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Edwina Currie
Writer, Broadcaster and Politician
Edwina Currie was born in Liverpool, UK in 1946 and went to the same school as Beatles George Harrison and Sir Paul McCartney. Much of her education was spent in the Cavern Club listening to their music. She won a scholarship to Oxford University to read Chemistry; surrounded by Nobel prize winners, she switched to Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Also present (1968) was William Jefferson Clinton, hiding behind a beard. She took her Master's degree in economic history at the London School of Economics, an experience which turned her into a life-long Conservative.
Edwina has had three successful careers - so far! After a decade of public office in the city of Birmingham, she stood for Parliament in 1983 and represented a Midlands seat for 14 years. She became one of the nation's best known MPs and served in Margaret Thatcher's government 1986-88, in the Department of Health. She became famous for her campaigns on heart disease, women's cancer screening and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. She was also involved in the first AIDS campaign in the UK that saved many lives. She was voted "Speaker of the Year 1990" and awarded "Campaigner of the Year 1994" in the Spectator Parliamentarian Awards. She resigned over food safety (salmonella) in December 1988, and turned down John Major's request to return to government in 1992.
By then she was involved with career number two - writing. This has turned out to be a lot easier than politics, and in some ways loads more fun. In all she has published ten books. She started with non-fiction, then turned to novels which were instant best-sellers in the UK. Her "Diaries 1987-1992" were published in 2002 (paperback October 2003) to excellent reviews.
Career number three started after the General Election in 1997 which trashed the Tories and brought Mr Blair to power. Edwina lost her seat, and was promptly offered a job by the BBC. For five years she had her own very successful radio programme, "Late Night Currie," with live phone-ins and reportage on topical issues. She is also a TV presenter, most recently for "Currie Night" for HTV in 2002 and 2003. During May/June 2004 Edwina has appeared in "Hell's Kitchen" and was also winner of BBC TV's "Celebrity Mastermind 2004." In ITV's "The Big Call" July 2005 she helped one contestant win £20,000 and another almost £50,000 on Britain's National Lottery. In 2006 Edwina recorded "Celebrity Stars in their Eyes" (as Edith Piaf), and appeared in "Celebrity Wife Swap" with Channel 4 racing commentator John McCririck. And in September 2007 as part of the "This Morning" programme she lived for a week on the roof of the ITV building on London's South Bank with only a laptop for company, to prove that you can live off the internet alone.
Edwina has been called "the best communicator the Tories have," and "a brash and energetic life force." Her life to date has been summed up by fellow writer and MP Sir Julian Critchley: "Edwina Currie has a brass neck, a silver tongue and a golden pen."