Julian Simmons

Julian Simmons (b. Belfast) [ [http://u.tv/television/people/showprofile.asp?peopleid=11 UTV People: Julian Simmons' profile] ; accessed 3 March 2008] is a Northern Irish television presenter, best known as a continuity announcer on UTV. He mainly appears on the station on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. [ [http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1675623131536534962 Google Video: "Julian"] ; uploaded 29 September 2006, accessed 3 March 2008]

Present role

Simmons usually introduces programmes on the station in-vision, and is mainly associated with his links into what he has described as his favourite programme [ [http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/article784247.ece Belfast Telegraph: "My kind of things"] ; published 22 April 2000, accessed 3 March 2008] , "Coronation Street", on Friday evenings, where he puts on an exaggerated Belfast accent and refers to recent story developments on the programme. When talking about his "Coronation Street" introductions, he comments that he is "...imitating what I [hear] people say on trains and on buses... people talk about the soaps as if it's happening to real people." [ [http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1675623131536534962 Google Video: "Julian"] ; uploaded 29 September 2006, accessed 3 March 2008]

In addition to announcing the following programmes, Simmons also introduces competitions under the "Watch to Win" banner. [ [http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/competitions/watchwin07.html UTV Today: Watch To Win, 2007-Present] ; accessed 3 March 2008] He can sometimes be seen presenting UTV weather forecasts. [ [http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/weather/invision_1.html UTV Today: In-Vision Weather Forecasts] ; accessed 3 March 2008]

Broadcasting career

Simmons' career in broadcasting began when he appeared in amateur drama productions in Belfast while working for Air Canada at their offices in the city. [ [http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1675623131536534962 Google Video: "Julian"] ; uploaded 29 September 2006, accessed 3 March 2008] In the "Julian" documentary, he observed: "Somebody saw me in a Belfast comedy, and said that 'You should be on TV, I know somebody who you should speak to'. So I set my letter in, and duly arrived up at Havelock House, with amateur tapes that I had made of comedy sketches that I was performing in my kitchen, and bathroom, and bedroom... and I presented those and they listened to them and said, 'Yes, those are quite funny, but there's no opening for that sort of thing here at the moment. Here's a news bulletin, let's hear you read that.'" [ [http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1675623131536534962 Google Video: "Julian"] ; uploaded 29 September 2006, accessed 3 March 2008] Simmons was then offered a six-week trial as an announcer at Ulster Television. [ [http://www.newsletter.co.uk/entertainment/Julian-picks-his-top-ten.3085050.jp News Letter: "Julian picks his top ten TV moments"] ; dated 3 August 2007, accessed 17 June 2008]

When he started working at UTV, Simmons' job involved reading news and sports bulletins as well as introducing the channel's programmes, but he felt uneasy with having to perform the latter task. "I didn't know what I was talking about... My main worry when I was reading the news was... you are worried about making a mistake, but I was also worried I was going to laugh. I have this thing if I'm hearing bad news, or someone goes to tell me something grave... it must be a nervous thing, I feel myself starting to smirk. So I was always terrifed that when I was reading the news that I was going to laugh." [ [http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1675623131536534962 Google Video: "Julian"] ; uploaded 29 September 2006, accessed 3 March 2008]

In the 2005 "Julian" documentary, Simmons describes how his continuity duties eventually changed: "Continuity was very straight... and then one Christmas, I was in for four or five days over the Christmas period, all done up like a dog's dinner and a dickie bow... no news to read, so I started introducing these programmes and acting 'a bit of the lig' in between the programmes. And it went down very well, apparently. They decided I would do permanently weekends: Friday/Saturday/Sunday primetime, where the programmes are all entertainment; nothing hard or heavy." [ [http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1675623131536534962 Google Video: "Julian"] ; uploaded 29 September 2006, accessed 3 March 2008]

Since October 2006, Simmons has appeared on "UTV Live" and "UTV Life" to talk about upcoming storylines on Coronation Street and Emmerdale, the two main soap operas shown on UTV. [ [http://u.tv/corpinfo/releases/docs/483.doc UTV Press Office: Julian's in a lather as he joins "UTV Live"] ; published 6 October 2006, accessed 3 March 2008] In 2007, he was the host of a series, "UTV Rewind", looking at archive clips from Ulster Television. [ [http://u.tv/corpinfo/releases/docs/540.doc UTV Press Office: UTV rewinds with Julian on Friday evenings] ; published 27 July 2007, accessed 3 March 2008] [ [http://u.tv/corpinfo/releases/docs/563.doc UTV Press Office: UTV lines up a feast of festive programmes] ; published 12 December 2007; accessed 3 March 2008]

In addition to his presenting career at UTV, Simmons starred in the film "Wild About Harry", playing the role of Michael Bay. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0216279/fullcredits#cast Internet Movie Database] ; accessed 15 June 2008] [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/677695?view=cast BFI Film and TV Database] ; accessed 15 June 2008]

Personal life

As a young boy, Simmons attended Belmont Primary School and Methodist College, and spent his holidays in his parents' native Kent. [ [http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/article1062802.ece Belfast Telegraph: "Ten things you didn't know about..."] ; published 2 March 2002, accessed 3 March 2008] Simmons had an interest in drama at a young age; he held puppet shows at his home [ [http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/article1062802.ece Belfast Telegraph: "Ten things you didn't know about..."] ; published 2 March 2002, accessed 3 March 2008] [ [http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1675623131536534962 Google Video: "Julian"] ; uploaded 29 September 2006, accessed 3 March 2008] and appeared in amateur drama productions. [ [http://www.newsletter.co.uk/3888/Nothing-ever-stays-same-for.4331752.jp The News Letter: "Nothing ever stays same for this continuity man"] ; published 28 July 2008, accessed 28 August 2008] Before his broadcasting career began, Simmons worked in travel agencies in Belfast and later worked for Air Canada in Belfast and London. [ [http://www.newsletter.co.uk/3888/Nothing-ever-stays-same-for.4331752.jp The News Letter: "Nothing ever stays same for this continuity man"] ; published 28 July 2008, accessed 28 August 2008]

In a newspaper interview in 2008, Simmons admitted he is gay and he is currently single. [ [http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/im-a-bunny-boiler-who-never-found-mr-right-says-julian-13907402.html Sunday Life: "I'm a bunny boiler who never found Mr Right, says Julian"] ; published 13 July 2008, accessed 15 July 2008]

References

External links

* [http://u.tv/television/people/showprofile.asp?peopleid=11 Julian Simmons' profile on u.tv]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0799810 Julian Simmons at the Internet Movie Database]
* [http://www.utvtoday.co.uk/ivc.html UTV Today: IVC - features screen captures of Julian Simmons]
* [http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1675623131536534962&q=Julian+simmons Google Video: "Julian"]