Christine Hamilton

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.

Christine 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.

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 his 1997 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 fromHell’ 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, herfirst book ‘Christine Hamilton’s Book of BritishBattleaxes’ 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.

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.”