Emma Freud

Emma Vallencey Freud (born 25 January 1962) is an English broadcaster and cultural commentator.

Biography

Personal life

Freud is the daughter of politician and broadcaster Sir Clement Freud and June Flewett (the inspiration for Lucy Pevensie in C. S. Lewis' children's series the "Chronicles of Narnia") [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/11/narnia11.xml The Daily Telegraph] ] . She is the great-granddaughter of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Her brother is Matthew Freud, the husband of Rupert Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth Murdoch. Painter Lucian Freud is her uncle. She was educated in London at the all-female Queen's College, London and is an alumni of Royal Holloway College [ [http://www.unofficial-guides.com/guides/rhul.html Royal Holloway guide] ] . She is the wife of scriptwriter Richard Curtis with whom she has three children, James, Charles, and Rachel. Emma also plays the piano.

Television

On television, she initially worked on cable television programmes for children, before co-presenting LWT's "The Six O'Clock Show" from 1986. In 1987, she co-hosted TVS's travel quiz for children, "Worldwise". Later that year, she briefly earned a certain media notoriety for presenting a chat show, "Pillow Talk", in which she interviewed guests whilst in bed with them, as part of LWT's late-night strand "Night Network". Despite their setting, the interviews were largely innocent, and Emma wore striped men's pyjamas throughout.

In 1986, Freud also appeared as Princess Diana in a Thames Television special, spoofing the Royal Variety Performance, alongside impressionist Mike Yarwood, who appeared as Prince Charles, among other roles. In 1988 she helped present the London opt-outs of the ITV Telethon.

In 1990 and 1991, Freud presented two series of "Plunder", an afternoon chat show on BBC2 in which she interviewed guests about their favourite television clips. Emma has also presented Channel 4 programmes, such as "The Pulse" on the subject of health, and "The Media Show". For LWT she fronted "Theatreland" for LWT, on the topic of entertainment. She has also anchored the BBC's coverage of the Edinburgh Festival.

Radio

On the radio, she has been a regular contributor to Ned Sherrin's Radio 4 Saturday miscellany "Loose Ends". In 1988, she was one of the launch presenters of GLR, where she presented the weekday 10am programme. One of her producers during this period was Chris Evans. She has also appeared on "Just A Minute", playing against her father.

In 1993, Emma first appeared on Radio 1, deputising for Nicky Campbell on his late night show "Into The Night". Later that year, she was invited by the network's new controller Matthew Bannister to reinvent the lunchtime programme previously presented by Jakki Brambles. From January 1994, Emma appeared on the station every weekday between 12 noon and 2pm, presenting a mix of music, interviews and interactive news features. It was praised by some, but it proved unpopular with many who preferred the old mainstream pop fare. In Simon Garfield's 1998 book on Radio 1, "The Nation's Favourite", Bannister claims that Freud was "treated very badly by people at the station, especially other women". She left the station towards the end of 1994.

Projects

Emma Freud is regularly involved with her husband Richard Curtis's projects, including Comic Relief, the successful British charity and biannual telethon that he helped establish.

Curtis also regularly acknowledges Freud's capabilities as his chief Script Editor, including credits for "The Vicar of Dibley", "Four Weddings and a Funeral", "Notting Hill", "Bridget Jones's Diary", "Love Actually" and "The Girl in the Café". Curtis has stated in interviews that Freud goes through his scripts, writing 'NBG' (no bloody good) or 'CDB' (could do better) in the margins.

In return, Curtis has written scenes into plots to say things to Freud. Curtis coyly admitted that the final scene from "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was his way of saying "I love you for ever" to Freud without actually saying it to her.

References

External links

* [http://www.jla.co.uk/ArtistsIndex/Artists/2/12/FreudEmma1.asp?Letter= Photos of Emma Freud]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/communicate/emma_freud.shtml BBC biography]