Catherine Boyle
| Katie Boyle | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Caterina Irene Elena Maria Imperiali di Francavilla 29 May 1926 Florence, Italy |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actress, presenter, writer |
| Known for |
What's My Line?, Eurovision Song Contest |
Katie Boyle, Lady Saunders (born Caterina Irene Elena Maria Imperiali di Francavilla, 29 May 1926) is an Italian-born British actress, television personality, and game-show panelist, well known for appearing on TV panel games such as What's My Line? and for presenting the Eurovision Song Contest in the 1960s and 1970s. She was once an agony aunt, answering problems that had been posted to the TV Times by readers.
She was born in Florence, Italy, the daughter of an Italian marquis (the Marchese Demetrio Imperiali di Francavilla), and his English wife, Dorothy Kate Ramsden. She came to Great Britain in 1946 and started a modelling career, which included work for such publications as Vogue. She also appeared in several 1950s films, the first being Old Mother Riley, Headmistress (1950) in which she was billed as Catherine Carleton, followed by I'll Never Forget You (uncredited, 1951), Not Wanted on Voyage (1957), The Truth About Women (also 1957), Intent to Kill (1958) with Richard Todd, and The Diary of Major Thompson (1955) with Jack Buchanan, filmed in France by Preston Sturges.
Boyle was an on-screen continuity announcer for the BBC in the 1950s. A decade later she became a television personality, regularly appearing on panel games and programmes such as What's My Line? and Juke Box Jury. In 1968 she appeared alongside comedian Lance Percival in the fledgling Thames Television's panel quiz game of medical knowledge, Lance That Boyle. The show was cancelled after only three episodes. She was the presenter for the 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1974 Eurovision Song Contests, all of which were hosted in the UK. According to author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor's The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, Boyle hosted the 1974 contest wearing no underwear; it had been cut off from under her satin dress moments before the broadcast began. She also hosted the UK qualifying heat, A Song for Europe, in 1961. In the 1960s she appeared in a long-running series of television advertisements for Camay soap.
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