Philippa Forrester

Philippa Forrester is a British television and radio presenter as well as an author. She is perhaps most famous for her role as a pit reporter in Robot Wars.

The Robot Wars years
Forrester won widespread acclaim from the show's fanbase for her approach to the task, and is widely regarded as the programme's best pit reporter. She appeared in the first series three series of the show, and drew much attention for her suggestive clothing (her leather pants became a trademark of the show, and she also wore a short-cut red top during Series Three). Interesting clothing aside, Forrester was a consumate professional, and dealt with her job enthusiastically, in spite of her obvious lack of knowledge as regards all things mechanical. It didn't take long for her to become a fan's favourite and her role in future series was cemented.

Forrester missed Series Four and the First Series of Extreme due to pregnancy, but made a welcome return for Series 5. Forrester remained in her famous role until the Second Series of Extreme. She continued to gain plaudits for her reporting, but 2003 would be her last year as Pit Reporter. Forrester was forced to make way for Jayne Middlemiss when the show moved to Five in Series 7, a move that was unpopular with many.

Career outside of Robot Wars
Forrester first worked for the BBC as a presenter on CBBC until 1994. She hosted many programmes including Tomorrow's World, Barking Mad and The Heaven and Earth Show.

She also co-presented the BBC's coverage of the Solar eclipse in 1999. At the end of the same year she part of the corporation's team covering the turn of the new Millennium. She was infamously fooled into appearing on the spoof documentary Brass Eye's 2001 paedophilia special when she explained how a paedophile could use a pair of gloved to touch children through a television screen.

She has appeared in television adverts for Lloyds Pharmacy and supports the Recycle Now campaign to encourage more people to take up home composting.

In 2007, she co-produced An Otter in the Family, a documentary series about the adoption of a cub called Grace and their attempts to raise her in order to be released into the wild. She is a co-presenter of World on the Move, a BBC Radio series on migration in the animal kingdom.

Personal life
Forrester is married to wildlife cameraman and television producer Charlie Hamilton-James. The couple live just outside Bath, and have three sons.

She is an avid environmentalist and took a part-time degree in Ecology and Conservation when presenting Tomorrow's World. Her love of nature conservation has seen her become the vice-president of the Avon Wildlife Trust.

--Thetubberlad 03:17, 23 August 2009 (UTC)