Christine Hamilton
Christine appears regularly on TV and radio, from entertainment
to news and current affairs programmes. Her repertoire
includes everything from ‘Have I Got News for You’, ‘Bo Selecta’ and
‘Harry Hill’ to ‘Any Questions’, ‘Loose Women’ and ‘Newsnight’.
She presented a 10-part Granada series ‘Home’ and has deputised for
Gloria Hunniford and Fern Britton on their flagship shows ‘Open
House’ and ‘This Morning’. She has written a weekly
column for the ‘Western Daily Press’, a monthly column for gay
magazine ‘Refresh’ and regularly writes ad hoc for national
newspapers, magazines and periodicals.
She has filled both Oxford and Cambridge Unions ("the best
Presidential debate for years - you made it for everyone"), wowed
the boys at Eton College ("you managed to make most of the audience
cry with laughter") and enchanted countless other audiences with her
wit, humour and fund of hilarious stories.
She is in demand to speak at luncheons, dinners and gatherings of
all kinds, equally at home with either male, female or mixed
audiences, enlivening many an occasion with her charm and humour. A
practised, entertaining and witty speaker, she can talk not only
about her own life but also lifts the veil on the discreet yet
not-so-discreet World of Westminster and enthuses hilariously about
her "Great British Battleaxes".
Christine has, very publicly, been through the wringer and
emerged brighter and sparkier than ever. She has
faced scandal, ignominy, hounding by the media, accusations of rape,
epic battles in the high court, bankruptcy and the enforced sale of
her home. She talks frankly and movingly, but also in a highly
entertaining way, about the trials she has faced, how she coped and
managed to re-build her life into the successful media personality
she is today. People identify with Christine as a
warm-hearted, open, engaging person who has faced life’s battles
head on and triumphed.
In 2000 her critically acclaimed BBC Choice series, ‘The
Christine Hamilton Show’ proved her to be a natural and
perceptive interviewer, chatting to household names who have
survived stormy waters of all kinds - from James Hewitt, Jonathan
Aitken and Lord Bath to Bernard Manning, Ivana Trump and John
Fashanu. Christine has presented a series of programmes for digital
channel Simply Money – interviewing women who had successfully
seized the financial reins in business, from fishing and farming to
fashion – and presented dozens of programmes for Destination
Lunch on Sky digital – a travel, food and drink programme with Neil
as the resident wine expert.
Rarely out of the news, she hit the headlines in August 2001 when
she and Neil were arrested and accused of a vile sexual crime - they
fought back very publicly forcing the police to back down and admit
it was all untrue. On the original ITV series 'I'm a Celebrity -
Get Me Out of Here' in 2002 she enchanted viewers with her natural
charm, sense of humour, common sense and kindness, emerging a true
Queen of the Jungle!
Christine acquired media celebrity overnight for the forceful
support she gave her husband during his1997 General Election
campaign in the Tatton constituency. The ‘Battle of Knutsford
Heath’ was one of the high spots of the campaign. Descriptions
of her ranged from the insultingly unflattering to the admiringly
adulatory. She was called everything from ‘The Wife from Hell’
to ‘The Battling Lioness’. Lampooned in countless articles and
cartoons as a ferocious Battleaxe, she also aroused admiration for
her spirit and chutzpah.
Inspired by her own caricature, her first book ‘Christine
Hamilton's Book of British Battleaxes’ was published in October 1997
(paperback ’98) and was revised and re-printed in 2003.
Light-hearted and entertaining, it is a colourful cornucopia of 33
Belligerent British Belles who have enlivened the pages of history
and the headlines of the popular press, ranging from Queens Boadicea
to Victoria, from Nancy Astor to Margaret Thatcher; from Fanny
Cradock to Bessie Braddock; from Joan Collins to Ena Sharples; from
Cynthia Payne to Edwina Currie and from Barbara Cartland to Barbara
Woodhouse. Her autobiography ‘For Better For Worse’ was
published in March 2005.
Game for anything ('as long as it is legal, honest and faintly
decent') Christine has parachuted and posed as Eve (with Neil as
Adam) for charity; dressed as a drag queen on the BBC, had cosmetic
infill injections live on C5 & the BBC, and launched a death defying
funfair ride. An outrageous flirt, who could forget her
disarming Louis Theroux in their documentary, now considered one of
the best television moments of 2001.
Recently, Christine has received critical acclaim since
delightedly dipping her toe into the world of theatre.
In basque and fishnets, she was the first woman in England to take
the role of Narrator in the ‘Rocky Horror Show’ during its 30th
anniversary tour in 2002/3; she twinkled as the ‘Bossy Fairy
Battleaxe’ in 'Jack and the Beanstalk' at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre,
Guildford, Christmas 2002; starred in the ‘Vagina Monologues’ at the
Edinburgh Playhouse during the Festival in 2003 and made her West
End debut with the Monologues at Wyndhams Theatre in May 2005. She
also tours her one Woman Show ‘Share an Evening with Christine
Hamilton’ – ‘All questions welcomed – I have nothing to hide!’
Together with Neil, their ‘Lunch with the Hamiltons’ has been a
daily sell-out at the Edinburgh Festival in 2006/07 and 2008.
Christine and Neil have been involved with various advertising;
fronting TV campaigns for the Sunday Express, London Tourist Board
and Warner Music; a newspaper campaign for Directory Enquiries 118
118, a magazine campaign for Hush Puppies, a radio advertisement for
Toyota, and a promotional campaign for Gleeson Homes. In 2005
Christine was delighted to be the first ‘Face of British Sausage
Week’ organised by the British Sausage Appreciation Society and the
Meat & Livestock Commission.
She spent her childhood in the New Forest area where her father was
a GP in Ringwood. After graduating from the University of York
she worked at the House of Commons for 26 years as research
assistant and secretary to MPs, starting with the flamboyant Sir
Gerald Nabarro (MP for South Worcestershire until he died in 1973).
She worked for her husband from his election for Tatton in 1983
until he lost his seat in 1997. Christine and Neil currently live
in Wiltshire and London where they enjoy music, gardening, cooking
and entertaining, which encompasses their overriding passion: the
company of good friends
Past Client Comments
'Your slot went down a storm and your content was spot on as
well as being very amusing. Thank you for a great end to our
conference.'
Association of Police Public Relations Officers
Conference
‘Christine was wonderful, so enthusiastic and keen to engage
with our guests. She arrived early and was there until after
midnight. Already I am getting feedback saying how lovely it was
that she was so available and happy to mingle with the guests. Her
highly entertaining speech was pitched just right’
British Parking Association Annual Dinner
‘You received the biggest turn out I've ever known for a
society at Eton, even though many other lectures were taking place
simultaneously you managed to make most of the audience cry with
laughter.’
Eton College Cosmopolitan Society
‘The best Presidential debate for years - you made it for
everyone!’
Cambridge Union Society
'Thank you for your truly outstanding contribution to the
success of our Conference.'
Executive PA in Business Conference.