Presenter profilesYou are in: Coventry and Warwickshire > Local Radio > Staff Profiles > Presenter profiles > Meet Marian McNamee  Marian McNamee Meet Marian McNameeMarian McNamee's a cheeky scamp and a early bird too - Find out more about our Breakfast Show presenter... - Q: What's your name?
- A: Marian McNamee. I was nameless for about a week after birth and the nurses up at the old Walsgrave called me baby Mac until mum had the idea to merge nana's name, her mother Mary, with her own name Anne. I quite like it because of that.
- Q: From?
- A: Coventry
- Q: Star Sign?
- A: Leo
- Q: Joined the Beeb in?
- A: The first stint I did was around 1994 when I worked on a youth programe called PDQ in the CWR days. I loved it so much I went off to university, studied media and radio and afterwards got my first job scheduling adverts in commercial radio in Coventry. After that I headed down south to work for the Capital Group in commercial radio for about six years before redundancy struck. That's when I started knocking on BBC Coventry & Warwickshire's door until they let me in. I started doing the odd traffic and travel bulletin and now I'm presenting the early breakfast show.
- Q: What has your career involved so far?
- A: Pre-radio a bit of a mixed bag … From an early age I was taught how to fold paper napkins for functions at a Coventry Irish Social Club. I progressed to chopping tomatoes into quarters, collecting glasses and serving pints of Guinness, however I could never keep quiet whilst the bingo was on. I've since spun pizzas, joined rivets together in an engineering factory, cleaned peoples homes and offices (badly) and given out flyers at the NEC. My radio career has been just as mixed from scheduling adverts to organising events. I've reported traffic and travel from a plane and now I'm back to where my love for radio first began at home in Coventry at the BBC. I've been working behind the scenes, arranging guests for shows, answering the phones, pressing buttons, making teas and coffees, reporting into breakfast live from locations across Coventry and Warwickshire and now I've got my own gig presenting early doors.
- Q: What does your job involve?
- A: Sounding chirpy in the early hours. I present the Breakfast Show with Tim Boswell, but also get the day started with the Early Breakfast Show.
- Q: What do you like the most about BBC Coventry & Warwickshire?
- A: Working with Geoff Foster.
- Q: What's your favourite place in Coventry and Warwickshire?
- A: Any open space in Coventry from the spectacular Coombe Abbey to the smallest of gems in the middle of Coventry's city centre like Lady Herbert's Gardens. When you take the time to see what Coventry has to offer the result can be a pleasant surprise.
- Q: Who's your favourite person?
- A: I have a lovely other half called Rob who works at one of the remaining car factories in Coventry. I don't think I would function properly without him, he has this ability to organise me and keep me out of trouble without me actually realising when he is doing this. My immediate family are also wonderful - mum, dad, Elaine and auntie Bernie who I always name in one breath like BBC Coventry & Warwickshire as if they are one person and I always keep my notebook handy when near them! I'm really lucky to have a lot of fantastic people around me, from my massive Irish family to the girls, who unlike my lovely other half, have the ability to lead me straight into mischief.
- Q: What's your favourite hobby?
- A: I recently asked my dad's mum granny Mac to show me how to crochet as she is the master. After a lot of knots and funny shapes I now love to crochet and specialise in very funky blankets which are very much in demand … at least that's the impression I'm given!
- Q: Your favourite food?
- A: Let's just cut to the chase. I love food, most food, and when it comes to sweet or savoury, I'm both. The only things that are a big no-no are raw celery, Turkish Delight and slippy stuff. After that let me at it. Particular favourites include Thai, roast dinners and my dad Peter's bacon and cabbage - no-one else's comes close.
- Q: Your favourite drink?
- A: Oh I have several. Tea, cold beer, rosé wine and Cosmapolitans! The order of which changes as per the occasion or mood.
- Q: Favourite song?
- A: This is a very unfair question to ask an indecisive person. Today I'm going to say The Beatles … Here Comes the Sun.
- Q: Favourite film?
- A: In my pre-teen years it would be Zanadu. During my teens Thelma and Louise. So far on this part of the journey it has to be The Shawshank Redemption - I'm a big Morgan Freeman fan.
- Q: Give us a fascinating fact about yourself:
- A: I loved Rustie Lee so much as a kid that I once jumped the barriers at the Town & Country Festival to try and get on the back of her trailer on which she was being driven around the main ring at the time.
last updated: 10/09/2009 at 11:06
created: 01/09/2005 You are in: Coventry and Warwickshire > Local Radio > Staff Profiles > Presenter profiles > Meet Marian McNamee |
