when he left and became a graphic designer and snowboard inventor. He was a close friend of colleague Mark Speight.

Career

He graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design with a degree in art, and in 1994 auditioned for the role as a presenter on the BBC children's art programme "SMart".cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/18/bbc.television|title=Mark and me|accessdate=2008-10-05|date=2008-04-18|first=Jay |last=Burridge|work=The Guardian] At his interview he met Mark Speight, and the two soon formed a strong friendship. Burridge and Speight were given the jobs of presenting "SMart" alongside Zoë Ball. Ball left, and was replaced by Josie D'Arby who was then replaced by Kirsten O'Brien in 1999. Together with O'Brien they fronted the "SMart" spin-off shows "SMart on the Road" and "SMarteenies", as well as appearing at many other art-related events. [cite news|title=TV presenter Jay is a big draw with art fans at store|accessdate=2008-10-05|date=2000-08-08|work=Wiltshire County Publications]

Together, Burridge and Speight created all of the art projects for each episode of "SMart" at Burridge's West London art studio. He noted: "We would bounce ideas and jokes off each other all day until we had developed an almost telepathically linked knowledge of what made each other laugh."

Burridge left "SMart" in 2003, feeling he had "outgrown [his] role as a children's TV presenter," and wanted to move "out of the limelight". He worked as a commercial artist before becoming a producer for a TV company, as well as working as a graphic designer and snowboard inventor. [cite news|title=Living Review Design: We can make it|accessdate=2008-09-05|date=2002-10-06|author=Kate Worsley|work=Independent on Sunday]

Personal life

Burridge is married. He was close friends with Speight and the two formed an "on- and off-screen double act" and regularly attended the "Regency Rooms" comedy nights together. Following the death of Speight's fiancée Natasha Collins in January 2008, Burridge met up with him on several occasions and "tried to get him to see that the worst was over", although he realised that Speight "might not be able to keep going". Burridge spoke to Speight on April 7, 2008 and arranged to meet up with him later in the day. Speight, however, disappeared and committed suicide later that day. [cite news |url=http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/femail/article-1068093/Drugs-death-despair-How-death-TV-presenter-Mark-Speights-fiancee-sparked-spiral-tragedy.html |title=Drugs, death and despair: How death of TV presenter Mark Speight's fiancee sparked a spiral of tragedy |last=Cable |first=Amanda |publisher=Mail on Sunday|date=2008-10-04 |accessdate=2008-10-04] Burridge had helped police try to locate Speight, and was informed of his death on April 13. He attended Speight's funeral on April 28. [cite news|url=http://www.expressandstar.com/2008/04/28/funeral-for-tragic-tv-star-mark/|title=Funeral for tragic TV star Mark|accessdate=2008-10-05|date=2008-04-28|work=Express and Star]

References

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1218510/ Jay Burridge] at the Internet Movie Database